- This topic has 8 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 6 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Hi guys!
So i figured one of you smarty pants MG Studs might be able to help me. My fuel gauge lights up but the needle always lies flat like it’s empty. I haven’t the foggiest idea where to start. It’s not a big deal, but it would be nice to know when I’m running out of fuel! Thanks for your help guys!
Geoff
Geoff;
It’s great to hear that you’re giving Stella some good long runs.
So many problems seem to stem from bad grounds, esp on cars like ours, and ones that are getting driven for the first time in a long time. I’d check the ground on the sending unit first. Are other gauges OK?
Fuel gauges don’t go bad as often as the sending units. I’d start with pulling the unit out of the tank and checking to see if the float is leaking and just setting on the bottom. Somtimes varnish and gum let them stick at the pivot points and all they may need is just loosening up. If in doubt, replace it.
Use a ohm meter to check if the sender is sending out anything. If not sure how to check resistance from the unit, just ask. (That way I won’t insult you if you happen to be an electical engineer or such
)If while having the Ohm meter, (multimeter) hooked to the unit and moving the float up and down and nothing happens….replace the sender. Shoot, you’ve already got it out, go ahead and replace it!
If OK, check the wiring to the guage and lastly the guage.
If you get to the gauge being the problem, (I doubt it.) the Stewart Warner web site has some test procedures.
Again, glad you’re on the road, ain’t it great!!!
Ringo
Thanks Ringo!
You are a wealth of information as always. I will start at the tank and check the float.
Have you been out cruising? How’s she running?
I’m planning on going to some smaller jets in my carb, replacing the muffler, and then I’m going to start looking into intake manifolds!!!
Thanks again for lending your expertise, as always it’s much appreciated!!!
Geoff
I’ve got the same problem with my (CMC Ford) TD (gas gauge not working). I started at the fuses, all were ok;; then using a stick light started testing to see where I had power. Got power at the gauge (got it to peg full anyway when the light came on). Lastly I went to the sending unit, after removing the left rear tire, and getting in several positions a 58 year old shouldn’t be in,
I got nothing with the light. Outside of removing the whole rear box, is there an easy way to get to the sending unit and removing it? According to the build manual the access panel behind the spare should come off, but not on this one, impossable to get to most of the nuts. Anyone got any ideas?? Thanks,
Montie
Montie , The easy way is to remove the tire mount cover from under the car you should be able to reach the nuts if you can’t get at them or won’t move you can use a Dremel cut wheel . When I replaced the cover , I used the type nut that have spring clips attached to them slide on type and used 1/4 X 1 bolts that way I can remove the cover easly in less than 5 min. haveing the tire holder on the top of the tank cover, with weather striping to trim it all out, Ringo is wright about the sending unites setting over winter.; Once you have the cover off ,think on this, the space over the tank to the body is great storage small but easy to use I am makeing a box from the gas filler over to the right from the body to the angled part of the tank cover . With a hinged door cut on the top of the cover for my side curtains good luck, Dan R
Dan is right about getting the cover off from the backside. I had to remove mine to get to the sending unit. I finally found a bad ground feeding the gauges like what Ringo was talking about. I did clean up the sender, which is a very simple mechanism. I remounted the spare mount to the outside of the fake tank housing this time like Dan did and trimmed out the raw fiberglass edge with some aluminum ‘U’ trim. I can now easily remove the tire mount from the outside to get to the top of the tank and the void above the tank. My trailer hitch mounts thru the frame around the tank, so I can get to those bolts easily if I need to. Grounding has been a problem on my car, three times I have dealt with bad gauge grounding. I replaced all the wires and so far so good. My harness appeared to be from the original Pinto and was a mess. My fuel gauge was always to the first to tell me about a bad ground. Up/down/up/down…full tank, then empty, then full.
Dan, would love to see some pics on your storage project, sounds great.
Geoff;
It has set a record for rainfall here this May
Luckily, we had some real nice weather in March and April and I put over 300 miles on the Duchess. She is running better than ever, in fact, I had to check my speed with a GPS since she seemed to getting up to speed too quick. The linkage on the Weber progressive has been getting more of a work out at times, much to the surprise of smart alecks who pull up beside me and run and gun. It’s amazing what a well tuned 2.3 can do when wound up.
Hopefully the weather here will clear this weekend. I’ll be entering a car show if not raining. At any rate I’m sure I’ll be on the road a lot more in June.
BTW, although the hatch in the back of the Duchess gave me problems when it came time to find a gas tank, I can access every thing on the tank without removing anything other than the spare, so I’ve got that going for me…..
Take care,
RingoRingo, we are getting your left over rain over here. Everytime I put my hand on the toolbox to work on the car in the driveway, here comes the rain. I believe the old original T-series used a measuring stick to dip into the tank rather than an electrical gauge. I think my fill is a direct drop into the tank so a stick may be my backup gauge…whata pain
.Ringo, looking at some of the 2.3L sites, that engine is and can be a real powerhouse, some special tuning and they’ll keep the fuel gauge moving for sure.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.