I am having a hell of a time installing this thing. I have a 1955 f-100. I converted to 12v, got voltage reducer, hooked it up, and I cant seem to remember how the wiring went. I have a power wire, and a ground. I need to know where each of these wires go on the sending unit screw. Wherever I put them, my guage shoots up past full. I know this is supposed to mean that I have a bad unit( or thats what I have heard) but the thing is brand new. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

Most gauges of that style don't use a ground. Connect the power (hopefully from your gauge regulator supply) to the positive side and connect the sending unit to the other side. The sending unit will complete the circuit by varying the resistance to ground.


Winford

 

huh? Ok, I have a voltage reducer, and a wire going from my ACC switch on my ignition, to one connector of my stock gas guage. On the other connector(same gas guage) I have a brown wire that goes thru the firewall, under the cab, and exits where my gas tank is. There is also a black wire connected to the frame(ground I assume) I connect te hot wire to my fueltank sending unit, and nothing happens. But when I touch the ground, and the positive wires together, my guage shoots past full. I'm gonna go out and deal with it now. Any help?

Thank you!

 

Ok, I figured out something, and my guage works (sort of) I have almost 1/2 tank of gas, and my guage is reading really low, but at least its reading something now. As far as the voltage reducer goes, Does anyone know the proper way to install this? What should be getting reduced voltage, the sending unit itself, or the guage? Thank you in advance.

 

one wire should go from the acc. terminal on the ign. switch to the gage. another wire goes from the gage to the sending unit. the connection for this wire at the sending unit will be insulated from the sending unit itself. another wire goes from the frame to the sending unit ground connection.

 

51frrdtrk is correct, except he didn't mention about the voltage reducer - and I missed it too in my post.

If the voltage reducer is designed to reduce ALL the instruments then it should go somewhere in the circuit which feeds all the gauges. If it is a single gauge voltage reducer, then it will go between the acc connector and the gauge + side.

Basically, the gauge and the sending unit are connected in series to the battery (or regulated voltage - or reduced voltage, whichever you have) on the + side and ground on the other end. The sending unit completes the ground. There should not be a separate ground wire at the gauge.

I don't know when Ford started it, but in the 60's and 70's all Ford instrument panels had a voltage regulator just for the gauges. It was a mechanical interrupter which alternately opened and closed by a little heating coil in it. That's why in my first post I included the regulator in the circuit. Evidently, the earlier gauges didn't use them.

Incidentally, my Auto Meter gauges I installed in my 54 do not have regulated voltages so the accuracy is poor, because of the varying output from the battery/alternator. I added my own regulator in my installation.




Winford

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 28-Dec-01 AT 11:31 AM (EST)]needs to be deleted

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 28-Dec-01 AT 11:30 AM (EST)]sorry, the drawing is at (www) winfordr.com/fuelgauge.jpg


Winford

 

Thank you, I will check it out. I printed the diagram, and am going over it. You guys have been Soooo much help, I appreciate it.