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Gas Gauge goes to full....

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by twinkletwinkle247, Aug 3, 2009.

  1. I took the sending unit out of the truck to clean out the old fuel. Put it back in as usual, and now when I start the truck it goes to full and stays there. Added an additional ground wire to the body and no results.... Gauge has always been good to me prior to this. I'm still thinking it's a ground issue.... maybe it needs to ground to the frame??

    Any ideas?
     
  2. duste01
    Joined: Nov 5, 2006
    Posts: 1,213

    duste01
    Member

    I am assming your talking about your 58 apache? You might try taking the unit back out of the tank, hook the wires back up, turn the key on and see what it reads while you have in your hands. Run the float back and forth slowly to see what its reading.
     
  3. landseaandair
    Joined: Feb 23, 2009
    Posts: 4,485

    landseaandair
    Member
    from phoenix

    The sender may be shorting out, possibly by the strap connecting the lower part to the wire post contacting the tube or you may have pinched the wire if you removed the tank. Try pulling the wire to the sender and turn the key on. If it still reads full then the problem is with the wire, if not than the sender is bad. Also, if you had a grounding problem it would just read empty.
     
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2009
  4. Salty
    Joined: Jul 24, 2006
    Posts: 2,259

    Salty
    Member
    from Florida

    yup,

    short or bad reostat bar

    listen to the dude above me...
     

  5. Make sure you didn;t ground it at the sending unit tighting the nut that holds thegauge wire.
     
  6. Thinking it's the wire, but that's probably because I don't want to purchase another sending unit. The truck has been sitting since 1994, and so far I have it up and running beautifully. This gas gauge seems to be that last little thing, just to IRK me!!

    Guess I'm going to go check this out.... :D
     
  7. stillkruzn
    Joined: Apr 10, 2007
    Posts: 980

    stillkruzn
    Member
    from Conway, AR

    My SW gauge did that... forgot to hook the sending unit up to the back of the gauge...
     
  8. As stated, your problem is Not from lack of Ground. It's because your fully Grounded. Could be a pinched wire, defective sending unit, or simply a full tank of Gas. Pull the wire off and see what happens.
    The Wizzard
     
  9. Oh, come on Wizz! Not your "typical" girl here. I would not ask for help if it actually had a full tank. :rolleyes:

    Thanks for a good chuckle. Looks like it may be the sending unit...
     
  10. Glad you have a sense of Humor. So if it were Me checking this out and I didn't have a V.O.M. I'd simply use 2 jumper wires with clips on them. With the sender removed again
    I'd pull the wire to the tank off at the gauge and hook one clip to that terminal and the other end to the wire terminal on the sender. Then taking the other jumper hook it to a good ground on the truck and other to the sender flange. Then slowly swing the float arm up and down while watching the gauge. This will take the guess work out of the old wireing in the truck.
    The Wizzard
     
  11. 1950ChevySuburban
    Joined: Dec 20, 2006
    Posts: 6,187

    1950ChevySuburban
    Member Emeritus
    from Tucson AZ

    They're delicate and probably didn't survive being cleaned. They only fail when the tank's full so you can make a bigger mess!
     
  12. 52pickup
    Joined: Aug 11, 2004
    Posts: 833

    52pickup
    Member
    from Tucson, Az

    Make sure you got it put in the right direction.... I've see quite a few people put a sending unit in where the float gets hung up on a baffle or side of the tank. . . leaving them with an always full, or empty, or wont go above ___(fill in the blank). Other than that, these guys have you covered.
     
  13. Smokin Joe
    Joined: Mar 19, 2002
    Posts: 3,770

    Smokin Joe
    Member

    My old 59 Invicta used to start out at 1/4 tank and gradually gain till full if you drove long enough. Reguardless of what was in the tank. Never did figure that one out, but I wish I had a car that really did that with today's gas prices. Back then at 28 cents a gallon even I could keep that 445 Wildcat Special fed.
     
  14. Hey guys.... Well, I found the problem today as soon as I pulled the sending unit. Check it out. I guess that last installation was what made it snap and kick the bucket.... Looking for a new unit now ;)
     

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  15. 52pickup
    Joined: Aug 11, 2004
    Posts: 833

    52pickup
    Member
    from Tucson, Az

    clean it up and solder it back on . . . good as new. They don't make em like they used to. . .
     
  16. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,942

    squirrel
    Member

    yeah, that's a common problem on original senders on those trucks.

    Clean the brass well before soldering....
     
  17. That's what I was gonna try first... Think it will hold with all that dang ethanol?
     
  18. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,942

    squirrel
    Member

    Until it breaks again, or something else goes wrong with it. Worth a try.
     
  19. I'll second that... re-solder it good as new.... save some cash.
     
  20. 50'custom
    Joined: May 19, 2009
    Posts: 149

    50'custom
    Member

    i agree with the above,had that problem on my 61' apache,cleaned soldered,all was great.
     
  21. 52pickup
    Joined: Aug 11, 2004
    Posts: 833

    52pickup
    Member
    from Tucson, Az

    I've done it probably half a dozen times on different vehicles. . . from old trucks to an old vette. all are still holding to my knowledge.
     

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