Anyone ever take actual gas gauge apart to repair??

[firebird1158]

Hey guys, my gas gauge goes right to full as soon as it gets grounded, even with new sending unit it just jumps to full, I assume it is obviously bad as wiring checks out. Problem is i can't match my faria gauge and wondering if anyone has ever taken one of these apart to repair the internals. I am assuming something has let go inside and gounded.... I know a good electronics guy but not sure if I can get it apart or not, looks like they crimp the ring on the glass to body, but before I get the dremel out im wondering if it can be fixed??

thanks in advance!!

 

[firebird1158]

No Title

well , its apart, nothing I can see that is obvious, little thin black wires are not very neat and loosely wrapped to one stud, looks connected though... i'll testg the capacitors and continuity

 

[gm280]

firebird, if you could post other views of the inside, there maybe something you could test to see if it is bad and possible fix it. But then what is your idea to close it up again?

 

[DeepBlue2010]

I don't see any capacitors, I see 82 ohm (if the first color is gray) resistor. Disconnect it at one end and measure the resistance with a multi-meter, it could be bad. The small coils are working if the needle moves so don't worry about these.

 

[Silvertip]

I would bet you do not have a bad gauge. If you over tightened the nut that the pink wire goes to on the sender, there is a good chance you pivoted the internal connection to the point where it grounded that terminal to the metal shell of the sender. Bingo -- gauge goes full. Disconnect the pink wire at the gauge and power it. If it still goes full, then yes you do have a bad gauge. If not, the pink wire or sender is the culprit or the "S" terminal on the gauge is shorted to the metal case. That terminal needs to be isolated from the case.

 

[firebird1158]

I don't see any capacitors, I see 82 ohm (if the first color is gray) resistor. Disconnect it at one end and measure the resistance with a multi-meter, it could be bad. The small coils are working if the needle moves so don't worry about these.

Yes I did mean resistors... it was late lol!, I tested the 2 and they read 81.5 and other was 30.2..... 111.7 together but I get continuity on the smaller resistor but cant get any on the larger one??? Should you beable to register continuity on mutimeter on that one as well??? or maybe i shouldn't get it on the smaller one??? not really sure what issue could be and first time I ever seen the guts of a gas gauge.

 

[firebird1158]

I would bet you do not have a bad gauge. If you over tightened the nut that the pink wire goes to on the sender, there is a good chance you pivoted the internal connection to the point where it grounded that terminal to the metal shell of the sender. Bingo -- gauge goes full. Disconnect the pink wire at the gauge and power it. If it still goes full, then yes you do have a bad gauge. If not, the pink wire or sender is the culprit or the "S" terminal on the gauge is shorted to the metal case. That terminal needs to be isolated from the case.

I know what you mean and everything makes me think sender but I bought a new sender and as soon as it gets ground it goes right to full, even bought cheap gas gauge(will return) to try with new sender and it works fine so has to be gauge...

 

[firebird1158]

firebird, if you could post other views of the inside, there maybe something you could test to see if it is bad and possible fix it. But then what is your idea to close it up again?

I was just going to epoxy it back, made a clean cut in plastic with dremel, should be fine if I can figure it out!!

 

[firebird1158]

Well I found a exact match for the gauge on great lake skipper and installed it and it works fine now.... not sure what would have gone wrong with the old one as every thing seemed fine with the checks I did.