Fuel Gauge issues - Re-Solved!

[Wildthings]

[telford dorr]

VW_PDX,

Keep in mind that the fuel sender has TWO wires: a signal wire going to the terminal, and a ground wire going from the sender body to a chassis ground somewhere (that way, the sender doesn't depend on the tank itself being solidly grounded).

1970bay,

As Wildthings says, sounds like a bad connection on the back of the instrument cluster, most likely involving the ground connection from body ground to instrument cluster ground.
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'71 panel, now with FI
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[VW_PDX]

@Telford - thanks - yes the other wire on the tank is properly grounded to the frame.

I hooked the wires up finally on Thanksgiving and took her for a spin. The gauge is reading! It moves a bit around corners and stuff, so maybe a faulty vibrator, or else that is just what happens. But super happy that at least I have some indication of the gas level. On flat roads it reads well.

I will look into that soon enough, but for now, I think all is well.

cheers,
Steff!
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1976 Westphalia - 1974 engine - Dual carbs
1971 Camper - 1971 engine - Single carb

[Tcash]

[1970bay]

This like a visit to the doctor finding things wrong that seemed normal

OK my light switch i have a spare Bought it about three years ago in case mine needed replacement will try it

As for the earth everything looks really well grounded,again ill look again

About a month ago i ran out of fuel with a good half tank indicated Had a 15 mile walk in the wild French countryside.As it hadnt been running well or starting at all when stalled I hadnt driven it for some weeks,before i left i intended to fill the tank but bad traffic decided me to head to the garage on empty roads

For once i hadnt logged the mileage when id last filled....seems the sender had stuck...when i used my lights the gauge didnt flicker ....oh well
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Travels with my camper:
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Built in 1971 The engine was changed from 1600cc to a 1972 flat 1700cc engine in 1974 otherwise nothings been changed std twin vw carbs

[Tcash]

If you ran it out of gas. You need to have the filter in the gas tank cleaned and change the external fuel filter. Might as well put new fuel hoses on as well.
Good luck
Tcash

[ImAddicted]

Figured I’d post here to try to keep information in one spot. When I parked my bus years ago, the fuel gauge worked (about 20% off, but being off towards the low side, not a problem). IIRC, it worked when I started working on it 3 years ago, though not 100% positive on that. It definitely doesn’t work now, needle all the way to the right and out of sight. I used this thread to troubleshoot, I get 12v on the black wire to the gauge, variable from 0-6.7 coming from the red wire between the vibrator and the gauge. I get open at the brown/black At the the vibrator and both sides of the white connector on the column bracket. If I ground the tab where the brn/bk connects to the vibrator, it climbs up to full, so I’m going to assume that once I find the open circuit, the gauge and vibrator are “good.”
I had a small fire two years ago from a shorted VR that ignited a puddle of brake clean under the bus. Besides cooking the alt light wire, by the starter, it took out a few other wires in that area (starter/passenger side harness). From my understanding, the fuel sender wire should exit the tank hold to head up front in that general area? I’m hoping that might be where my dead wire is, going to crawl under it maybe tomorrow, just wanting verification that I’m looking in the right spot. Thanks.
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1979 Transporter (sold)
KC1MUR

[busdaddy]

The wire exits the tank compartment on the bottom pan, just inboard of the RH shock on a 79.
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[ImAddicted]