the gas gauge on my 69 isnt workin..the guy i got the car from said it just stopped working shortly ago..what are the steps to find the problem and fix it please..ty

 

There are a few things that could be wrong.

1) The guage itself could be bad.

2) There could be a loose connection and the sender unit (attached at the tank) is not "sending" so the guage isn't showing.

3) The sending unit could be bad or the float on the sending unit may not actually be floating anymore, thereby not "sending" any information back to the guage.

There could possibly be other problems, but these are the three I would look at first. If it were me, I would siphon out the gas in the tank. Remove the sending unit. With the sending unit in your hand ensure that the float moves freely. If it moves freely, check that the guage is responding when you move it all the way up. If your guage is responding, then you know it has NOTHING to do with the guage and it's in the sending unit. That, if I'm not mistaken, is about a 35 dollar part. Buy a new one an be on your way. If it's no in the sending unit, it will take more electical analysis and I'm no electrician! Good luck!

 

First thing is first...

1) Crawl under the car, unplug the sending unit wire. (Front center of the fuel tank on the bottom, only wire attached to the unit)
2) Ground the wire to the body of the car
3) See if the fuel gauge is reading FULL

If the gauge is reading full, the wiring and gauge is fine. Replace the sending unit.

99% of gauge problems are the sending unit. The copper float develops a leak and eventually sinks into the tank. The good thing is it is really easy to replace. The hardest part is emptying the tank. I use an old electric fuel pump and some fuel line when I have to replace mine.

Good luck!

 

That, or the old fashioned way, piece of garden hose and a couple of 5 gal gas cans. Be careful, it only takes 1 god suck on the hose to get it going, then just keep the end lower than the tank, and gravity does the rest.

 

I have been having problems with my gas gauge too ('66 convertible). When the tank is full the needle reads way above full. It stays up there until (I am guessing) its about 2/3rds full. Then it drops relatively quickly till it reads 1/4 fullwhere it stays until I run out of gas. Any thoughts?

 

Yep, your float is sticking, and when the gas level gets below the float, it usually takes a bump to knock it loose to get back to the fuel. Change the float and sending unit. You should be problem free for years to come.

 

I think most of us have just the opposite problem. When the tank is plumb full, the gauge only reads 3/4 full. I just ignore it until it gets to around 1/4, then hunt for a 93 octane pump. It usually takes 10 or less gallons, so I know I am in the safe zone. Hey, you just have to get to know your car and put up with these little idiocentrities. (Is that a real word?)

 

If in doubt, fill it up. It's better than walking to the gas station.

 

Yes, I am learning to deal with those idiosyncrasies rather than spending alot of time and money trying to fix them.
Nick

 

Look, it'll cost you about the price of a tank of gas to fix. Be sure, this time of year is very important, 18 people have died in this heat in AZ already[8D].