ruddiger52

My fuel guage on my 83 trans am is always reading full all of a sudden. Anyone experience this??

Thanks

j dezzy

iTrader: (12)

Last time I saw that problem was on a 91 corsica. I had to put together a makeshift fuel pump, so I had to wire it up myself. I was using a multimeter to test the wires and I found out that when you power one of the wires(not sure which it was, lol) that suddenly the fuel guage would go all the way up.

ruddiger52

Hmmm... I did notice that right before it went all the way to full, it went a little bit haywire. Now its stuck at full

Toehead

the fuel level sender is basically a big potentiometer that varies resistance. Test the resistance of the sender wires to see if it is the sender or gauge. Somebody else whose done this in a camaro can post what the proper resistance is and what color wires to test.

jeeps2creep

Toehead is right on the money. You have 3 wire that go to your fuel tank via a connector. Not sure about your T/A but in my camaro (89 rs) they are black=ground, purple which goes to pot. / your float / your guage wire on cluster and grey which is fuel pump power. Now, if your car still runs you know you have power to the grey wire and at least half the ground is good(its jumpered inside tank to fuel/sender pot.) So if you take a multimeter and at least for me climb under rear of car to the gas tank and look where middle of rear seat is there should be a 3 prong connector, disconnect it and do a continuity check of ground/black wire to the tank ground on the tank side of connector(one lead in black terminal and the other to bare metal on tank). It should be 0 ohms or close to it, I just turn the buzzer on, then do the same for the car side, should also be zero. If both read 0 then do a check between the purple and black wires to the tank connector. Put meter on ohms and put one lead in black terminal of conn. and the other to the purple. you should have a ohmic reading of 0 to 90. 90 being full and 0 empty so, if you just filled up and you have no value or "OL" on meter......Hello sending unit and not sure about TA but mine was 230.00 clams from parts store / have to buy as an assembly. Luckily I got one from u pull it yard for 10 bucks. Hope this helps and sorry to be so long winded but its hard to type out a 2 minute check of a sending unit and try to make it understandable.

ruddiger52

Great explanation. I know what to check out now. I will be working on it tommorow and will let you know how i make out. Thanks for the great replies.

Sonix

iTrader: (1)

mine started doing that after I fiddled with the dash gauges. If it's a tiny bit off to one side when I bolt it back in, it'll go haywire every now and again, and peg full. Tap the gauge and it comes back down.

ruddiger52

Yeah ive tapped the crap out of it. I just bought this car for 2k with high miles and im pretty sure the previous owner didnt do anything but put gas in it. so im sure somethings dead
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Sonix got any pics of your car???

Sonix

iTrader: (1)

yea, but you don't want to see it, it's fugly beyond all belief. Doing a full restoration/mod, done all but the body work, or interior stuff. Cosmetic stuff yet to do.

ruddiger52

Im in the same boat, but im just tryin to get mine runnin for the summer until i save up some cash for a restore. Id still like to see some before pics if your willin.

Sonix

iTrader: (1)

back right

That's my webspace. If you delete the .jpg file name, you can browse the folders, and see if there's anything else there. I know there's a few other pics of the outside of the car, and a few under the hood.

That's it's good side. The drivers door is all black primer... Well, mostly black primer, some rust of course.

ruddiger52

Good stuff man. Cant wait to see how it turns out. Good luck and thx for the pics.

Johns1989irocz

i had to install a new fuel pump about a month ago, and when i got the car back together the gas gauge says 1/4 tank, i think i bent the float arm in the tank, is it possible your float are is bent?

Green89IROC305

i had this problem on my 91 rs it was a bad sending unit. i never fixed it because it was over 200 doller part. the other reason i didnt fix it was when i got low the gauge would read empty going around right turns and while driving in reverse, so i had atleast a semi functional gauge and never ran outta gas.

jeeps2creep

Yes John1989irocz it is possible to bend it when installing. Cuz you and I both know its a motha' to get all 10lbs of junk in that 1lb hole. I will have to say though if you got a used one you can check it before you pay for it with a multimeter, just set meter to ohms and then put a lead in purple wire connector and one in the black wire connector and move float up and down......should be a fluid movement on meter and when full you should see 90 ohms or close to it and 0 all the way drooping. My used one read 79 or 80 but is dead on the money with full tank and empty on the fuel gage in car.

Johns1989irocz

[quote=jeeps2creep]Yes John1989irocz it is possible to bend it when installing. Cuz you and I both know its a motha' to get all 10lbs of junk in that 1lb hole.

yes it is, i was pi$$ed after i got the car back together again and lost my fuel reading, i think i will be buying a new tank in a while so i will get a brand new sending unit and even another new fuel pump. (my dad gets a great discount at carquest near my house) i only paid like 75 buck for my last pump for my iroc.

83trans-am350

I have an 83 t/a does the same thing but in mine i can only drive from one gas station to the next so i dont bother fixing it. i added some pics

maroon88iroc

iTrader: (7)

i wish my fuel gauge always read full...