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I hate my fuel gauge.....Help I am going insane !!!!!

1479 Views 11 Replies 4 Participants Last post by DanStew, Dec 9, 1999

DanStew

Discussion Starter · Dec 7, 1999

For the last two weeks I have fought ot get my fuel and temp gauges to work. First i took later model CJ gauges and put them in my cluster and the temp gauge went all the way full and started to smoke. I pulled it out and looked at the wiring. It was fine. I took off the wire to the sender and grounded it. The gauge went to full. Ok the gauge works. I took the gauge out of the cluster. away from all metal sources. I then attached the sender and hot wires to the gauge. The gauge went to full. I then thought the gauge might be the wrong type and then i took my old one apart and noticed a wire was broke. I got it resoldered. I put it back in today. The gauge went straight to full. I know i do not have a full tank of gas. If the sender goes bad does it make the gauge act like it is grounded out, or does it just not work anymore.??? When the problem first happened. No gauges worked. I think that is because of the broken wire. My question now is, Did i fry my sender into not working, by using another jeeps gauges?? I hope someone can help me. This is driving me insane.
Thanks for any help for my jeep and psychological state.
Dan Stewart 1963 CJ5 "Caloosa Jeepers" member

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GeeAea

· #2 · Dec 7, 1999

Others may have some better ideas but......take an ohm meter and read the sender wire to ground ......then unhook the wire at the sender and take a reading there .....if they're different.(read - the sender having more resistance).....your wire is messed up between the sender and the gauge........if they're the same.....and since you say "goes all the way ...." I figure you mean that it goes WAY beyond where "Full" would be.......then I'd say the sender is defective.

Again, someone probably has a better idea here......this is just how I'd isolate the condition without anyone around to ask.

Good luck...
GeeAea

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· #3 · Dec 7, 1999

I have gone through the battle of the gauges my self . It sounds to me like you fryed your voltage regulator. Its the wire strap that goes
from the fuel guage to the temp. I cant find a replacement but a website has the diragram to make one. CJ gauges are 5 volt. good luck

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· #4 · Dec 7, 1999

Dan, if it's the regulator strip between the fuel and temp gauge you could try Specialty Parts www.specialtyparts.com or Leon
Rosser www.thinkjeep.com. Both of these places carry many more parts than are shown on thier websites or in the catalog.
Good luck.

Gary

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102

· #5 · Dec 8, 1999

You must match your sender to the gauge/s you installed.
Usually, if your gauges peg to full (and smoke) you have a short (to ground) in your sender wire.
See....
http://www.monsterslayer.com/jeep/Gauges.htm
My gauge article is for CJ-7's but much of the info is usefull to earlier years.
John F

JAF
http://www.monsterslayer.com/jeep

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CJ7Taz

· #6 · Dec 8, 1999

It sounds to me like you may have hooked the feed wire to the fuel gauge to the regulated output (where
the jumper strip between the gauges is) rather than to the 12 volt input.

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DanStew

Discussion Starter · #7 · Dec 9, 1999

CjTaz that is just what i did to end the life of my gauges. I was in a hurry after i got a broken wire soldered back on the gauge and in my stupid haste i put the power to the regulated part. Well it is time for new ones. I am just going to get the new sender and gauges and make my life easier. I thank everyone for the help. The website for the gauges helped me out alot. Now does anyone know the prices of the gauges??? I saw some for about 40 or 60 dollars. That it real steep. I might as well buy the whole new cluster for the cluster. If someone can get the prices to me and locations for the older sender and gauges that would be welcome.
I lost the battle, but i will fight on.
Dan Stewart 1963 CJ5 "CAloosa Jeepers" member

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CJ7Taz

· #8 · Dec 9, 1999

One more word on gauges. I bought a set of digital voltmeter and oil pressure gauges, thought they were
real cool. I had the oil pressure gauge go bad and called in for a waranty replacement. While I was
talking to the guy, I told him I thought that there would be a market for a digital speedometer - fuel-
temp gauge that would fit into a Jeep speedo housing. Guess what, about 2 years later they built them.
Would be real nice except for one thing, they can't be read in sunlight with the top off.

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· #9 · Dec 9, 1999

do you have a web address or regular address where I could find such a magical gauge? Do they require a complete rewiring of the dash (I'm not good at electrical)?

MudFlap 87 YJ POS!!

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CJ7Taz

· #10 · Dec 9, 1999

4WD Hardware has them, but they are only for the '72 - '86 CJ speedometer cluster. It claims all kinds
of nice features including reprogramable for tire size, had trip odometer and all the original lights for
brake warning, 4wd, high beams, turn signal. Only thing is, if its like the other gauges, you can't read
it in the daytime with the top off.

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CJ7Taz

· #11 · Dec 9, 1999

Dan,

Got to thinking about you and your gauges. You may not have done a lot of damage, could be you just
fried a zenner diode or a voltage regulator. With the price of a set of gauges, it might be worth checking
out and they ain't no good the way they are.

BTW 4wd Hardware gets $99.95 for a set of factory replacement fuel and temp gauges.

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DanStew

Discussion Starter · #12 · Dec 9, 1999

I did a number on my fuel gauge. All wires are gone. I haven't popped open my temp gauge, that might be salvageable. I sure hope so. I priced each gauge at about $35 a pop. I think about not have gauge, but i don't like to stick a wooed rod into the gas tank to see how full it is.
Thanks for all your help
Dan Stewart 1963 CJ5 "Caloosa Jeepers" member

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