Fuel Gauge 1966 - NCRS Discussion Boards

Fuel Gauge 1966

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  • Joe T.
    Expired
    • February 25, 2018
    • 153

    Fuel Gauge 1966

    The fuel gauge stays at a half tank. Doesn't matter if the tank is full or empty. Car had sat for three years. Any suggestions of what the fault would be. I am thinking the sending unit float is stuck at that position. Haven't done a ohms check or ground yet. Didn't want to remove the dash at this time or pull the sending unit.
  • Joe L.
    Beyond Control Poster
    • February 1, 1988
    • 43221

    #2
    Re: Fuel Gauge 1966

    Originally posted by Joe Terravecchia (64506)
    The fuel gauge stays at a half tank. Doesn't matter if the tank is full or empty. Car had sat for three years. Any suggestions of what the fault would be. I am thinking the sending unit float is stuck at that position. Haven't done a ohms check or ground yet. Didn't want to remove the dash at this time or pull the sending unit.
    Joe------


    Most likely, it's as you surmise. You should be able to reach into the tank to feel the float position. However, it might require removing the filler neck. This is quite easy. A new filler-to-tank gasket is probably in order, anyway.
    In Appreciation of John Hinckley

    Comment

    • Russ S.
      Extremely Frequent Poster
      • April 30, 1982
      • 2162

      #3
      Re: Fuel Gauge 1966

      Grab the float with a piece of wire and raise it up. Check the gauge for movement. Also check the float itself for damage or saturation.

      Comment

      • David H.
        Extremely Frequent Poster
        • June 30, 2001
        • 1526

        #4
        Re: Fuel Gauge 1966

        Joe

        Brake lights work? Does apparent fuel level change when you step on brake pedal?

        If so, check ground.

        Dave
        Judging Chairman Mid-Way USA (Kansas) Chapter

        Comment

        • Joe T.
          Expired
          • February 25, 2018
          • 153

          #5
          Re: Fuel Gauge 1966

          Brake lights work. Will check the float..

          Comment

          • Frank D.
            Expired
            • December 27, 2007
            • 2703

            #6
            Re: Fuel Gauge 1966

            The C2 fuel gauge/sender arrangement is kind of unique....it uses a powered sending unit to create a voltage divider circuit...the float 'picks off' the voltage that the gauge reacts to and produces the level indications. To wit, testing these is a bit trickier than a C1/C3 setup. 1/2 way through this MS-Word article are some methods for on-car and off-car testing (which requires a 100 ohm potentiometer)...
            Attached Files

            Comment

            • Joe T.
              Expired
              • February 25, 2018
              • 153

              #7
              Re: Fuel Gauge 1966

              Thank you..

              Comment

              • Jimmy G.
                Very Frequent User
                • November 1, 1979
                • 976

                #8
                Re: Fuel Gauge 1966

                Typically when the sender goes bad it reads half tank so odd are sender is kaput Common problem My tanker reads 1/2 full and I am not going to pull the tank again to fix it again so I speak from some experience
                Founder - Carolinas Chapter NCRS

                Comment

                • Joe R.
                  Extremely Frequent Poster
                  • July 31, 1976
                  • 4550

                  #9
                  Re: Fuel Gauge 1966

                  Mr. Gregg,

                  99 times out of 100 you are correct as usual.

                  JR

                  Comment

                  • Michael J.
                    Extremely Frequent Poster
                    • January 27, 2009
                    • 7122

                    #10
                    Re: Fuel Gauge 1966

                    Yes, Jimmy has it right. If you will notice, new gas gauges for C2s are at 1/2 in the box, totally disconnected. So the problem is more than likely the sending unit, that's the bad news. The good news is that it is much easier to replace a sending unit than a gauge in a C2 cluster.
                    Big Tanks In the High Mountains of New Mexico

                    Comment

                    • Joe T.
                      Expired
                      • February 25, 2018
                      • 153

                      #11
                      Re: Fuel Gauge 1966

                      I bent a clothes hanger and moved it around the float, from what I could feel. Now the gauge goes to 1/4 with key off and 1/2 with key on.

                      Comment

                      • Michael J.
                        Extremely Frequent Poster
                        • January 27, 2009
                        • 7122

                        #12
                        Re: Fuel Gauge 1966

                        I think that just means your gauge is working, if you were to ground the brown wire from the sending unit, it will probably read full. You could check the pink wire to make sure you have 12V there, most likely you do. You can check the black ground wire too to make sure it is grounded. However, it seems to show all the signs of a non-working sending unit.
                        Big Tanks In the High Mountains of New Mexico

                        Comment

                        • Joe T.
                          Expired
                          • February 25, 2018
                          • 153

                          #13
                          Re: Fuel Gauge 1966

                          Thank all of you. I ordered a sending unit today.

                          Comment

                          • Michael J.
                            Extremely Frequent Poster
                            • January 27, 2009
                            • 7122

                            #14
                            Re: Fuel Gauge 1966

                            Good luck! I wish I could order one for mine that is not working, but alas they do not reproduce them ('64 big tank). So I will have to pull the cover, a nasty job, and pull the old one to be rebuilt by probably the only guy in the country that does that. It will be more expense than you are looking at, but your undertaking here has inspired me to do it soon.
                            Big Tanks In the High Mountains of New Mexico

                            Comment

                            • Jimmy G.
                              Very Frequent User
                              • November 1, 1979
                              • 976

                              #15
                              Re: Fuel Gauge 1966

                              Michael
                              I have had my big tank out three times and the unit still does not work Found a NOS one in Carlisle for $ 3000 I passed
                              Founder - Carolinas Chapter NCRS

                              Comment

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