Gas Gauge

[whitebird]

I got a good amount of water in my trunk last fall. After i cleaned it out I found the gas gauge not working. Could the water have shorted out something?

[simplyconnected]

Yes. More likely, the rust would cause rust which insulates rather than causing a short circuit. Does your gauge read, full scale all the time?

[whitebird]

No, it doesn't register at all. Stays on empty and doesn't move. The gas tank is full however.

[jopizz]

Take the wire off the sender and ground the wire (yellow-white) to the body of the car and turn the key on. If the gauge goes all the way to full then the problem is either the sender or your tank is not grounded. If the gauge doesn't move then either the gauge, the CVR or the wiring is bad.

John

[bird 60]

Sorry to intrude, but I have a similar problem. When I turn the ignition on, the needle moves about 1/8th of an inch. I could be driving for a few days & stays the same. Then bingo, it's working fine. I did the test that you suggested John, & when turning the ignition on, it showed full. Could I have an Earth problem, or the Fuel Sender sticking.

Thank you.

Chris....From OZ

[simplyconnected]

The sending unit rarely 'heals' itself. More likely you have a ground issue. I suggest you follow Marcelo's solution. He used stainless screws (but brass will work as well) to do the following...

[bird 60]

Thanks Dave. I'll have it looked at first chance I get. Will give report when done.

Chris....From OZ.

[Guest]

Gage issue

Take the wire off the sender and ground the wire (yellow-white) to the body of the car and turn the key on. If the gauge goes all the way to full then the problem is either the sender or your tank is not grounded. If the gauge doesn't move then either the gauge, the CVR or the wiring is bad.

John

I have the same exact issue on my 1965 Bird. Two wire sending unit is new, tank looks very new also. I ground the Yellow wire and Gage reads full. So my question is, what is the best way to ground the tank?? I am new to this so please explain..

[jopizz]

The best way to ground the tank is to connect a wire directly from the tank to the frame of the car. It doesn't matter where on the tank you connect the wire to. You can also put a ground wire on the sender. It has to be securely bolted to a clean spot on the frame or undercarriage.

John

[YellowRose]

Gas Gauge

Just make sure that when you drill a hole in the gas tank, that you are not actually drilling into the tank itself..... On our Squarebird tanks there is a flange around the tank. According to what I see, the Flairbird gas tank should also have a similar metal flange around the tank. A good place to drill a hole to ground it... Here is a pic of the 1964-1966 Flairbird gas tank.

[bird 60]

We're going away to a Rock "N" Roll & Car Festival this coming week-end. It's 160 miles away, & I'm taking the Bird to the Mech to adjust the brakes. Whilst on the hoist I'll get him to check the earth connections for the Gas gauge. Hopefully that's all it's going to be, loose, or not making good ground.

Chris.....From OZ.