Gas Gauge not workin

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mrdeades1987

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I have an 85 Chevy K10 Outdoorsman all original except the motor and trans have been swapped out from original 305 to a 350... Not sure which trans was put in it just know it was swapped. My question is my gas gauge doesn't work most of the time for either tank. If I run it out of gas then put gas in it, the gauge will read anywhere from no fuel to half a tank. But as soon as I park the truck and restart the gauge will read no fuel. Just wondering if anyone knows or has had this problem with theirs. Not sure if its the gauge instrument, the wires, or the sending unit.
 

highdesertrange

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strange problem. get out the multi meter and start testing, starting at the tanks then moving forward. highdesertranger
 

firebane

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For me it seems to have started with the switch but I have some testing to do.
 

marks86

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there is a ton of threads like this, but its probably the ground has broken/rotted off the top of your sending unit
 

Boone83K10

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it is definitely not a ground problem. If it were, your fuel gauge would be pegged to the 3 o clock position. The gauge reads 0-90 ohms. 0 = empty and 90(ish) reads full.

You could start by taking off the wire at the top of the tank, which is the ground. See if your gauge pegs to the 3 o clock position. Do it for both tanks and use your selector switch to see if it is reading the same with the grounds off. If they both read way past full then your ground and gauge are good. If it doesn't move then the problem lies in the gauge.

If gauge is good, then you need to test the selector valve (located on passenger side of frame rail). I imagine this is the culprit. My gauge wouldn't move because the selector valve was stuck halfway between L & R tank in the electrical valve. The selector valve is a two piece valve. One is mechanical that actually switches to direct fuel from whatever tank you have selected. The 2nd piece is electrical. This switches to which fuel sender it is reading from. Unfortunately, there isn't a good way (that I know of) to test if the valve is working correctly. I would just replace the selector valve, they aren't that expensive.

Last, if all that checks out good, then you are looking at the actual sender inside the tank. Dropping the tank is really easy. Take out the 8 bolts that hold the tank mounts to the frame (don't take out the bolt for the strap to the frame mount, they are a bitch to get back in). Use a hammer and flat blade screw driver to take off the lock ring and then replace the sending units, they aren't too expensive.

Here is a wiring diagram for you to look at...
 

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marks86

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it is definitely not a ground problem. If it were, your fuel gauge would be pegged to the 3 o clock position. The gauge reads 0-90 ohms. 0 = empty and 90(ish) reads full.

You could start by taking off the wire at the top of the tank, which is the ground. See if your gauge pegs to the 3 o clock position. Do it for both tanks and use your selector switch to see if it is reading the same with the grounds off. If they both read way past full then your ground and gauge are good. If it doesn't move then the problem lies in the gauge.

If gauge is good, then you need to test the selector valve (located on passenger side of frame rail). I imagine this is the culprit. My gauge wouldn't move because the selector valve was stuck halfway between L & R tank in the electrical valve. The selector valve is a two piece valve. One is mechanical that actually switches to direct fuel from whatever tank you have selected. The 2nd piece is electrical. This switches to which fuel sender it is reading from. Unfortunately, there isn't a good way (that I know of) to test if the valve is working correctly. I would just replace the selector valve, they aren't that expensive.

Last, if all that checks out good, then you are looking at the actual sender inside the tank. Dropping the tank is really easy. Take out the 8 bolts that hold the tank mounts to the frame (don't take out the bolt for the strap to the frame mount, they are a bitch to get back in). Use a hammer and flat blade screw driver to take off the lock ring and then replace the sending units, they aren't too expensive.

Here is a wiring diagram for you to look at...

sorry to break it to ya but I had the exact same problem, turned out my ground rotted off the sending unit, new ground fixed problem

maybe it is or maybe it isn't I would still drop tank and check it out
 

Boone83K10

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interesting.... a lack of ground is infinite ohms which is why the gauge pegs way past full. Then again, corroded grounds cause all kinds of weird results when it comes to these trucks.
 

marks86

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interesting.... a lack of ground is infinite ohms which is why the gauge pegs way past full. Then again, corroded grounds cause all kinds of weird results when it comes to these trucks.

your absolutely right, what happened to me and what I should of said was my ground was hanging there barley even attached and it was making the gauge bounce around, it was not completely discounted, thank you for catching my mistake:)
 

rich weyand

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Also, if the gauge never goes to FULL, but reads between a 1/4 and a 1/2 when full, the resistor on the back of the gauge could be bad. Intermittent readings could be caused by the resistor being loose. This is a common problem; I had it and have seen others on the forums with it. If you open up the dash to get at the back side of the gauge, I would replace the resistor on general principles.

This is it: http://www.classicmuscle.com/p-6237-fuel-gauge-resistor.aspx
 

Splandman

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Also, if the gauge never goes to FULL, but reads between a 1/4 and a 1/2 when full, the resistor on the back of the gauge could be bad. Intermittent readings could be caused by the resistor being loose. This is a common problem; I had it and have seen others on the forums with it. If you open up the dash to get at the back side of the gauge, I would replace the resistor on general principles.

This is it: http://www.classicmuscle.com/p-6237-fuel-gauge-resistor.aspx

This is what's happening on a 1983 GMC K2500 I just bought. Both tanks and the selector work fine but the gauge never quite reads half full no matter which tank is selected.
My water temp gauge also only reads about 130-140 and my oil pressure just bounces back and forth.
 

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