Can anyone tell me how to wire a fuel guage on a 57, Series II Chevy pickup? I have a new guage and a new sending unit. I've tried hooking it up according to a Chiltons GM manual and it throws my guage past full. Checked both units with ohm meter and they check good.
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Need help with wiring fuel guage
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bigtimjamestown
Member
Are they the same ohm readings? for example if the gauge is a 0-90 ohm gauge then you need a 0-90 sender. if all the gauge does is read full then you might have a grounding problem. Try connecting a ground wire from one of the mounting bolt holes on the sender to the frame or another good ground source and see what that does.....Big Tim
Thanks for your suggestions but I've tried everything you mentioned. I bought a new sending unit but after I couldn't get the guage to work, I bought the second sending unit thinking the first one was bad. That didn't work either. Could you just tell me how to wire my gas guage in since I built the pickup from scratch and wired it all myself. If you can help me, I'd be glad to give you my phone number or e-mail address. Thanks.
bigtimjamestown
Member
I look this up on the internet for you by googleing "How to wire a fuel gauge" There is lot's of Info. that can be found this way I hope this helps you......Big Tim
Fuel Gauge
STEP 1: Connect the first wire between the top terminal screw of the Fuel Tank Sender and the “S” post on the back of the fuel gauge.
STEP 2: Connect the second wire from the terminal post marked “G” on the gauge to the “GND” post on the back of the Tachometer or to a common grounding terminal behind the dash panel.
STEP 3: Connect a third wire from the terminal post of the gauge marked “I” to the “BAT” post of the Tachometer. This connection should become “HOT” when the key is turned “ON”.
I've tried everything I could find on the internet and what you've told me. I think the problem is I have a 2 point guage instead of a 3 point that the instructions refer to. Other ideas?? These are the original second series Chevrolet guages. Thanks for all the help.
58fleetside
Member
Fuel Gauge
On my 58, with the original gauge, the E terminal is connected to the accessory terminal on the ignition switch and the F terminal is connected to the sender on the gas tank.
On my 58, with the original gauge, the E terminal is connected to the accessory terminal on the ignition switch and the F terminal is connected to the sender on the gas tank.
Bill Hanlon
Member
Assuming 58Fleet is correct that 12V goes to the E side of the gauge (my truck is a GMC and uses a different gauge), remove the wire from the F side of the gauge and turn the key on. Gauge should read Full and then some. Turn off the key. Attach a 10 foot piece wire to the F side of the gauge. Strip the other end of that wire back and expose a little bit of bare copper. Make sure the exposed wire is NOT touching anything.
1. Turn on the key. The gauge should read Full. If it does not read full either:
a. the gauge does not have 12volts on the E side of the gauge
b. the gauge is not grounded. There is no separate ground wire. The case of the gauge provides ground through the instrument panel.
c. the gauge is defective.
You must get the gauge reading full with the wire that goes to the tank sending unit disconnected before continuing to step 2.
2. Touch the bare copper to a good clean metal ground. Gauge should move to Empty. If it does not:
a. The ground you picked wasn't good. Pick another place. The metal bezel that holds the ignition switch in place should work.
b. The other end of the wire fell off of the F side of the gauge.
c. the gauge is not grounded. There is no separate ground wire. The case of the gauge provides ground through the instrument panel.
d. The gauge is defective.
You must get the gauge reading empty with the 10 foot wire grounded before continuing to step 3.
3. Touch the bare copper end of the wire to a clean metal ground near the sending unit where it comes out of the gas tank. Best bet would be one of the screws that holds the sending unit to the tank. The gauge should read empty. If it does not the sending unit in the tank is not grounded. Use the bare end of the wire to find somewhere nearby that will cause the gauge to read empty when touched. Call this Point X. Now remove one of the screws from the sending unit and run a permanent wire from beneath the screw to Point X. Touch the bare wire to the screw. The gauge should read empty. If it does not you need to find a better ground point for the wire you just installed. You must get the gauge reading empty with the 10 foot wire touching the mounting screw for the sending unit before continuing to step 4.
4. Remove the wire that attaches to the stud on the sending unit. Attach the 10 foot wire to the stud. The gauge should read approximately what is in the tank. If the tank is empty but the gauge reads full the sending unit is bad. If the tank is full and the gauge reads full you'll have to either drain the tank half way or better yet drive your truck around and use a half tank of gas. Once you have this working like it should continue to step 5.
5. Turn off the key. Remove both ends of the 10 foot wire. Re-attach the original wire to the F terminal on the gauge. Turn on the key.
6. Turn on the key. Touch the end of the wire removed in step 4 to a clean ground. The gauge should read empty. If it does not read empty:
a. Your choice of a clean ground was poor. Try somewhere else.
b. The wire that runs between the F terminal on the gauge and the stud on the sending unit is defective. Replace it.
7. Your gauge should now be working.
1. Turn on the key. The gauge should read Full. If it does not read full either:
a. the gauge does not have 12volts on the E side of the gauge
b. the gauge is not grounded. There is no separate ground wire. The case of the gauge provides ground through the instrument panel.
c. the gauge is defective.
You must get the gauge reading full with the wire that goes to the tank sending unit disconnected before continuing to step 2.
2. Touch the bare copper to a good clean metal ground. Gauge should move to Empty. If it does not:
a. The ground you picked wasn't good. Pick another place. The metal bezel that holds the ignition switch in place should work.
b. The other end of the wire fell off of the F side of the gauge.
c. the gauge is not grounded. There is no separate ground wire. The case of the gauge provides ground through the instrument panel.
d. The gauge is defective.
You must get the gauge reading empty with the 10 foot wire grounded before continuing to step 3.
3. Touch the bare copper end of the wire to a clean metal ground near the sending unit where it comes out of the gas tank. Best bet would be one of the screws that holds the sending unit to the tank. The gauge should read empty. If it does not the sending unit in the tank is not grounded. Use the bare end of the wire to find somewhere nearby that will cause the gauge to read empty when touched. Call this Point X. Now remove one of the screws from the sending unit and run a permanent wire from beneath the screw to Point X. Touch the bare wire to the screw. The gauge should read empty. If it does not you need to find a better ground point for the wire you just installed. You must get the gauge reading empty with the 10 foot wire touching the mounting screw for the sending unit before continuing to step 4.
4. Remove the wire that attaches to the stud on the sending unit. Attach the 10 foot wire to the stud. The gauge should read approximately what is in the tank. If the tank is empty but the gauge reads full the sending unit is bad. If the tank is full and the gauge reads full you'll have to either drain the tank half way or better yet drive your truck around and use a half tank of gas. Once you have this working like it should continue to step 5.
5. Turn off the key. Remove both ends of the 10 foot wire. Re-attach the original wire to the F terminal on the gauge. Turn on the key.
6. Turn on the key. Touch the end of the wire removed in step 4 to a clean ground. The gauge should read empty. If it does not read empty:
a. Your choice of a clean ground was poor. Try somewhere else.
b. The wire that runs between the F terminal on the gauge and the stud on the sending unit is defective. Replace it.
7. Your gauge should now be working.
Bill,
I'd been working on getting this wired for more than several days. I tried about everything that you told me but I guess I wasn't getting a good ground. With your precise instructions I now have a working gas guage.
Thanks very much.
Larry
I'd been working on getting this wired for more than several days. I tried about everything that you told me but I guess I wasn't getting a good ground. With your precise instructions I now have a working gas guage.
Thanks very much.
Larry
bigtimjamestown
Member
When all else fails refer back to Big Tim's original post lol...... Glad you got it fixed.....Big Tim
chevymantrucks
Member
glade to see you got it workin.