My neighbors '73 Grabber has a problem with the gas gauge. It is stuck on full and will not move. We have replaced the fuel gauge, checked the sending unit and the connections at the circuit and we still can't find the problem. The tank only has ten gallons of gas in it so I know it's not full. What could be causing the gauge to stick on full and how do we go about fixing the problem?
Gas gauge is brand new. We have changed the voltage regulater three times and have changed the curcuit board twice. The gas guage is still not moving off full. Dale says there is no juice going back to the tank. Could there be a break in the wiring somewhere?
Jean, I know when you connect the two wires on the plug, it will go to full. Is it possible that when ya'll had the car apart that the two wires got pinched together?
To tell you the truth I really don't know. I'll have to check to see if that may be the problem. I'm fairly sure it's something in the wiring and the two wires pinched together would make sense. I'll find out and let you all know.
OK. We checked out the wires going to the plug and they are not pinched together. The sending unit is grounded correctly. The problem persist. What I did notice is that with the key off the needle drops down to empty but with the key on it shoots up to full and stays there. The fuel voltage regulators we used are all off extra dash clusters I had. In the event they are all bad does anyone sell them new?
the signal from the gage is shorting to ground some where. you need to try to trace it. does the wire at gas tank that should have voltage from the gage have any voltage? if not does it provide a ground for a test light?
I found this today while trying to educate myself on sending units. It may help with what you have going on! http://www.fordification.com/tech/fuel-sending-units.htm
Update. We finally got out and bought a voltmeter. According to the meter, there is voltage going from the gauge all the way to the gas tank. Dale has been refusing to beleive that the sending unit may be screwed up, but now he's having his doubts. We have another sending unit we can try, but first the owner needs to run out some of the 10 gallons of gas he put in there last weekend. For now the car has to wait until after we get the other Maverick he bought home.
When you put a test light between the two wires in the plug at the gas tank....does the test light "pulse"? (Ignition has to be on).
