Fuel gauge not working
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 167
Likes: 0
From: Kyle, Texas
Fuel gauge not working
Ok, heres my trouble with my 76 F-100.
My fuel gauge moves very slightly from just below the E to the E when you turn the truck on. I just filled up the tank for the first time since ive made it street legal and i realized i wasnt just low on gas like i thought, my gauge dont work. Now, since it slightly moves i figure the gauge works but somethings wrong with my wiring so i pulled out my chilton and tried to check it all but it doesnt go past the gauge itself, it simply says to fuel tank.
So, i trace my wiring from 1 orange wire, which splits into a green wire and a green wire with a red stripe behind the dash. from here, the two wires lead back along the framerail inside the tape but only one of them (green with red stripe) leads back to the rubber connector on the top of the tank.
since im pathetic when it comes to electronics even on antique trucks i would appreciate it if someone could tell me how my fuel gauge reads from the float so i better understand it, and more importantly, why does the orange wire split into two wires and where is that second one suppose to connect to?
Thanks
My fuel gauge moves very slightly from just below the E to the E when you turn the truck on. I just filled up the tank for the first time since ive made it street legal and i realized i wasnt just low on gas like i thought, my gauge dont work. Now, since it slightly moves i figure the gauge works but somethings wrong with my wiring so i pulled out my chilton and tried to check it all but it doesnt go past the gauge itself, it simply says to fuel tank.
So, i trace my wiring from 1 orange wire, which splits into a green wire and a green wire with a red stripe behind the dash. from here, the two wires lead back along the framerail inside the tape but only one of them (green with red stripe) leads back to the rubber connector on the top of the tank.
since im pathetic when it comes to electronics even on antique trucks i would appreciate it if someone could tell me how my fuel gauge reads from the float so i better understand it, and more importantly, why does the orange wire split into two wires and where is that second one suppose to connect to?
Thanks
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,613
Likes: 2
From: Gainesville, FL
Gun,
Disconnect the sending unit wire from the tank and ground it for 10 to 15 seconds. Then go look at your gage quickly. If the wiring is correct, and the gage works, it should be descending slowly from full. If it never registered full then there is a wiring problem or the gage is bad.
Its that simple,
KingFisher
Disconnect the sending unit wire from the tank and ground it for 10 to 15 seconds. Then go look at your gage quickly. If the wiring is correct, and the gage works, it should be descending slowly from full. If it never registered full then there is a wiring problem or the gage is bad.
Its that simple,
KingFisher
Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 845
Likes: 2
From: Bakersfield Ca.
My guess is that it could be the float. Since the fuel gauge seems to be getting some signal from the sending unit when you start the truck, it could be that the float has a hole and is filled with gasoline. When you start your truck it just sits at the bottom of the tank and registers as an empty tank. FWIW
Freshman User
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: Magnolia Ms.
Fixed this same problem on mine yesterday along with the shifter. My float had 2 small cracks in it, put some JB weld on them and it works so far, hopefully JB weld will hold up in gas. Now I have to do the rear. Forgot to mention, I took the sender apart also and the small wires which the wiper arm rubs against were broke in one spot. Jammed the remaining wires under the other side to bridge the gap and it works. So I actually had 2 problems.
Mike
Mike
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 167
Likes: 0
From: Kyle, Texas
Hey guys thanks for all your replies.
well it turns out the gauge was the hole in the float problem, when i finally got the tank off and the old one out it had a crack going halfway down it. i went down to the local ford dealer and it took him about 3 seconds to grab me one.
but again, thanks
well it turns out the gauge was the hole in the float problem, when i finally got the tank off and the old one out it had a crack going halfway down it. i went down to the local ford dealer and it took him about 3 seconds to grab me one.
but again, thanks
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Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 167
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From: Kyle, Texas
oh and dfisher1, the tip on grounding the wire was helpful i dont know why i didnt think of that before ive done it for my temperature sensor once.
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