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Another shakedown run...

Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 5:48 am
by Cal_Gary
Added another 8 miles on Saturday. New problem for you experts to help solve: Gas gauge needle is all over the place-up, down, 1/2 full if you're an optimist, 1/2 empty if you're a pessimist. Anyway, the gauge, wiring, and sending unit are all new, and I suspect I may have installed the sender incorrectly. I installed it with the float arm pointing to the passenger side. With the gas sloshing everywhere, I wonder if the float arm should be pointing toward the front of the tank instead of the side? The old unit I removed had the float and arm missing, and I had no photo to use as a reference. Any thoughts you can offer would be most appreciated!
Gary

JM 2 Cents

Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 8:33 am
by m-37Bruce
I'm think a wire has shorted out somewhere?
My float was to the the passenger side @ removal. (bit it did not work anyway)
My thoughts are a pinched wire, Charles might have a better idea?

yet again beating a dead horse

Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2008 2:20 pm
by N1VSM
Sounds like (drum roll, please) a bad ground at the sender or the gauge (or both). I had a similar problem that I initially fixed by running a temporary wire from the housing of the sender unit to the frame. (Yes, I did eventually do it "right".)

As for installation, isn't the top plate of the sender shaped like a "D"? If so, you'd have to try hard to get it in wrong. If not, me mind be muddled again!

Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 3:38 am
by knattrass
We pulled a dedicated ground wire and installed a new sender as part of the overhaul. Ours is twitchie when moving and can jump a 1/4 of a tank reading sometimes. We only had a small amount of fuel so I figured it was just sloshing.

Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 5:42 am
by Cal_Gary
Thanks to all! My mount is perfectly round so it looks like I can position it in any direction. The wiring is all new and protected with Power Braid by Painless, so it likely needs a ground wire instead of relying on the unit to self-ground. I'll take a look-see and add the ground wire.
Thanks again,
Gary