Gauge problem
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Junior User
Joined: Nov 2012
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From: Tracy, CA
Gauge problem
i read basically the entire icvr thread and im still confused lol. My fuel gauge has never read right, but luckily hasn't left me stranded once it gets to 1/4 tank or a bit more itll drop, i was wondering how do i fix that? Also the temperature gauge just goes up and it has worked before, long story but not really just dont want to share it lol, any ways that gauge isnt reading correctly now either and im not sure if the battery gauge works correctly either, and the oil gauge reads high also. in other words all the gauges read high or to the needles go to the right except for the battery gauge any help to fix that?
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Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Virginia
Don't waste one minute on any of the gauges except the fuel gauge. If you care about your truck, put a set of aftermarket gauges under the dash.
None of the fuel gauges in these trucks will be consistent throughout the scale. Part of it is the design of the tank, and part of it is the resistance unit in the tank. Every truck I have driven, the fuel gauge has it's own "personality". On my 89, the rear tank will read full, and it's pretty even all the way down the scale. The front one when it's full, will stay pegged for miles and miles. When I have somewhere between 5 and 10 gallons left, the gauge will start dropping. It will fall pretty rapidly, but is still useful to tell me when it's going to be empty.
You can change out the sending unit, but it's a roll of the dice. It will change how the gauge reads, but will it be for better or worse, you never know. Just so it tells you when you are close to empty is all you can hope for.
None of the fuel gauges in these trucks will be consistent throughout the scale. Part of it is the design of the tank, and part of it is the resistance unit in the tank. Every truck I have driven, the fuel gauge has it's own "personality". On my 89, the rear tank will read full, and it's pretty even all the way down the scale. The front one when it's full, will stay pegged for miles and miles. When I have somewhere between 5 and 10 gallons left, the gauge will start dropping. It will fall pretty rapidly, but is still useful to tell me when it's going to be empty.
You can change out the sending unit, but it's a roll of the dice. It will change how the gauge reads, but will it be for better or worse, you never know. Just so it tells you when you are close to empty is all you can hope for.
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Junior User
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 54
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From: Tracy, CA
The fuel gauge dropped today after i posted this perfect timing. lol once it dropped i put in about 6 gallons and now it reads about 3/4 tank and what typically happens now is that it reads correct til i fill it up again. so what would you recommend, would you still recommend the aftermarket gauges? could there be some way to put in a different gauge where the stock one would be?
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 56,984
Likes: 2,738
From: Virginia
If you want to try getting it to work better, run the tank out of fuel as much as you dare, and then pull it down and replace the sending unit in the tank. The are famous for going out in these trucks, maybe yours is getting ready to go.
You misunderstood my post. You have to keep the factory fuel gauge and deal it with. You do not have to deal with the oil pressure, temperature, and charge gauges. You can buy aftermarket for these only, and they will have real numbers on them, and actually tell you whats going on.
So replace the sending unit in the tank for the fuel gauge, and install a 3 unit aftermarket gauges for the other ones and mount it under the dash.
You misunderstood my post. You have to keep the factory fuel gauge and deal it with. You do not have to deal with the oil pressure, temperature, and charge gauges. You can buy aftermarket for these only, and they will have real numbers on them, and actually tell you whats going on.
So replace the sending unit in the tank for the fuel gauge, and install a 3 unit aftermarket gauges for the other ones and mount it under the dash.
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