dan5354
Well-Known Member
I was wondering if there is a way to bench test a gas gauge from a 67 barracuda? It has the voltage limiter inside. I have a new solid state limiter, but would still like to test the gauge before installing. Thanks
Bench testing a gas gauge
- Thread starter dan5354
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67Dart273
Well-Known Member
Start by doing a search here, then post back
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=179517
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=264543
Basically, you need to supply battery and ground to the cluster. Make sure you feed into the INPUT side of the regulator
You need something for test resistance. You can buy resistors at radio shack
dan5354
Well-Known Member
Thanks 67 Dart, I finally had time to check out the problem, so I started from the beginning again. Working my way from the tank forward even making sure the wires were good. I knew the voltage limiter was good since I bought one of those that has the LED that blinks if it is getting power and working (that LED is kind of nice after all). I noticed one of my new solder less connections was no longer together. I remedied that and added solder to the connections and the gauge is working now. I'm glad since the new gauge (which I needed since the old one was charred inside) was an e-bay purchase that was pretty reasonably priced. Now I have to find out if the temp sending unit or the wire is the problem at the temp gauge. I thought the voltage limiter would fix that also, but it didn't. I bench tested it and it's good, so I'm hoping for an easy fix. Thanks again
BillGrissom
Well-Known Member
I posted on my similar bench test efforts last winter, w/ a new voltage limiter and fuel sender. I had to tweak the limiter, fix my new sender, and add trim resistors on the back of the cluster to get the gage to read perfectly as I moved the sender.
Seems my temp gage still works OK, based on test resistors and values I found on the web for the sensor. My temp gage has no numbered markings so can't get anal about whether they exactly match an IR gun like many owners do with my old M-B cars.
Seems my temp gage still works OK, based on test resistors and values I found on the web for the sensor. My temp gage has no numbered markings so can't get anal about whether they exactly match an IR gun like many owners do with my old M-B cars.
Torrance00
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My problem is the gauge only reads to half full.
went under the car the other day and made sure I had a good ground
connection of the supple nipple....then I removed the wire from the tank
and did an ohm check, showed app 17 ohms, which shoud mean just about
empty, but the tank only took 6 gal...
so at full the gauge shows half, when on empty it still has half a tank or about
6 gal..
And ideas..
Best
went under the car the other day and made sure I had a good ground
connection of the supple nipple....then I removed the wire from the tank
and did an ohm check, showed app 17 ohms, which shoud mean just about
empty, but the tank only took 6 gal...
so at full the gauge shows half, when on empty it still has half a tank or about
6 gal..
And ideas..
Best
BillGrissom
Well-Known Member
Search posts by Kit Carlson. He was working on a custom box to adjust the fuel level readings. I recall others posted of an existing commercial adapter box.
You ask for ideas. I don't have any ideas. I can provide a few facts...
17 ohms represents a bit more than half a tank. 12 ohms is the highest hash mark and 10 ohms it the max position, against the needle stop, almost to the 'F'.
Heat causes a piece of bimetal to bow which moves the needle. That piece of bimetal is at least 40 years old. Nothing lasts forever.
The oil and temp gauges live a little longer because the don't operate as hot at normal conditions. Other faults more often kill those gauges ( like the terminal falling off or knocked off the oil sender and shorting to ground has killed a lot of those ).
Voltage regulators, with or without LEDs,do not fix old gauges.
17 ohms represents a bit more than half a tank. 12 ohms is the highest hash mark and 10 ohms it the max position, against the needle stop, almost to the 'F'.
Heat causes a piece of bimetal to bow which moves the needle. That piece of bimetal is at least 40 years old. Nothing lasts forever.
The oil and temp gauges live a little longer because the don't operate as hot at normal conditions. Other faults more often kill those gauges ( like the terminal falling off or knocked off the oil sender and shorting to ground has killed a lot of those ).
Voltage regulators, with or without LEDs,do not fix old gauges.
dan5354
Well-Known Member
I don't remember the gauges being very accurate back in the day (when they weren't 40 years old). I just had to learn where empty was, and had to re-learn that (the hard way) when I moved to a mountainous part of the country.
I did need the voltage regulator though to make those old gauges move at all.
I did need the voltage regulator though to make those old gauges move at all.
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
No it doesn't, I don't know where you got that. Did you read ANY of the posted threads? Top post in the very first link..............
Which says in part:
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