Author Topic: New fuel gauge needle falls to 4 o'clock position  (Read 2706 times)

Offline Rapid Roy

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New fuel gauge needle falls to 4 o'clock position
« on: February 04, 2019, 08:08:19 PM »
Recently purchased new fuel gauge (approximately 2 weeks ago). Worked perfect till this morning and needle was pointing to 4 o'clock position. This has only happened today. After starting, gauge moves back up to the level I remember it being before turning off. Old gauge was working, just bouncing.

Has anyone had this happen with their gauges? Or, do I possibly have a defective gauge which I can possibly exchange.
1974 Cheyenne 10 LWB STOCK 350 W HEI /TH350/AC/4 BBL Quadrajet
Mopar by Birth
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Offline Wickman

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Re: New fuel gauge needle falls to 4 o'clock position
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2019, 09:15:39 AM »
My experience when the needle falls far over full, its bad grounding at the tank.

Offline Rapid Roy

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Re: New fuel gauge needle falls to 4 o'clock position
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2019, 09:18:32 AM »
With tank at current level of approximately 7/8 full, with key off falls to the right to the 4 o'clock position. Slowly falls and takes about 20 minutes to reach 4 o'clock. This has happened suddenly since install 2 weeks ago. Was not falling before. Clips were burnished before new gauge install. I had burnished old gauge and clips last year too. The old gauge did not fall when key off. (It was bouncing and would read correct after stop when gas movement slowed in tank). Nothing has been changed in the past 2 weeks, other than new gauge. I could tell new gauge had damping compared to old one. Needle did not bounce around.
1974 Cheyenne 10 LWB STOCK 350 W HEI /TH350/AC/4 BBL Quadrajet
Mopar by Birth
Chevy by Choice

Offline bd

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Re: New fuel gauge needle falls to 4 o'clock position
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2019, 09:31:08 AM »
This is a longshot, but verify all of the dash grounds and cab-to-engine ground, especially any ground connections shared by appliances with "memory" such as a radio.
Rich
It's difficult to know just how much you don't know until you know it.
In other words... if people learn by making mistakes, by now I should know just about everything!!!
87 R10 Silverado Fleetside 355 MPFI 700R4 3.42 Locker (aka Rusty, aka Mater)

Offline Rapid Roy

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Re: New fuel gauge needle falls to 4 o'clock position
« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2019, 04:18:27 PM »
UPDATE

Removed new gauge, reinstalled old gauge and works just like it did before installing new one. It does not fall at all with key off. Stays in same position as with key on. It still does bounce but is working. I noticed when I removed new one and placed it in the box, needle slowly fell to 4 o"clock.

New gauge did not fall till after 2 weeks.

Going to contact seller about replacement or return and refund. Will see.
1974 Cheyenne 10 LWB STOCK 350 W HEI /TH350/AC/4 BBL Quadrajet
Mopar by Birth
Chevy by Choice

Offline Rich84

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Re: New fuel gauge needle falls to 4 o'clock position
« Reply #5 on: February 06, 2019, 03:15:24 PM »
Recently purchased new fuel gauge (approximately 2 weeks ago). Worked perfect till this morning and needle was pointing to 4 o'clock position. This has only happened today. After starting, gauge moves back up to the level I remember it being before turning off. Old gauge was working, just bouncing.

Has anyone had this happen with their gauges? Or, do I possibly have a defective gauge which I can possibly exchange.

I don't think I ever had a gauge that read correctly with the key off.

Offline Rapid Roy

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Re: New fuel gauge needle falls to 4 o'clock position
« Reply #6 on: February 09, 2019, 11:48:43 AM »
Contacted seller, explained situation. Got response 2 days later they will send out new gauge and I could dispose of defective unit. I will hold on to gauge cause tested with needle at or below half tank and it did not fall below e with key off. It is still usable and will probably wait till someone needs another one and explain about needle falling. Waiting for new gauge to arrive in a few days.
1974 Cheyenne 10 LWB STOCK 350 W HEI /TH350/AC/4 BBL Quadrajet
Mopar by Birth
Chevy by Choice

Offline 78 K5 Cheyenne

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Re: New fuel gauge needle falls to 4 o'clock position
« Reply #7 on: April 18, 2019, 06:01:40 PM »
Sorry to bring this up after a so long, but I was just curious if the new gauge worked as it should?

-Mike
Mike - 1978 K-5

Offline Rapid Roy

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Re: New fuel gauge needle falls to 4 o'clock position
« Reply #8 on: April 18, 2019, 08:41:05 PM »
Sorry...forgot to update.

Nope...Another new gauge, sent for free and still have first purchased one, when near full falls to around 4 o'clock and sometimes to 6 o'clock position. When near empty, falls to 4 or 6 o' clock position when key off. Always when key on, needle moves to correct position. I have modified one of them with pins below e and below f so that needle does not fall more than that. It was bugging me when it fell so far. The pins are much better for me now. I also painted them flat black and do not show very much at all. You can see the pins I installed in pic. I now have an extra new gauge that I have not modified. The modified one is in truck now and will stay. This may be a common thing with aftermarket gauges, it is with the 2 I have. Gauge does not bounce around like the old one. Does move slightly while driving/turning but is a lot better.





« Last Edit: April 18, 2019, 09:43:57 PM by Rapid Roy »
1974 Cheyenne 10 LWB STOCK 350 W HEI /TH350/AC/4 BBL Quadrajet
Mopar by Birth
Chevy by Choice