Fuel Guage

[ROOK1]

Question about my fuel guage. Mine says it's full when I know it isn't and the light is on, which I am sure is correct. Any ideas?

Chris

[danaspider]

Chris, the usual failure on the fiat is the sending unit in the gas tank. It uses a different connection (internally) for the low fule light and the gauge. Usuall what you get is a crazy reading on the gauge, such as reads OK for the first quarter of a tank then drops to zero. Yet the low fule light is correct. It is possible your gauge reading is just diofferent from the 5 I have had. What happens is that the resisitor windings open on the sending unit, so the wiper moves and hits dead spots.

Sending units are preety easy to replace and are about $50. Odds are that is the problem. By the way I have had to replace them on my 2 siders and on 2 Brava's.

On the sider you can get to the sending unit by lifting the well built, pressboard cover in the trunk. It is the one on the driver side. Then you will see the gas tank and the sending unit is where the fuel lines are going into the top of the tank.

Luck, Dana

[ROOK1]

Ill give that a try. I happen to get a parts car today with the same trunk key as the one I was missing so I will swap that out in the morning. This all started when I took the cluster out to change the water temp guage. Is it possible that there could be another problem?

[mbouse]

before you go and spend money on parts, be sure that the gauge and sending unite both have clean, tight electrical connections.

Are both wires at the sending unit (tank) hooked up properly?

[ROOK1]

The wires in the trunk/tank area have not been messed with. The wires on the guage end were not removed (I think) when I had the cluster out, I only unhooked the 2 main harnesses and the one small one that goes to the center console lights. I did not have a problem until the guages were removed and reinstalled. Is it possible there is a polarity issue at the guage end?

[racydave]

The fuel sending unit is a rheostat. Disconnected it reads full, ground the wire, and it reads empty, if not you have an open circut.

[baltobernie]

I agree with these guys.

Switch the wires on the tank, just for giggles. You cannot harm either sender with this test.