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My '57 gas gauge has always worked fine, sending unit is properly grounded, all harness and gauge connections are tight, and I have 12 volts at the gauge feed terminal with the ignition on. Starting yesterday it suddenly shows "full" all the time when the ignition is on (tank is half-full), and with the ignition off, it drops only to 3/4-full instead of to "empty" like it used to. Circuit logic tells me that this indicates a failure in one of the coils in the gauge rather than a sending unit problem, as a sending unit problem shouldn't have any effect on the needle position with the ignition off. Any thoughts on whether I'm headed in the right direction or not? Thanks!
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Re: '57 Gas Gauge Problem
John,
If the gauge "basics" are the same for 57 as for 68 then this might help.
I experienced the same thing when rewiring my main dash harness last winter. My gauge went from reading 1/2 tank, which was correct, to going off the scale. I found I had somehow "disturbed" what I called a wafer thin "thermostatic coil" on the back of my gauge. (What I was told later, it's called a "resistor".) On the 68 gauge its about 1" long, 3/8" wide, metal tabs and holes at both ends for screw attachment and contact. The "body" appears to be some sort of insulated material (wafer-like) and has the tiniest of hair-thin wires coiled around it.
To try to make this short, I made many phone calls to the well known parts suppliers, (and I'll remember one impatient Tech for talking to a "dummy" like me and wasting his time), I found a place that would sell me the $10.00 resistor. It's "Redline Gauge and Clock Repair" (800-375-2310) at Humbolt, Tennessee.
Like I mentioned, if your gauge (or problem) was anything like mine, then hopefully this will support your suspicions. Best wishes. Tom #24014 -
Re: '57 Gas Gauge Problem
John,
If the gauge "basics" are the same for 57 as for 68 then this might help.
I experienced the same thing when rewiring my main dash harness last winter. My gauge went from reading 1/2 tank, which was correct, to going off the scale. I found I had somehow "disturbed" what I called a wafer thin "thermostatic coil" on the back of my gauge. (What I was told later, it's called a "resistor".) On the 68 gauge its about 1" long, 3/8" wide, metal tabs and holes at both ends for screw attachment and contact. The "body" appears to be some sort of insulated material (wafer-like) and has the tiniest of hair-thin wires coiled around it.
To try to make this short, I made many phone calls to the well known parts suppliers, (and I'll remember one impatient Tech for talking to a "dummy" like me and wasting his time), I found a place that would sell me the $10.00 resistor. It's "Redline Gauge and Clock Repair" (800-375-2310) at Humbolt, Tennessee.
Like I mentioned, if your gauge (or problem) was anything like mine, then hopefully this will support your suspicions. Best wishes. Tom #24014Comment
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Re: '57 Gas Gauge Problem
John, here's another possibility, taken from the Troubles and Remedies section of the '63 shop manual: Needle remains at Full positon = instrument panel gauge not grounded. The other 2 conditions that could match: If needle REMAINS at ½ full (with ignition on) = poor connection or break in brown wire. If needle does not go below ½ tank = poor connection or break in green wire. If the '57 color coding is not the same, the green wire is called the "ignition" terminal (the one that gets its power through the fusebox); the brown is the "sender" terminal.Comment
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Re: '57 Gas Gauge Problem
John, here's another possibility, taken from the Troubles and Remedies section of the '63 shop manual: Needle remains at Full positon = instrument panel gauge not grounded. The other 2 conditions that could match: If needle REMAINS at ½ full (with ignition on) = poor connection or break in brown wire. If needle does not go below ½ tank = poor connection or break in green wire. If the '57 color coding is not the same, the green wire is called the "ignition" terminal (the one that gets its power through the fusebox); the brown is the "sender" terminal.Comment
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