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Bret Young
Samba Member
Joined: August 26, 2006
Posts: 756
Location: Turlock, CA
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 Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 4:06 pm Post subject: Gas gauge trouble |
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Hey guys. Trying to troubleshoot my gauge gauge. Just finishing up the resto on my 64 panel and it is the only thing inside the bus that does not work.
When I turn the car on, the gas gauge does absolutely nothing. If i turn the lights on, the gas gauge light doesnt work either.
But if I pull the bulb out of the back of the gauge and plug it into the red emergency flasher light, it works.
Another odd thing I found. If I turn the headlights on with the keys out of the ignition/key in the off position, the needle spikes to Full, and if I turn the lights off, it drops back to Reserve.
Any thoughts? I'm scratching my head here... |
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busdaddy
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Joined: February 12, 2004
Posts: 51153
Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 4:46 pm Post subject: |
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Sounds like the gauge isn't grounded.
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EDragnDean
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Joined: July 13, 2005
Posts: 1148
Location: Vancouver, WA
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Bret Young
Samba Member
Joined: August 26, 2006
Posts: 756
Location: Turlock, CA
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| Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2013 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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I will pull it out of the dash tomorrow and either scuff the paint underneath the dash or maybe run an additional ground wire.
The wire for the ground at the sender is hooked up. And i cleaned the metal underneath that ground wire before hooking it up. |
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quartermilecamel
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Joined: April 16, 2008
Posts: 3929
Location: ohio
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| Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2013 2:40 pm Post subject: |
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Possible you have the dash light wire and the power wire mixed up?
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Bret Young
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Joined: August 26, 2006
Posts: 756
Location: Turlock, CA
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| Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 6:30 pm Post subject: |
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Just wanted to do a follow up on this thread. Just got time to work on it today. Pulled the gauge out, cleaned all terminals and reinstalled. Brown wire as the ground (to the sender) and black as power from the headlight switch as in the wiring diagram.
I get lights on the gauge now. So thats a start. But still nothing from the gauge. When turning the key on and off i get the slightest twitch of the needle, but it still remains on R. And I know for a fact it has over 4 gallons in the tank.
Any other suggestions? I know for a fact that the sender is hooked up correctly as I filed the terminal on the sender so it was clean and cleaned the metal for the ground wire before installation.
Any other troubleshooting tips? |
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EDragnDean
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Joined: July 13, 2005
Posts: 1148
Location: Vancouver, WA
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Bret Young
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Joined: August 26, 2006
Posts: 756
Location: Turlock, CA
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| Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 8:20 pm Post subject: |
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| EDragnDean wrote: |
| Run a temporary ground wire from one of the mounting nuts to a good known ground. If memory serves, the brown wire is the receiver for the sender, but does not serve as the gauge ground. |
Thanks a bunch for responding again.
So there is a G and a + terminal on the gauge. So + is the black wire and the the G terminal should be a body ground not the wire from the terminal?
There is a small threaded post in the middle of the gauge towards the bottom with nothing hooked up to it/no nut. Is something supposed to be attached to that? |
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EDragnDean
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Joined: July 13, 2005
Posts: 1148
Location: Vancouver, WA
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Bret Young
Samba Member
Joined: August 26, 2006
Posts: 756
Location: Turlock, CA
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| Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 9:38 pm Post subject: |
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| EDragnDean wrote: |
| No, there is no required attachment. Generally the mount grounds to the dash. Prior to scratching your paint, run a temp ground to verify the issue. Any of the mounting metal points should work. |
Okay. I will give it a try. I did scuff the paint underneath the dash but didnt run an additional ground wire. Just scuffing the paint and scuffing the terminals got the light to work, so I figured if the light started working, that the gauge was getting a solid ground. |
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quartermilecamel
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Joined: April 16, 2008
Posts: 3929
Location: ohio
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| Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 12:55 am Post subject: |
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that would be correct as the light pulls more amperage than the guage will ever pull.
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Waiting for santa to drop off funky green. I can wish can't I???? |
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BarryL 
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Joined: November 01, 2004
Posts: 14271
Location: Casa de Oro, California
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| Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 8:59 am Post subject: |
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| If you pull off the brown wire from the sender back at the tank and touch it to ground what do you get? |
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Bret Young
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Joined: August 26, 2006
Posts: 756
Location: Turlock, CA
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| Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 9:27 am Post subject: |
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| BarryL wrote: |
| If you pull off the brown wire from the sender back at the tank and touch it to ground what do you get? |
Never tried that. Would need to have a second person to do that and observe.
If I try that, what should happen? Figure I should ask so I know what to look out for. |
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fluxcap
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Joined: February 07, 2006
Posts: 1969
Location: Newnan GA
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| Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 9:45 am Post subject: |
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| mrblyoung wrote: |
| BarryL wrote: |
| If you pull off the brown wire from the sender back at the tank and touch it to ground what do you get? |
Never tried that. Would need to have a second person to do that and observe.
If I try that, what should happen? Figure I should ask so I know what to look out for. |
The needle should jump to "full" if you do what Barry suggests. From what you've typed, I think you have the extra ground wire going from a screw on the sender to the body of the bus, but just want to verify you do indeed have this. Mine wouldn't read at all until I added this wire.
It should look like the picture below found in another thread. You have the sending unit wire (in the black sheath) that runs to the gauge. But you should also have the other thin brown wire, that runs from a screw on the sending unit to a good ground on the body.
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porscheforu
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Joined: November 02, 2009
Posts: 35
Location: Sun Valley, ID
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| Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 10:07 am Post subject: |
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I had the same problem. I ended up sanding w/60 grit around the inside of the opening where the mounting bracket touches. I then attached a ground wire to the unused threaded post at the bottom of the gauge and to the bolt that fastens the tray, to the left of the speedo. I don't know which one of these made the difference, but the fuel gauge is working the way it should.
Ned |
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olliehank47
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Joined: May 04, 2011
Posts: 1198
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| Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 10:14 am Post subject: |
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| fluxcap wrote: |
| mrblyoung wrote: |
| BarryL wrote: |
| If you pull off the brown wire from the sender back at the tank and touch it to ground what do you get? |
Never tried that. Would need to have a second person to do that and observe.
If I try that, what should happen? Figure I should ask so I know what to look out for. |
The needle should jump to "full" if you do what Barry suggests. From what you've typed, I think you have the extra ground wire going from a screw on the sender to the body of the bus, but just want to verify you do indeed have this. Mine wouldn't read at all until I added this wire.
It should look like the picture below found in another thread. You have the sending unit wire (in the black sheath) that runs to the gauge. But you should also have the other thin brown wire, that runs from a screw on the sending unit to a good ground on the body.
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This is your definitive test. Form your original post, it is clear that your gauge works because it will peg to "full". You now have the body properly grounded so the gauge does not register with the lights on, and the gauge light illuminates. The only outstanding factor is the feed to the "G" terminal--from the sender/sender wire.
You do not need an assistant, just an alligator clip. Pull the sender wire from the sender, and use an alligator clip to connect it to the ground wire connection of the sender, or to a screw of the sender itself. If the needle moves to "full", then your sender is faulty. If the needle remains on "R", then the wire to the sender is faulty. |
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Bret Young
Samba Member
Joined: August 26, 2006
Posts: 756
Location: Turlock, CA
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| Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 10:48 am Post subject: |
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| fluxcap wrote: |
| mrblyoung wrote: |
| BarryL wrote: |
| If you pull off the brown wire from the sender back at the tank and touch it to ground what do you get? |
Never tried that. Would need to have a second person to do that and observe.
If I try that, what should happen? Figure I should ask so I know what to look out for. |
The needle should jump to "full" if you do what Barry suggests. From what you've typed, I think you have the extra ground wire going from a screw on the sender to the body of the bus, but just want to verify you do indeed have this. Mine wouldn't read at all until I added this wire.
It should look like the picture below found in another thread. You have the sending unit wire (in the black sheath) that runs to the gauge. But you should also have the other thin brown wire, that runs from a screw on the sending unit to a good ground on the body.
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I havent added the second ground wire from the gauge yet, but I will be doing that today to see if it makes the difference.
My gas tank is setup exactly how your photo looks. Light brown going to the roof of the engine bay and the wire from the main harness going to the terminal on the sender. |
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