12 replies to this topic

[makka]

The fuel guage is not working in my LH, I am using a SLR dash but a standard sender, is this ok? where should I start looking? I get a little bit of movement but not much.
any help would be much appreciated.
cheers
Cohen

[Dangerous]

If the other gauges are working OK, and your fuel gauge is reading something, but too low, then I'd be checking the fuel tank earth resistance, and possibly also the gauge cluster earth. LH/LX fuel tanks are not actually properly earthed. They rely on contact with the floorpan and mounting straps for their earth, and that's not a really reliable earth. Fuel gauge sender units are the same for all LH/LXs. Only the temp and oil senders are different.

Easy way to fix the fuel tank earth problem is to get a bit of bare wire and a small hose clamp, clamp one end of the wire onto the metal fuel line where it comes out of the tank (ie at the sender unit), and fix the other end to the floorpan somewhere.

The original gauge cluster earth is too small in diameter and relies on one screw. The gauge earth is located above the headlight switch, with a single philips head screw screwed downwards from the top into the dashboard metal. Check to see if it's tight.

Edited by Dangerous, 05 April 2006 - 10:36 AM.

[makka]

cheers mate, I will have a look when I get home on the weekend, the tank earth sounds like it could be the one, I have just put the tank back in, after painting it and the floor.
thanks for the fast reply too.

[Dangerous]

cheers mate, I will have a look when I get home on the weekend, the tank earth sounds like it could be the one, I have just put the tank back in, after painting it and the floor.
thanks for the fast reply too.

Yep, I'd just about put money on it being fuel tank earth then. Just a bit more detail on earthing it. If you completely undo the small hose clamp (I actually use two clamps side by side), you can fit it around the metal fuel line without removing any rubber pipes, and you can then 'close' the clamp again by feeding the end back into the worm screw, and carefully tightening up the clamp. Run the bare wire in between the clamps and the fuel line, and tighten them up. The other end can be earthed to anywhere on the body with a screw or bolt, and use a star washer to make sure it stays tight.

While you're playing around with earths, the next time the dash is out, run an extra earth from the back of the dash cluster (either one of the black wires, or from the mounting screw of the small rectangular silver regulator), and mount the other end of the wire to one of the 5/16" mounting bolts on the steering column bracket. Don't mount it to any of the three larger steering column mounting bolts, as these are screwed into alloy breakaway capsules, which is part of the collapsiblye steering column design. You don't want to compromise them if they have to work one day

Once you do this, you'll get more accurate gauges, and you won't have the annoying LH quirks such as gauges flickering with indicators, or dropping their readings when the headlights are turned on.

[tinkers]

hmm that might be what is wrong with mine too.

[GML-31]

nothing like the torana fuel guessing game is there???

[Dangerous]

nothing like the torana fuel guessing game is there???

Actually they were before their time with a 'digital' gauge. Two states - "I have fuel", or "I don't have fuel" - just don't ask what's happening in between <_<

[tinkers]

I havent played the how much fuel left game much until now, but for many years I played the wonder what speed we are doing game. Wasnt until I moved interstate that I got the speedo working

[Tiny]

nothing like the torana fuel guessing game is there???

Actually they were before their time with a 'digital' gauge. Two states - "I have fuel", or "I don't have fuel" - just don't ask what's happening in between <_<

HAHAHA... and how do you tell??

The car runs.... or it doesnt

[Dangerous]

HAHAHA... and how do you tell??

The car runs.... or it doesnt

Close - It's more like "Is the car making a noise, or not?"

[Tiny]

heheh

[makka]

thats how I used to tell when it was time to fill up with the old car, the electric fuel pump started to get noisy! no such luck at the moment, gone back to mechanical!