1964 BUICK WILDCAT FUEL GAUGE

[BUICKNAILHEAD]

I am experiencing fuel gauge problems now after owning the car for ten plus years. It is dropping off the gauge after it reaches half tank. I have never had a gas gauge problem before. Where do I start?

[BUICKNAILHEAD]

Anyone know of where i would start with this problem? Do I have to rip the Tank off to fix?

[dmfconsult]

sorry that no one has responded to you until now. A lot of fuel guage problems occur from deteriorating grounds of the sender unit. I would check that first to make sure its well grounded. Also, there is a procedure on this website for fuel guage problems that may help you. Go to "Buick Shop", then "Tech Help" and click on "Reference Series" and click on Tech Reference #18. Something in there may lead you to your problem.

PS. Have you or you and your car ever been over to the Java Hut on Langley By-pass on Friday or Saturday nights. Maybe I've seen you there?

[TODD]

Luckily, the tank does not have to be removed on that model to remove the sender unit. There is a removable plate in the trunk floor that allows the sender to be removed with the tank in place. Pulling the tank is a devil of a job as much of the exhaust has to be removed first. Also if the gauge has to be removed from the dash, it comes out from the front in a simple procedure.

To find the trouble, use a divide-and-conquer strategy. There is a disconnect in the tan wire from the tank sender unit beneath the car close to the tank. If you pull this link apart, the sender is separated from the dash gauge. A spare sender unit can be attached to the wire headed to the dash. Then connect the sender case to frame ground. Sender should have 0 ohms resistance at empty and 90 ohms at full. Resistance should vary smoothly from full to empty. These tank units are pretty much universal as far as electrical operation, any 0-90 ohm 12 V unit should work for testing. As another test, an ohmmeter can be used to measure resistance on the old sender unit while working the float up and down.

Operating the float on the spare sender will simulate the unit in the tank. If the dash gauge then works right, the sender in the tank is bad. If the malfunction remains, the dash gauge may be bad. Other suspects are the wiring up to the gauge and the circuit board on the back of the instrument cluster. There is another disconnect plug for the tan wire (along with numerous others) where the body harness connects to the dash on the left side of the car. Good luck with it.

[BUICKNAILHEAD]

THANKS FOR THE HELP GUYS. AND YES I AM AT JAVA HUT SOMETIMES. I HAVE THREE DIFFERENT BUICKS I PLAY AROUND WITH. 64 RED WILDCAT 68 BLUE LESABRE AND MY FLAT BLACK 59 ELECTRA WITH THE FLAME THROWERS. I THINK I HAVE SEEN YOUR CONVERT THERE BEFORE.

GARY