Bouncing gas gauge qustion

[Desert1957]

Thread should say "question"

My 83 has dual tanks, after fuel level gets down below 3/4 the gauge seem to be constantly moving around and bouncing. Is there a fix for this? or is it a common problem.

My 87 with the electric fuel pump takes a different sender I know, but does not have any issues with the gauge.

Desert

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

Mine has a similar problem, and I think the problem is the sending unit on mine.

[hatzie]

Solid tank and gauge grounds and solid sender wire connections...

[INSIDIOUS '86]

I think the fuel just sloshes around more when low

As I recall some gas gauges had a resistor to move slower to prevent bouncing
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[Skunksmash]

GM really screwed the pooch on this one. Not only did they mess up on the gauge side of things, they messed up on the sending unit side as well. The way I fixed it, was to buy a gauge from autometer. It won't accept the wildly fluctuating 0-90 ohm signal from the sending unit, so easily. It waits before it adjusts the needle. This cuts out most of the wavy needle problem, though you will still see it move from time to time.

To truly fix the problem, you also have to get a tank with better baffles in it, such as the newer ones with that big piece of foam in there.


http://www.chevyclassicsclub.com/the...ry-1965-newer/

[Desert1957]

Originally Posted by Skunksmash

GM really screwed the pooch on this one. Not only did they mess up on the gauge side of things, they messed up on the sending unit side as well. The way I fixed it, was to buy a gauge from autometer. It won't accept the wildly fluctuating 0-90 ohm signal from the sending unit, so easily. It waits before it adjusts the needle. This cuts out most of the wavy needle problem, though you will still see it move from time to time.

To truly fix the problem, you also have to get a tank with better baffles in it, such as the newer ones with that big piece of foam in there.


http://www.chevyclassicsclub.com/the...ry-1965-newer/

Nice article

[slam59]

My wife's 77 3/4 ton with dual tanks does the same thing. That needle bounces all over the place ALL the time. Gonna have to try that Autometer gauge.

[PAWS 72]

I was thinking bad ground or connection.I've been wrong before too.

[motornut]

When i got my 78 Jimmy it did this
I read up on it decided to live with it
when i changed to the stock cluster with tach, it went away
when i wired the cluster up i had to add a ground for the gauge

[Skunksmash]

Originally Posted by Desert1957

Nice article

Yeah I used to hate that dang wavy needle. Its like not even having a gas gauge lol. There are some people that claim you can get lucky buying a high quality, ACdelco brand sending unit (that whole apparatus) and it will fix the wavy needle. Some have done it and got lucky, others bought the same thing and had no results.

I like the idea about the ground. I always thought there had to be a way to let the signal through, but just do it once per minute. Instead of 6 times a second. That way, the needle would seldom ever be seen moving, but the gauge would still work just fine.

[motornut]

just to add
it was idiots to tach/gauges in the 78
i read people had issues with spectra senders
I can see a spectra stamp on the 78 tank assumed it was a spectra sender
but in the 79 I went with a spectra tank and sender and it didn't bounce before or after
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