Stupid Gas Gauge

[gearhead98]

ok this will be my first post so dont flame me cuz i searched and didnt find anything.

my gas gauge decides that one night it wants to read full no matter how much gas i have. also my low gas light decides it never wants to come on either

i tested the sending unit resistance and got no conclusive answer, i tested the connection between the gauge and the sending unit, they were fine.

ordered a new sending unit thinking that was it. pulled the old one and tested it according to the honda manual i have, and it check out fine, so i checked the voltage at the sending unit connector and it was ~12 volts.

the honda manual says it should be between ~5-8 volts, so i think the gauge is messed up.

i have disconnected the gauge (took the screw out of the back) and it still reads half way even un connected (power still connected to it just no fuel gauge sending unit connection)

if i jumper the sending unit it sends the gauge to full, i can make the gas light come on by grouding it out from the connector.

when i got the new sending unit i hooked it up and positioned it so as it would read empty and the gauge still read full.

sorry that i am rambling but who else thinks the gague itself is bad, i tested the resistance on the two resistors and one checks out fine, the other is a 62 ohm and the resistance reads ~29, replaced it with a 65 ohm and checked it again, it reads ~29.

i unhook the 65 ohm and test it again, it reads 65 ohms


so with all that said is it the gas gauge or is my car just screwed up???

[NstyGrnHatch]

hmmmm....usually gauges are rarely wrong. I would say the sending unit but you replaced it. You have a power to ground or something is shorted. check all the wiring. Obviously you have too much resistance somewhere in the wiring. Good luck, wiring problems are big headaches.

[gearhead98]

actually i didnt replace it, i got the new one and hooked it up and since it did the same thing as before i never put the new one in the tank, so i returned it. also because my old one had the exact same resistance at each of the reading i took.

i'll check the wiring again and see if anything comes up but i got a feeling it is the gauge, i will post a pic of the wiring diagram, unless you all already have it

it is a 98 civic 4dr lx, canada built

i'll still prob post the pics to get more opinions

[B18bEK]

Originally posted by gearhead98@Nov 24 2004, 01:55 AM
canada built

I think i have solved your problem! O wait... never mind
just kidding BTW

[98ex2286]

it could be the gauge but like NstyGrnHatch aid gauges usually never have problems, check the wiring agian and get someone to look at it for a secound opinion. if all else fails try the gauge.

[gearhead98]

what should i look for when i check the wiring. i checked for connection between the ground and the ground on the connector for the sending unit that checked out fine. I also checked to see if there was a connection between the power and ground and there was not.

Let me get the wire schematics up to show you all the circuit and how it lays out.

[simplegreen]

honestly sounds like the gauge to me, you'd be having other issues with other gauges if it was a wiring issue. Wiring just doesn't fuck up in one place often. maybe get an after market gauge see if you get a reading. Sounds like guage to me.. but what do i know, im only a web developer

[NstyGrnHatch]

Originally posted by mdlax1@Nov 24 2004, 12:07 PM
honestly sounds like the gauge to me, you'd be having other issues with other gauges if it was a wiring issue. Wiring just doesn't fuck up in one place often. maybe get an after market gauge see if you get a reading. Sounds like guage to me.. but what do i know, im only a web developer

yeah dont listen to a word of tech advice this guy gives. He told me once "My car is so fast yo, my lugnuts come loose!" hahaha.

All else fails pay 1 hours labor at your nearest dealership for a diagnostic fee. they can tell you whats up. I wish honda had a service manual like ford, ford actually has diagnostic charts like a flow chart where you can go down the list and check things.

[CivicSi04']

Originally posted by NstyGrnHatch+Nov 24 2004, 12:37 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NstyGrnHatch @ Nov 24 2004, 12:37 PM)</div>

yeah dont listen to a word of tech advice this guy gives. He told me once "My car is so fast yo, my lugnuts come loose!" hahaha.

All else fails pay 1 hours labor at your nearest dealership for a diagnostic fee. they can tell you whats up. I wish honda had a service manual like ford, ford actually has diagnostic charts like a flow chart where you can go down the list and check things.[/b]

i had one for my old 91 civic. wasnt from honda tho. i think it was a motor book. its was like 6 inches thick. ill check when i get home.

[simplegreen]

Originally posted by NstyGrnHatch+Nov 24 2004, 01:37 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NstyGrnHatch @ Nov 24 2004, 01:37 PM)</div>

yeah dont listen to a word of tech advice this guy gives. He told me once "My car is so fast yo, my lugnuts come loose!" hahaha.

All else fails pay 1 hours labor at your nearest dealership for a diagnostic fee. they can tell you whats up. I wish honda had a service manual like ford, ford actually has diagnostic charts like a flow chart where you can go down the list and check things.[/b]

which one is dumber? the one who was joking or the one that believed it lol lugs came loose cause the shit wasn't aligned nit wit yeah you went through school mother fucka but you're still bobby so dont go trying to get on peoples smarts here lol