2006-07-28 07:39:12 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Car Makes ➔ Ford
How to I figure out if the fuel gauge is bad, or if it's a bad fuse, or the sending unit ?
2006-07-28 07:55:53 · update #1
If your other gauges are working, it's not a fuse.
There's only one wire going to the sending unit, it works by grounding. Tough to isolate this wire unless you have a diagram for the truck. Otherwise, you can drop the tank and disconnect it there. Once disconnected, turn the ignition to "On" without starting the van and touch your wire end to various places that it can ground to. The frame or something not rusted or painted. When a good ground connection is made, your gas gauge should very soon read "full". Try this at the sending unit too too make sure it's well grounded.
If that works you'll want to take the sending unit out of the tank. Check out the float. It's a hollow piece of brass and should be very light. If it's heavy and sloshes, then it's gotten a pinhole and is full of gas. VERY common. You can buy just a float at parts places, but you might have to dig around a bit.
You can further test the unit by grounding the assembly up against something (again key "on") and moving the arm to see if the gauge responds. Tough to see all this from under the van, recruit a gauge watching helper.
This should find the most common problems;
a bad float, a bad/corroded ground connection, or a bad unit.
The last possibilty is a bad gauge or problem with the instrument cluster itself. Rarer than sending unit troubles but it happens. More difficult to test. The easiest way is to substitute a used cluster form a junkyard.
2006-07-31 16:07:56 · answer #1 · answered by Gypsy R 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1980 Ford Econoline Van
2016-12-26 16:17:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the problem, it could be a fuse or a bad guage, or it could be the sending unit in the tank. If it is the sending unit try to drain the tank to remove it gas ways about 8 pounds per gallon.
2006-07-28 07:51:06 · answer #3 · answered by smoke 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1980 Ford Van
2016-11-10 02:14:12 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it has dual tanks check your dash tank switch it changes sending unit's as it changes to aux tank ,also check the ground to both tank sending unit's (especialy if the tank(s) are plastic ) the gauge usually is fine they very rarely go bad .If it is a single tank check your ground to the sending unit .
do the ground check before dropping the tank / tanks to pull sending units .If you must pull the tank(s) siphon out as much fuel as posible to lighten the tank,plug off alll open lines from tank to reduce spark hazard,unplug sending unit} use a transmission jack or large bolt on platform 1' x 1' square to aid in support of the tank mounted on a floor jack to lower it down safely a couple of straps (1" cloth tie downs) mounted to the platform will hold the tank still as it is lowered down
2006-07-28 08:02:02 · answer #5 · answered by dinosaur 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on the problem, Could just be a fuse or you will have to drop the tank and put in a new sender. Try and do the latter on an empty tank, and be careful no electric tools.
2006-07-28 07:42:53 · answer #6 · answered by Timovgod 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jump the 2 wires at the sending unit, watch the guage, if it goes up to full its the sending unit. If not it is either the guage itself or the constant voltage regulator.
Usually its the sending unit
2006-07-28 11:46:29 · answer #7 · answered by kayef57 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋