Wiring problems-Fuel guage

manimal_fla · Post by **manimal_fla** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 3:41 pm

Does anyone know how to hook up the fuel guage in a 83 ranger?I got it running good now but someone before me unhooked all the wiring.I can see two wires coming from the tank and two wires coming from the guage but how do they hook up,need some power from somewhere huh?
Thanks,
Rick

MercuRanger · Post by **MercuRanger** » Thu Dec 23, 2004 7:09 am

Power comes from the "regulator" on the back of the cluster, to one side of the gauge, then to the sender, then to ground.

Mike

Elect666 · Post by **Elect666** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 4:42 pm

Is there any way of testing the sender befor you drop the tank?
I have hooked up another gage and it goes straight past full, on both gages.

Elect666

MalcolmV8 · Post by **MalcolmV8** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 8:09 pm

Elect666 wrote:Is there any way of testing the sender befor you drop the tank?

You could check the resistance of the sender with a digital multimeter and make sure it's within spec. Then you could add or remove fuel and see how it responds. I know it's not the easiest but it does work.

Elect666 · Post by **Elect666** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 8:16 pm

What should the resistance be? I have checked voltage and its 9v.
The crazy thing is that it worked for a week or so and then straighht to full and if you ground the yellow lead it goes to empty, So I started to pull the tank but that was a lot more than I wanted to do..But if I have to Then I have to.
Thanks Elect666

MercuRanger · Post by **MercuRanger** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 6:13 am

If I'm not mistaken, it should be 5V from the regulator for the gauge cluster. That may be your problem.

Mike

Elect666 · Post by **Elect666** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 9:03 am

Mike, do you mean sending unit or regulator? Where is the regulator I have read you talk about the regulator before. I have the Helms book and it shows the sending unit wires ,so those were the wires I was testing.
I'm an electrican by trade but when it comes to auto electric I dont have a clue. But I can read the blue print and I have somewhat of an understanding of how the gas gage works the power goes to the cluster and then to the gas gage and back, is the sending unit just a resistor?
That when its full it has more voltage and when its empty less voltage?
Elect666

plowboy34 · Post by **plowboy34** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 4:52 pm

You may have a wire thats grounding out somewhere. I know thats how we use to test to see if it was the guage or the sending unit that was bad when the gauge would not work. we would pull the wire at the tank and ground it and if the gauge went to full it was the sending unit and if not it was the gauge or somewhere in between. Just a thought since the gauge is going to full.

cgrey8 · Post by **cgrey8** » Sun Jun 12, 2005 2:46 pm

To complicate matters, it depends on what year the vehicle is. In 89, the sending unit action changed with respect to what full and empty meant.

According to this thread I found on the old forum, the 89-up sending units are 16 ohms empty, 158 ohms full. The pre-89 sending units were evidentally 70 ohms empty and 10 ohms full...

http://www.v8-ranger.com/messages/992.html

I can't speak about the 88 and under, however on my 89 Ranger, the fuel level sending unit was nothing more than a potentiometer. It had what looked like bare wire wound around a circuit board. The fuel level float was mounted to a bar that rotated a bar inside the sending unit. Inside the sending unit, a metal brush moved back and forth across the wound wires to vary the voltage on the sensor line.

Hope that helps...

MercuRanger · Post by **MercuRanger** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 6:12 am

The regulator's on the back of the gauge cluster, and is a little metal box. It takes the 12-14V from the battery/alternator and regulates it down to a voltage (I believe 5v) to power the gauges.

It has to be either a short between the gauge and sender, as plowboy mentioned, or too much voltage. If the voltage is supposed to be 5V but it's actually 9V, then 1/2 tank would look like (almost) full on the gauge.

And, yeah, the sender is a potentiometer (variable resistor).

Is the gauge going to "Full" or pegging out way past full?

Mike

Elect666 · Post by **Elect666** » Mon Jun 13, 2005 3:46 pm

It was pegging out way past full..I think I may have found the problem.. I was told to check the grond on the tank and I belive thats where it was. It seems to be working (for now) I cant get it to do it again..Its waiting for me to get down a long dirt road (lol)
Thanks for all the help. You guys really do know the answers.(while its working)

V8-Ranger.com

Wiring problems-Fuel guage

Wiring problems-Fuel guage

Fuel Guage