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After I got the Temperature Gauge working, which indicated that the voltage regulator for both was good and since the gas gauge seemed to kind of work with the tank about full (but only then), I looked at the sending unit.
When the wire to the sending unit was grounded out, the Gauge went to full, hence the problem was in fact with the sending unit. I removed it and took it apart. After cleaning the rust off, I cleaned the reostate inside and bent the small flat spring that makes contact with the reostate to a greater angle for more pressure against the reostate, as it moves per input from the float position.
It seemed to work while I held it in my hands with the wire connected and gounded. The Gauge moved as I moved the float arm.
However, when installed it did not work at first and then worked a little. The problem is the gounding design. On an old car with surface rust on everything, it is hard to get a ground with a twist type of grounding washer (that holds the sending unit in place in the tank) as is the case with the gas sending unit. Therefore, I drilled a hole in the top of the sending unit, cleaned it to bright metal and installed an 8-32 x 1/2 screw with the nut on the outside. Then I made a jumper wire with crimed and SOLDERED connections on both ends. I installed one end to the new 8-32 screw with a second nut. Then drilled a hole in the trunk floor about a half inch from the round hole for the sending unit. I cleaned the metal around the newly drilled hole to bright metal and installed the other end of the jumper wire with a 8-32 x 1/2 screw and nut. (I did a similar thing to my license plate light grounds)
The Gauge now works. I do not yet know the accuracy, but it should be better than nothing and should work unless the reostate is not working perfectly. In that case, I will install a new sending unit abeit with my ground jumper wire.
I cannot tell you how very important it is to always check grounding. And ALWAYS SOLDIER ALL CONNECTIONS to newly made wires and clean all grounding surfaces. Make new grounding jumper wires if necessary. It eliminates intermittent or non continueties. Don't rely on crimped connections and old rusty grounding connections. If you do not know how to solder, it is easy to learn. Ask a Radio Shack guy if nothing else. My gas Gauge problem was tarnish on the sending unit reostate and a bad ground from the sending unit to the body of the car. Happy Birding!
When the wire to the sending unit was grounded out, the Gauge went to full, hence the problem was in fact with the sending unit. I removed it and took it apart. After cleaning the rust off, I cleaned the reostate inside and bent the small flat spring that makes contact with the reostate to a greater angle for more pressure against the reostate, as it moves per input from the float position.
It seemed to work while I held it in my hands with the wire connected and gounded. The Gauge moved as I moved the float arm.
However, when installed it did not work at first and then worked a little. The problem is the gounding design. On an old car with surface rust on everything, it is hard to get a ground with a twist type of grounding washer (that holds the sending unit in place in the tank) as is the case with the gas sending unit. Therefore, I drilled a hole in the top of the sending unit, cleaned it to bright metal and installed an 8-32 x 1/2 screw with the nut on the outside. Then I made a jumper wire with crimed and SOLDERED connections on both ends. I installed one end to the new 8-32 screw with a second nut. Then drilled a hole in the trunk floor about a half inch from the round hole for the sending unit. I cleaned the metal around the newly drilled hole to bright metal and installed the other end of the jumper wire with a 8-32 x 1/2 screw and nut. (I did a similar thing to my license plate light grounds)
The Gauge now works. I do not yet know the accuracy, but it should be better than nothing and should work unless the reostate is not working perfectly. In that case, I will install a new sending unit abeit with my ground jumper wire.
I cannot tell you how very important it is to always check grounding. And ALWAYS SOLDIER ALL CONNECTIONS to newly made wires and clean all grounding surfaces. Make new grounding jumper wires if necessary. It eliminates intermittent or non continueties. Don't rely on crimped connections and old rusty grounding connections. If you do not know how to solder, it is easy to learn. Ask a Radio Shack guy if nothing else. My gas Gauge problem was tarnish on the sending unit reostate and a bad ground from the sending unit to the body of the car. Happy Birding!