85 FB

Okay, as some of you may know, I've been having problems with my fuel gauge not reading properly. Well, earlier today I managed to correct that problem, and I believe I made it perform a little better, I don't know.

To give a brief history of what was going on, ever since I replaced my gas tank and fuel sending unit, my fuel gauge was never reading properly. Turn the key to the 'ON' position, the gauge would read true. Start the motor up (and, effectively initiate the fuel pump) and the gauge would read false. I mean, I could have a full tank and the gauge would read half.

Anyways, having this anomaly led me to believe that there was a wire being shared and power was being drawn from the fuel gauge. I mean, c'mon, the gauge reads fine when the fuel pump isn't running but once that fuel pump runs, it reads incorrectly. Speaking with the tech at my local shop confirmed that it was either the power or the ground. So, I purchased a roll of 16-gauge black wire and wire splice tapping connectors. I figured start with the simplest approach and work my way up from there.

So, I jack up the car, remove the left rear wheel and dust cover, and proceed to splice into the ground wire and lead that new addition of wire to a body ground (which I found on the bolt as part of the rear tow hook assembly). I jump in the car and start 'er up. Sure enough, that fuel gauge just rockets to the Full mark (I did have a full tank and before, the needle would move slowly) however my Low Fuel Light was brightly lit. Not slightly faded and flickering like I have also been encountering, but fully lit. So, now I'm facing a new conumdrum. My only thought: "Maybe the butt-splice connection for the Low Fuel Light wire is bad. I'll just solder the connection this time."

So, once again I proceed to go outside, lug all my tools with me and remove the wheel and dust shield (after the ground wire addition, I had to run a few errands) and proceed to work on the wiring. And, that's when I found out where all my problems stemmed from.

When I first completed installing my gas tank, I had to redo some of the wire connections for the fuel sending unit, and had to cut the wires leading into the pigtail connector. Well, when I put the wires back together with butt connectors, I inadvertently put the ground wire onto the Low Fuel Light wire, and vice versa. All my problems, all because I didn't notice the wire colors because the top half of them (the original wiring) was covered up by the wire loom, stemmed from me not double checking my work in the first place.

Double check your work. It just might save you a headache later on down the road.


P.S. For those of you that also know, I just fixed my turn signal problem. I spliced in an additional ground wire on both of my front turn signals and connected to a body ground. Now, they work like they used to.

Gotta love the Japanese cars and their consistency for routing a lot of items to one common ground.

RXnos1200

iTrader: (24)

Glad you got it all worked out.

Jeezus

iTrader: (4)

one ?:

on the 2nd time you worked on it, did you undo the 1st time's work?

just curious, i like the rocketing fuel gauge, you may be on something.

Stevan

iTrader: (17)

Not many people on here(including me) post their mistakes because of fear of ridicule.
I'm sure they, and I, have made quite a few.
Thank you for posting your experience.

Naegleria_Fowleri

That is a big plus 1. I know I've made some really stupid mistakes.

And I too am glad you got it all worked out.

twinkletoes

iTrader: (17)

Yep, me too. I know how frustrating this can be with the smallest little thing making the whole car sputter and all that( my shutter valve.)

perfect_circle

yea, or that damn vacuum leak, cause the PO used a glue and a penny to cover a port. i mean what the hell.

85 FB

Hey, it's through our mistakes that we learn. And, I had no fear of facing ridicule. Those that ridicule over someone else's learning mistake more than likely has no place to do such.


Jeezuz - I'm not really following your question, but I'll try an answer it anyways. On the second time I worked on it, I did not undo my first time of work. Only on the third time upon reaching for the wires, had I come across my initial problem.

It really is amazing at how the simplest thing can create the biggest problem.

Jeezus

iTrader: (4)

Cool. Basically, I was asking if your Fuel Gauge still rockets after you got it fixed, cause of the work you did the first time. Sorry about the hard question before, i had no keyboard and had to use the on screen

And to throw another story in, I was putting a tranny in my car, and for some reason, I could not engage the gears, just waddle around the shifter. Answer? I forgot to put in the screw that connects the "socket" (holds the ball at the bottom of the shifter) to the gear shaft :o

85 FB

As the old saying goes: A .05 cent washer can cause a $1000 problem.

And, I think when I first bought the car and whenever I started the car, the needle would move like it should've but maybe a little slower. Ever since I stuck in a brand new sending unit and new connectors (the stock connector was corroded as hell), and also spliced in a new ground specifically for the sending unit, that needle moves really quick to however much fuel is left. I believe that's how it should be.