Ok this is half rant so bear with me,
First the rant.
I took off work yesterday to work on my 1954 dodge coronet. It was productive for the most part. Here's the problem. My fuel guage doesn't read any gas. So I ran a line from the pickup wire to the guage and it jumped to full. So I figure I've got a bad wire somewhere. I try snaking it without touching the headliner with no luck so I have to cut into the intact but nasty headliner to replace the wire. After the first rip trying to get it out without damage I start making custs to reach the wires and snake the new one. I get the wire completely replaced and the guage still doesn't work.... I push the wire in the plug further and it works. So I figure I better test something else, and disconnect the sensor and it still read full... So I either have a bad guage, or bad sensor in the tank. Neither is a good thing to reach.. What made it worse is the unnessesary headliner mutilation. Yes it does need to be eventually replaced, but it could have waited, now it's a pressing issue.
So here's the plan for tomorrow.
Test 1 Hook up guage so it doesn't read full (short???) Try grounding the wire that goes to the sensor, guage should jump to full if it works...
Test 2 Ensure sensor in tank works. Get a long length of wire, and a meter. Hook wire to negative on battery (it's positive ground). Hook meter to wire and to sensor, I should have some current, and less than infinite resistance. There is enough gas in the tank that it should read at least 1/4.
The good news is I have another 1954 which is slated for becoming a hot rod and doesn't need all these parts. So I have both a sensor and guage that I know work. Just have to figure out what needs replaced.
First the rant.
I took off work yesterday to work on my 1954 dodge coronet. It was productive for the most part. Here's the problem. My fuel guage doesn't read any gas. So I ran a line from the pickup wire to the guage and it jumped to full. So I figure I've got a bad wire somewhere. I try snaking it without touching the headliner with no luck so I have to cut into the intact but nasty headliner to replace the wire. After the first rip trying to get it out without damage I start making custs to reach the wires and snake the new one. I get the wire completely replaced and the guage still doesn't work.... I push the wire in the plug further and it works. So I figure I better test something else, and disconnect the sensor and it still read full... So I either have a bad guage, or bad sensor in the tank. Neither is a good thing to reach.. What made it worse is the unnessesary headliner mutilation. Yes it does need to be eventually replaced, but it could have waited, now it's a pressing issue.
So here's the plan for tomorrow.
Test 1 Hook up guage so it doesn't read full (short???) Try grounding the wire that goes to the sensor, guage should jump to full if it works...
Test 2 Ensure sensor in tank works. Get a long length of wire, and a meter. Hook wire to negative on battery (it's positive ground). Hook meter to wire and to sensor, I should have some current, and less than infinite resistance. There is enough gas in the tank that it should read at least 1/4.
The good news is I have another 1954 which is slated for becoming a hot rod and doesn't need all these parts. So I have both a sensor and guage that I know work. Just have to figure out what needs replaced.