ANOTHER FUEL GAUGE PROBLEM!

[FORDAHOLIC]

please help me out, i am about to go postal on my bronco. it is a 87 model with a 351 4-barrel (factory). i put a new sending unit in, jeffs bronco graveyard sold me one for an 86, but said it was the same for my non-fuel injected. and i have put in a used gauge.....it will run out of gas around a 1/4 tank, and when i fill it up it reads empty. it will then start moving towards 1/4 as it uses gas.(it did this before the used gauge also) i have read in here about checking the ground on the tank, but am clueless on how to do this. any help would be great, thank you!!!!

 

[Seabronc]

I wouldn't wast my time with the original ground. I had a similar problem with mine, ran a new ground wire just for the sender unit and it has been pretty dead on since. When it hits about a needle above "E" I have 5 about gallons left in a 33 gallon tank.

Good luck,

>-

 

[Broncobill78]

Damn, it's *HARD* to disagree with Fred. Once again he's probably right and even if you DO have a brand new sending unit the ground is probably scrap. Unfortunately by the time you get to a repair on THIS level you're looking at *everything* meaning that you need to take a good look at every connection AND ground when replacing ANY sensor package. Just replacing the sending unit isn't enuf at this point, you need to examine the ground point AND the power-distribution points. There are a LOT of things that can be wrong with this system *especially* considering it's 21yrs old. You have NO shortage of people willing to help you sort it out, just be willing to do the legwork & post the results.

Just by way of consolation, my 88' doesn't have a *single* working gauge in the entire freaking dash, and I'm still driving THAT bitch. Keep us in the loop and you'll have help.

 

[FORDAHOLIC]

hey thanks, i will let you know how it goes as i get the chance to work on it again( hopefully this weekend)

 

[love_my_bronco]

bill your brave. late time i drove with dead gages... i was tranded in the mountains for 2 days... sucked.. nice view of the lake i was suposed to be at though..

 

[love_my_bronco]

bill your brave. late time i drove with dead gages... i was tranded in the mountains for 2 days... sucked.. nice view of the lake i was suposed to be at though..

oops i just knowticed.. sorry dave

 

[FORDAHOLIC]

hey, i have tried the new ground, and it did not work. so while i had the unit unpluged i hooked up an old sending unit from an 87 or so truck, and it seems to work on the ground. the hand moves to what looks like the right spot when you move the float! so maybe the 86 unit wont work on my 87, or the unit was bad when i got it. either way, i plan on dropping the tank saturday and taking the two units and making one out of them.... wish me luck, this has really become a sore spot for me, i AM going to get this fixed!!!!!!

 

[FORDAHOLIC]

hey, i fixed it!!!! i had to change the printed board from the new one to the old one. everything is working fine now. now i can move on to the next project!! thanx for all your help, it pushed me to solve this problem.