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racoguy
Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2010
Posts: 687
Location: new zealand
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 Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 9:03 pm Post subject: Fuel Gauge |
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The fuel gauge only works when you ground the sender wire, took the sender apart and fixed that which now has ohms reading high to low depending on where the float is positioned but the gauge reads nothing with the float at the bottom and pegged at full with the float just off the bottom.
There's no change no matter where the float is, tested the sender as I lowered it in the tank and the reading changes as the float rises.
6V gauge and sender running on 12V
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ataraxia
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 4504
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 9:55 pm Post subject: Re: Fuel Gauge |
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Make sure both the gauge and the sender are properly grounded.
The sender isn't voltage specific, IIRC...but it needs to ground via the mount bolts on the tank, which ground when the tank is bolted to the body. I had to run a separate ground wire from my sender to the body because my tank was powdercoated and doesn't ground.
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Donnie strickland
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Joined: December 21, 2009
Posts: 2403
Location: Moody, AL
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| Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 10:20 pm Post subject: Re: Fuel Gauge |
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The sender isn't voltage specific, but I don't know about the Type 3 fuel gauge...can you run a 6V gauge on 12 volts?
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Bobnotch
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Joined: July 06, 2003
Posts: 22425
Location: Kimball, Mi
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| Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 10:46 pm Post subject: Re: Fuel Gauge |
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| Donnie strickland wrote: |
| The sender isn't voltage specific, but I don't know about the Type 3 fuel gauge...can you run a 6V gauge on 12 volts? |
This was brought up few years ago, and it's been said the the gauge doesn't care either... but when I did my 12 volt conversions (at least 3 now) I used a 12 volt gauge and didn't have a problem.
racoguy, if the sender changes ohms when it rises or falls (90 ohms empty, and 0 ohms full), then that part is working correctly. This means the guage side needs to be checked, Ground the sending unit wire and the guage should go full. If not you have a break in the wire, ora lack of a ground on the guage unit itself.
I hope this helps.
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71 Notch ...aka Krunchy; build pics here;
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64 T-34 Ghia...aka Wolfie, under construction... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=412120
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racoguy
Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2010
Posts: 687
Location: new zealand
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| Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 1:11 am Post subject: Re: Fuel Gauge |
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Yup the sender is grounded to the tank / body.
If I ground the sender wire the gauge goes to full so the gauge works as such but doesn't read what is in the tank.
I'll have to pull the gauge and do some out of car testing.
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ataraxia
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 4504
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 6:56 am Post subject: Re: Fuel Gauge |
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| racoguy wrote: |
Yup the sender is grounded to the tank / body.
If I ground the sender wire the gauge goes to full so the gauge works as such but doesn't read what is in the tank.
I'll have to pull the gauge and do some out of car testing. |
Sounds like you may need to pull the sender and have a look at the wires to make sure they're intact and the float moves freely. |
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KTPhil 
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006
Posts: 34012
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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| Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 9:47 am Post subject: Re: Fuel Gauge |
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The gauge itself needs a good ground. The ground path is through the two metal prongs that hold it in place, which can be unreliable. You may need to run a separate ground wire for the gauge.
The sender is the same for 6V and 12V. But they are different among Buses, Bugs, and Type 3s.
Jim Adney can rebuild your sender. ([email protected])
Some photos to show you the two VERY delicate wires used as a variable resistor inside the sending unit.
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ataraxia
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 4504
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 11:08 am Post subject: Re: Fuel Gauge |
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| KTPhil wrote: |
The gauge itself needs a good ground. The ground path is through the two metal prongs that hold it in place, which can be unreliable. You may need to run a separate ground wire for the gauge.
The sender is the same for 6V and 12V. But they are different among Buses, Bugs, and Type 3s.
Jim Adney can rebuild your sender. ([email protected])
Some photos to show you the two VERY delicate wires used as a variable resistor inside the sending unit.
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I'd be surprised if he's going to send a broken sender from New Zealand to Wisconsin to get fixed. A new one can be had for the shipping cost. |
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racoguy
Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2010
Posts: 687
Location: new zealand
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| Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 11:25 am Post subject: Re: Fuel Gauge |
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Thanks for the replies, as i've said a couple of times the sender tests fine.
I took the whole thing apart and repaired it, they get corroded between the body and copper strip which is why they stop working.
I'll check the ground to the gauge next.
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KTPhil
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006
Posts: 34012
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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| Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 12:25 pm Post subject: Re: Fuel Gauge |
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| racoguy wrote: |
| 6V gauge and sender running on 12V |
The sender doesn't care which voltage, but I'm not so sure about the gauge itself. |
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ataraxia
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 4504
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 1:02 pm Post subject: Re: Fuel Gauge |
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| I would try a 12 volt gauge at this stage vs. chasing gremlins... |
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Bobnotch
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2003
Posts: 22425
Location: Kimball, Mi
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| Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 9:56 pm Post subject: Re: Fuel Gauge |
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| KTPhil wrote: |
The gauge itself needs a good ground. The ground path is through the two metal prongs that hold it in place, which can be unreliable. You may need to run a separate ground wire for the gauge.
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Phil, I don't think he'll have much of a problem, since he's working on a T-34. That is unless he's put too much paint on the back side of the steel dash when he painted it. Also the gauge anchors to the dash a little differently in that 2 angled pieces of metal get attached to the gauge itself to hold it in place. He might need to scrape a little paint off to get a better ground though.
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Bob 65 Notch S with Sunroof
71 Notch ...aka Krunchy; build pics here;
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=249390 -been busy working
64 T-34 Ghia...aka Wolfie, under construction... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=412120
| Tram wrote: |
| "Friends are God's way of apologizing for relatives." |
| Tram wrote: |
| People keep confusing "restored" and "restroyed". |
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KTPhil
Samba Member
Joined: April 06, 2006
Posts: 34012
Location: Conejo Valley, CA
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| Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 10:45 pm Post subject: Re: Fuel Gauge |
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| Bobnotch wrote: |
| KTPhil wrote: |
The gauge itself needs a good ground. The ground path is through the two metal prongs that hold it in place, which can be unreliable. You may need to run a separate ground wire for the gauge.
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Phil, I don't think he'll have much of a problem, since he's working on a T-34. That is unless he's put too much paint on the back side of the steel dash when he painted it. Also the gauge anchors to the dash a little differently in that 2 angled pieces of metal get attached to the gauge itself to hold it in place. He might need to scrape a little paint off to get a better ground though. |
Aaah, I didn't know it was a T34. In any case, a quick check with a jumper wire to temporarily provide a second/better ground path will show if this is the problem, and it only takes seconds. |
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racoguy
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Joined: May 15, 2010
Posts: 687
Location: new zealand
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