new sender - fuel gauge still dead

[funcrew]

My PO replaced the fuel level sender, but the gauge is still totally dead. The rest of the cluster works great. What do I try next?

[jlevie]

Verify the wiring (and sensor) by checking resistance from connector C2 pin 4 to ground. C2 is the white connector that mates to the left hand side of the cluster. If that is okay, remove the cluster and reflow the solder pad where the fuel gauge mounts to the PCB. If that doesn't help replace the fuel gauge.

[funcrew]

Verify the wiring (and sensor) by checking resistance from connector C2 pin 4 to ground. C2 is the white connector that mates to the left hand side of the cluster. If that is okay, remove the cluster and reflow the solder pad where the fuel gauge mounts to the PCB. If that doesn't help replace the fuel gauge.

Thanks - how much should that resistance be?

[jlevie]

That rather depends on whether this is a early car with a single sensor or a late car with dual sensors and how much fuel is in the tank. With a full tank the level sensor resistance goes to zero. Early single sensor systems will be about 55 ohms when the tank is empty and a late model will be about 75 ohms on an empty tank. Note that the empty tank numbers are from memory and could be less than accurate.

[Jean]

Or pull the rear seat, disconnect the harness from the fuel tank sender. Then you can short the 2 out of the 3 wires turn the "empty" tank light in the cluster, and see if your gauge moves at all by shorting another 2. One is ground, one is the float, and 3rd is the on/off switch in the sender for the light.

[funcrew]

Verify the wiring (and sensor) by checking resistance from connector C2 pin 4 to ground. C2 is the white connector that mates to the left hand side of the cluster. If that is okay, remove the cluster and reflow the solder pad where the fuel gauge mounts to the PCB. If that doesn't help replace the fuel gauge.

How hard is it to re-flow solder pads for someone with zero experience? Would I just get a cheap soldering iron from Radio Shack? If I wanted to have someone else do it, would I go to a computer repair shop?

[jlevie]

Reflowing the solder isn't difficult. Maybe not a job for a first timer, but easy for someone with even just a little experience. If I was going to have it done, an A/V or radio repair shop is more likely to have the expertise than a computer repair shop.

[funcrew]

Thanks for your reply. A little experience? I built a heath-kit radio in the 1970's when I was 12. I think that counts as very little. And the problem with having someone else do it is that Las Vegas is a wasteland when it comes to decent repair shops for anything.

[jlevie]

That should be enough experience. Like I said, it isn't a difficult task.

[bejbis]

How hard is it to re-flow solder pads for someone with zero experience?

Heat joint until it looks shiny/fluid, remove heat. done.

I had this happen to mine, i opened up the cluster, removed the fuel gauge and replaced it with one from another cluster, also cleaned the contacts in the cluster.