In a message dated 97-08-20 10:50:18 EDT, erik.quackenbush@scala.com writes:
> The fuel gauge in my TR-6 reads correctly when the tank is full and when
> the tank is less than half full. The rest of time it reads almost empty.
> Any suggestions? Does this sound like a mechanical problem?
Erik:
This is just a guess, but it sounds like you have a problem with the sending
unit. The sending unit consists of a small insulater with a piece of fine
resistance wire wrapped around it. The float is connected to a wiper arm that
moves across the wire as the fuel level changes. When the tank is full, the
wiper arm is close to the power side of the winding, and the gauge sees
little resistance (with respect to the battery voltage). When empty, the arm
is close to the ground side, and the gauge sees a high resistance. Sometimes,
the windings get spread apart, and there is a gap, where the arm sees an open
circuit, causing an empty reading, and sometimes dirt will accumulate,
causing the arm to see a high resistance, again causing an empty reading.
You might try removing the sender, and VERY carefully attempt a repair,
either cleaning or respacing the windings. I say very carefully, because I
don't believe replacements are available, and it is a fragile assembly. Later
today, I will try to measure the resistance range on my old, faulty sender,
and see if it matches any of the available aftermarket units.
Dan Masters,
Alcoa, TN
'71 TR6---------3000mile/year driver, fully restored
'71 TR6---------undergoing full restoration and Ford 5.0 V8 insertion - see:
http://www.sky.net/~boballen/mg/Masters/
'74 MGBGT---3000mile/year driver, original condition
'68 MGBGT---organ donor for the '74
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