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Topic: Gas Gage

in Forum: C3 Fuel, Emission Control, and Exhaust Systems

Gas Gage

Posted: 11/14/09 5:58pm Message 1 of 8
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Rocklin, CA - USA
Joined: 4/2/2005
Posts: 484
Vette(s): 1970 T-Top350/350hp numbers matching 4 speed. It's a mess and 1970 Convertible 4 speed.
Hey I replace my fuel sender and I notice that my gas Gage needle seems to bounce a lot. What would cause this? It did not do that before. Come to think about it the gas gage did not do anything before that's why I replace the fuel sender.


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Gas Gage

Posted: 11/14/09 9:26pm Message 2 of 8
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Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20214
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
Which car?
The early cars seem to have fuel gauges that bounce a bit. There is a resistor("buffer") on the back of the gauge that may be bad/failing that can cause this.
The later cars had gauges that were a little more steady in the readings.




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Gas Gage

Posted: 11/15/09 8:14am Message 3 of 8
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Holland Patent, NY - USA
Joined: 6/3/2008
Posts: 4421
Vette(s): #1 *1980 White, Red interior 14,000 mile #2 *1980 Red, Oyster interior 93,000 miles Resto project car, rebuilt to 383 stroker

David, my gas gauge on my 80 stopped working or registering properly all of a sudden. Then my battery kept going dead.

When I replaced the battery (cause I had charged the crap out of it) I then discovered that the secondary (smaller) positive wire off  the battery cable that goes to the small juntion in the battery box had broken.
Once fixed two thing happened, my new battery was now being charged, and my gas gauge once again started to work.

Check and clean that connection.

Good luck, Evil Smileebo




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Evil Smileebo

Gas Gage

Posted: 11/15/09 4:01pm Message 4 of 8
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Rocklin, CA - USA
Joined: 4/2/2005
Posts: 484
Vette(s): 1970 T-Top350/350hp numbers matching 4 speed. It's a mess and 1970 Convertible 4 speed.
Man that might be it. I too have a problem with my positive battery cable. There are times when the car will just die because of the battery cable. Well I will work on that and see what happens.


Gas Gage

Posted: 11/30/09 7:43am Message 5 of 8
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WEST SENECA, NY - USA
Joined: 12/3/2001
Posts: 2379
Vette(s): 1981 Blue Ice Met. w/pearl ghost flames TKO500 5speed. LS1 Swap 3.45 Dana 44.
 A long time ago, my '81 had a bouncy fuel gauge. I replaced the gauge with a Delco unit, and the problem went away.
 "kstyer" clued me into how a fuel gauge actually works. The gauge actually buffers the rapid movement of the sending unit float while the fuel is sloshing it around. 




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Gas Gage

Posted: 11/30/09 11:37am Message 6 of 8
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Oak Creek, WI - USA
Joined: 5/21/2008
Posts: 1965
Vette(s): 1981 Great White Shark. Red Interior, 350/190 hp. PS, PB (SS), A/C CC, T-Tops. Served three years in Active Duty Army, then Retired Air Force after 34 years! Badger State Vettes Car Club. 175,000 Original miles!! Now own a 1998 C-5!
Ain't Owning a 1981 Corvette, GRAND !!!
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Dan



Gas Gage

Posted: 12/4/09 5:27pm Message 7 of 8
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Joined: 12/3/2007
Posts: 292
Vette(s): 1978 Corvette Light Blue Pulled from the swamps of Miami! Its a driver and back on the road!
I have a 78 and the gauge worked perfectly until I took out the gage cluster to replace bulbs to get it brighter at night.  Must have done something in the back as now the gage bounces all the time, but still can tell fuel quantity good enough, but would like to know what I did to it or how to get it working right again, first too many other thing to get going first. Let me know what you find out! BB78Cry


Gas Gage

Posted: 12/4/09 8:29pm Message 8 of 8
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Oak Creek, WI - USA
Joined: 5/21/2008
Posts: 1965
Vette(s): 1981 Great White Shark. Red Interior, 350/190 hp. PS, PB (SS), A/C CC, T-Tops. Served three years in Active Duty Army, then Retired Air Force after 34 years! Badger State Vettes Car Club. 175,000 Original miles!! Now own a 1998 C-5!
My gage is working just fine at the moment.  It sounds like the problem must be with the gage itself and how it is fastned in the center counsoul.  Lots of electrical problems can happen there due to the printed circuit board.


in Forum: C3 Fuel, Emission Control, and Exhaust Systems


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