Gas light and guage is weird??

[xaisomboun]

I am back again with yet another odd problem!

So about 2 days ago, I noticed my fuel meter going down faster than usual, I thought it was just the car being old and stuff and it kinda got stuck at 1/4 for a while which seemed right to me.

Then a couple hours later, the meter shoots like... wayyy down past below the markings literally underneath EMPTY ... WTF?

I fill up to a full tank to see if it would fix the problem, but now the meter only goes up like ...3/4 of the way (when usually it would go all the way up)AND GET THIS! The gas light wont turn off??

I am confused on how this happened.. any insight guys?! lol

 

[123abc]

Have you removed your fuel pump assembly recently?

 

[xaisomboun]

No I havent

 

[DR1665]

You will. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devil.gif

As you know, the low fuel indicator and gauge on these cars is pathetic. As far as I know, there are really only two places on the car where you're likely to find a cause for something like this: A) behind the gauge face itself and B) on the fuel pump assembly.

The needle is moved by a small, "precision" motor encased in a plastic box right above the steering wheel which - at most - gets dusty over the years. It's subject to some vibration, so there's a chance of a loose connection on the PWB (printed wiring board) that makes up the instrument panel, but let's think about the fuel pump, shall we?

The fuel pump is submerged in a flammable liquid of varying quality which is replaced several times per month. Given the age of these cars, there's a chance any one of them might have sat parked for a year or more with cheap gas in them. Just about every fuel pump I've ever removed has left me wondering how the hell the car even ran in the first place. And the assembly responsible for signalling the little motor up front? It's basically the same thing as the floaty-ball in the tank on your toilet. Oh yeah, and this is all located about a foot off the ground at the ass end of the car.

So which do you think might be the cause? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hsugh.gif

 

[xaisomboun]

^^^ AWESOME description! I strive for posts like yours ;D

Im thinking it might be the fuel assembly then.. lol

If I cracked it open, what would I be looking for to fix/replace?? (preferably fix cause im broke)

Pictures would help as well..

 

[DR1665]

First things first (before I forget): You got PB Blaster? If not, get some before you start. The fittings on this thing tend to be locked up pretty tight. Damage them and you're looking at more than just a wonky fuel gauge if you get my drift. I'd suggest using an old toothbrush or something to get as much dust out of there before you start spraying anything or removing the "baby."

I don't know much about fixing the sending unit, though I do know there are some write-ups out there somewhere about adjusting the low fuel indicator, which leads me to believe it may be possible to fix the sending unit. No promises, though. I've got some thoughts from when I last did this here.

See the black, plastic block toward the bottom? Follow that arm up and you should be in the right neck of the woods. Again, I don't know what you're looking for here. Before you get too far into this, maybe someone can offer information on how to make sure that little motor in the gauge cluster isn't binding up or something.

Also worth mentioning, the 1G DSM fuel pump assembly is taller than the Galant's. You might be able to find a replacement at the local junk yard for a couple bucks, but make sure you get one from a Galant.

 

[xaisomboun]

Thanks for all the help! Much appreciated.. Will probably be tackling this on the weekend.