fuel sender help

[irowiki]

So on Buck (the 83) the fuel gauge never went below 1/4, and the low fuel light did not work. Learned this the hard way when I ran out of gas when it read above 1/4 tank.

Swapped another fuel sender into the car (into an empty tank even). Started up the car, fuel light came on, and tank read below empty. So far, so good!

Filled up the car, and the needle only goes up to 3/4 full, sometimes up to 7/8's. Do I need to take the sender out and bend it one way or the other?

[Gottolovem]

I would leave it alone
My car has "and others i have owned" always been picky on the gauge at full.
The last half is the important one anyway

[irowiki]

Yeah but it shows as being below half when I've only used a few gallons. It bugs me, that's all

[Gottolovem]

I can send you with another sender when your here if you like

[irowiki]

Is it the sender, or do you think the float could have been bent perhaps when I was transporting it, or installing it? (I tried to install it backwards!)

Doesn't help that buck's trip meter died...so there goes my other method of tracking the fuel.

[jimcrazy]

mine was like that when I got it would only show 1/2 when full.the contact strip on the float arm was varnished over. looked like never more than 1/2 tank put in it for years. cleaned it 400 grit paper works like it should now

[irowiki]

You had to take it apart to clean that I'm guessing?

[jimcrazy]

yep take the sender out of the tank, still have your old one? it may have the same problem

[irowiki]

I mean take the sender itself apart. I noticed there was a plate on the sender itself held on by a few screws. Or am I misunderstanding which part of the sender does what?

[jimcrazy]

I cant remember if I took screws out or not, but if you move the float up and down there is a small metal tab that rubs on the block part of the sender that sends a signel to the dash gauge,thats where you clean it, you should see what looks like super fine wire that the float arm rubs on

[ARCHINSTL]

See this thread about repairing the sender unit. Good stuff by thebigbread and waynehoc, with XLNT photos by the latter.
https://tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtopic.php? ... uel+sender+
Tom M.

[irowiki]

Oh thanks Tom, I did search first and didn't see that thread!

[Petros]

that is an easy fix, just follow the directions on that thread. sometimes you have to bend the metal leaf so the contact is better with the coil on the sender. It is a very simple device, pull the metal cover off of it and you will instantly know what to do.

Your sender arm is not likely bent or it would not register the "empty" position correctly. the low fuel light is a separate sender, the little cylindrical shaped device separate from the float and potentiometer. If those do not work you can usually clean them. Mine has never worked, so I got used to not having the low fuel light on my daily driver. But now when I drive cross county in a rescue car I find it really annoying when the low fuel light comes on (especially at night). It lights up the whole instrument cluster with that orange light at night, I want to put a peice of tape over it. So I am perfectly happy not to have low fuel light working.