1996 dash problem

[ewertro]

Hey there,

I have a problem with my gas gauge, but I can only get so far. The needle is pegged at empty. I took my sender unit out and tested it, seems to be working (short on lowest point of the sender, about 100 ohms full). Anyway, followed the wiring forward to the firewall where it enters the large harness and lose it, so where does the sender unit connect to the computer, does anyone know what the pin-out for the instrument cluster is, and what I should be reading (ohms, voltage,??????) Thanks for any help, I'm really starting to pull my hair out.

[quadracr]

Sounds like a bad gauge. Typical troubleshooting is to take the wire from the sending unit and ground to the frame. If the needle goes to full it's a bad sending unit. If the needle stays on empty, it's bad wire, connection or gauge. Remove the cluster and find pin and connecter that comes from sending unit and ohm it out. Should be at or near 0 ohms. If this is what you get, take cluster apart and inspect fuel gauge and connecters. Ohm out the fuel gauge to the connecter in the back. If you have continuity there, then the gauge is bad or cennecters are dirty. Clean, reassemble and test again. If this doesn't work you need a new gauge.

[ewertro]

Great, thanks for the help. I'm on my way back to the homestead, hope to try your ideas once the work truck gets out of the shop and will let you know how it goes. Also, is it possible to replace just the fuel gauge if it is bad, or do I need a whole new gauge package? Thanks again.

Rob

[quadracr]

UUUHHHHH got me on that one. I don't know if you can get just the gauge. I'm sure you can. I have had numerous clusters apart in various cars for customizing and I have taken them down to just the gauges. Look at it this way, take it apart and try, if you screw it up it was already broke.

[ewertro]

Well, kinda looks like the gauge is FUBAR. Guess I will have to call the dealer to see if I can get a new one.

[quadracr]

Glad I could help a fellow FSC member

[ewertro]

Been playing around some more with it today, found that the purple wire at the bash behind the gauges is there, but at the last connector before it goes through the firewall, the purple wire disappears. Not sure why, almost looks like GM never installed it at that point. Still digging further.

[ewertro]

that looks like my problem. My dad and I worked through it again. Looks like for some reason, the person that had my truck before my maybe replaced the connector from the inside of the cab to the 4 pin connector at the firewall that carries the purple sender unit wire.
We ended up removing the old purple wire from the connector at the back of the cluster and re-running the wire and attaching it at the firewall connector. Works fine now so I will neaten it up now and call it done. Now on to my heater problems....... Thanks for all the help.

Rob :D

:whore: