rshissler Posted December 20, 2004 Report Share Posted December 20, 2004 When i got the car the guy told me that he had a garage replace the fuel tank and a new sending unit because the fuel gauge didn't work but then it still didn't work so he went to a junk yard and got another cluster and it still didn't work so he told me it could be the wiring in the car. i checked all the wires goin to the sendin unit and none are broke but when i tested them with a power tester none of the wires have power goin through them. anyone know what i can do about this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPdriver1986 Posted December 20, 2004 Report Share Posted December 20, 2004 check the fuse if there is one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rshissler Posted December 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2004 Nope no fuse that i found anywhere. Anyone know where i can get a wiring diagram for an 88 buick regal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93CutlassSupreme Posted December 20, 2004 Report Share Posted December 20, 2004 Nope no fuse that i found anywhere. Anyone know where i can get a wiring diagram for an 88 buick regal heard of a Service Manual? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rshissler Posted December 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2004 heard of "I cant find any" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93CutlassSupreme Posted December 20, 2004 Report Share Posted December 20, 2004 heard of "I cant find any" Heard of PepBoys, Autozone, ebay, or your local GM dealer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPdriver1986 Posted December 20, 2004 Report Share Posted December 20, 2004 or your local library? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stockgp Posted December 21, 2004 Report Share Posted December 21, 2004 i can sympathize with the guy. i've checked every library, parts store and dealer in the area and none would or could get me a service manual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93CutlassSupreme Posted December 21, 2004 Report Share Posted December 21, 2004 i can sympathize with the guy. i've checked every library, parts store and dealer in the area and none would or could get me a service manual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stockgp Posted December 21, 2004 Report Share Posted December 21, 2004 you live in detroit jackass. i'm not exactly in big f'n city usa here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93CutlassSupreme Posted December 21, 2004 Report Share Posted December 21, 2004 you live in detroit jackass. i'm not exactly in big f'n city usa here. suck my dick, bitch :flip: i find it hard to believe a DEALER or AUTO PARTS STORE doesn't have service manuals i can't tell you how many SERVICE MANUALS i've bought at PEPBOYS or AUTOZONE or MURRAYS which are all AUTO PARTS STORES dumbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rshissler Posted December 21, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2004 Welp before u all start "Busting Caps" in each other. i have located one but doesn't have all the wiring diagrams in it. it has enought tho for me to somewhat figure it out/ i guess. so my point is that not all the service manuals out there have alll the wiring diagrams the entire car has so u cant always rely on them. but thanks for the help guys. and dont bitch over stupid stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93CutlassSupreme Posted December 21, 2004 Report Share Posted December 21, 2004 Welp before u all start "Busting Caps" in each other. that was great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intlcutlass Posted December 21, 2004 Report Share Posted December 21, 2004 When i got the car the guy told me that he had a garage replace the fuel tank and a new sending unit because the fuel gauge didn't work but then it still didn't work so he went to a junk yard and got another cluster and it still didn't work so he told me it could be the wiring in the car. i checked all the wires goin to the sendin unit and none are broke but when i tested them with a power tester none of the wires have power goin through them. anyone know what i can do about this? My guess is that it hasn't worked ever since you got it? If so thats an indication to me , that they didn't hook up the sending unit right. I am sure the pump and all that works, but maybe the float arm is stuck or bent from when they put it in the tank. If they really did put in a new tank/unit , it wouldn't be that hard to drop it again and troubleshoot it. I doub't VERY highly it's the cluster. Get the wiring diagram for the tank Disconnect the connector, and use a DMM to test for the ohms. GM sending units are usually 0-90 ohms. 90 ohms = Full 0 ohms is empty. If you know that it's half full it sould read in the area of 40-50 Ohms. If you are not getting these types of readings... it's the sending unit thats bad. If you are getting the correct Ohms readings the problem is elsewhere (cluster). Lemme know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan94Z34 Posted December 29, 2004 Report Share Posted December 29, 2004 You are getting not power reading at the tank because there are no power readings for the fuel sender if I remember correctly. It uses variable restiace to measure the fuel level by the float moving up and down. IF the guage is stuck on full, that usually means there is an open ground in the system. All the way on E was usually the sender in my experience. There may also be a problem at the cluster as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rshissler Posted December 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2004 I've noticed that there is a black wire down under the carpet next to the pass. seat that i cant get to that is striped abit i was gonna fix that tomorrow. I also noticed that the gauge does move once in a great while but then goes back to full when i make a turn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89oldscutlass Posted December 29, 2004 Report Share Posted December 29, 2004 Im betting your going to have to replace the sending unit. The way parts are today just because its new doesnt mean that its good. Either that or like some one else said they bent the crap out of the rod on the float. I put a new fuel pump in my cutty and was real carefull not to bend the rod and my gauge is still of in my car by a 1/4 of a tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intlcutlass Posted December 29, 2004 Report Share Posted December 29, 2004 I've noticed that there is a black wire down under the carpet next to the pass. seat that i cant get to that is striped abit i was gonna fix that tomorrow. I also noticed that the gauge does move once in a great while but then goes back to full when i make a turn. Did you test the sending unit yet? That is the easiest way to tell whats bad... The connector for the tank is just forward of the leaf spring close to the center of the car. You want to check the ohms value. You should have an idea of how much gas you have. If the cluster always indicates that it's full , then you don't want to have full tank when you test it, because you wont be able to tell if your getting the right reading or not. If you know your car goes 300 miles on a tank, do this at 150 miles in. Gm sending units tell the cluster if it's full/empty based on resistance 0 to 90 ohms. When you take off that connector, there will be 3 pins. Ground , Positive , and the line telling the tank what to read. You are going to test the ohms across the ground and the line that tells the cluster what to display. 90 ohms= full 67.5 ohms= 3/4 tank 45 ohms= 1/2 tank 22.5 ohms= 1/4 tank 0 ohms = walk now If you know you only have a 1/2 tank , but you take a reading 80 ohms+... it's the sending unit. Thats kinda rounded , but it's close. Testing it this way would only take 5 min. Crawl under Dissconnect the connector Take the ohms reading Realize it's your sending unit Reconnect the connector Crawl out (making sure to not bump your head) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigEpCutlass Posted December 29, 2004 Report Share Posted December 29, 2004 Welp before u all start "Busting Caps" in each other. i have located one but doesn't have all the wiring diagrams in it. it has enought tho for me to somewhat figure it out/ i guess. so my point is that not all the service manuals out there have alll the wiring diagrams the entire car has so u cant always rely on them. but thanks for the help guys. and dont bitch over stupid stuff. what manual did you find? I have my Haynes manual at home for our W's that I can check out and scan portions of if you need more information. I'm at work right now so I won't be able to do that if you need it until atleast 6:30pm EST tonight. Let me know if you want me to do that. Either respond here or drop me a PM. ~*:EDIT:*~ I just realized that my Haynes manual is sitting on the floor of my apartment in Philly. I'm going up there this weekend for a day so I can scan stuff from it if needed on Sunday or Monday. Let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rshissler Posted December 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2004 Yea i have the Hayne's one. It's got a tan car on it with a 3800 engine. I looked all over that thing for a wiring diagram and i couldn't find anything about the sending unit wires and were they run too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intlcutlass Posted December 30, 2004 Report Share Posted December 30, 2004 Yea i have the Hayne's one. It's got a tan car on it with a 3800 engine. I looked all over that thing for a wiring diagram and i couldn't find anything about the sending unit wires and were they run too. The connector for the sending unit (which is in the gas tank), is between the tank and the leaf spring. Look for the fill tubes.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigEpCutlass Posted December 30, 2004 Report Share Posted December 30, 2004 Yea i have the Hayne's one. It's got a tan car on it with a 3800 engine. I looked all over that thing for a wiring diagram and i couldn't find anything about the sending unit wires and were they run too. Yup that's the same one I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GPXGRL Posted December 30, 2004 Report Share Posted December 30, 2004 I've noticed that there is a black wire down under the carpet next to the pass. seat that i cant get to that is striped abit i was gonna fix that tomorrow. I also noticed that the gauge does move once in a great while but then goes back to full when i make a turn. That's a W-body for ya. My fuel guage always said I was empty when I made left turns and would fill up when I made right turns.. when the tank was at half full. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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