I have a problem with my 1969 Camaro fuel gauge; it's one of the big ones that goes in the right dashboard pod in front of the driver. The gauge shows about 1/4 tank when it is dry empty. I've run out of gas once; I won't do that again now that I know, but I'd like the gauge to be correct. The gauge appears to be the original from the vehicle.

I've been troubleshooting it, using this forum and various online guides. Things I have done:

• Tested the sender at the trunk disconnect (close to 0 ohms at empty, approaching 90 ohms when full).
• Tested the wiring harness to the instrument panel (same readings at the disconnect in the console as in the trunk).
• Removed and bench-tested the gauge (settles way past full in open-circuit, stops at just under 1/4 tank when shorted). The wire-wrapped resistor on the back of the gauge reads 89 ohms when I test it alone.

I don't think this is symptomatic of a ground fault, since the bench testing is showing the same exact result as what I'm seeing in the car. Really, everything looks like it works normally, except that the needle is zeroed at 1/4 tank.

Is there any way to manually reset the zero point? I read somewhere that you can gently pull the needle out until it clicks, rotate it, and push it back in; that doesn't seem to work with mine, unless that author had a Hulk-like definition of "gently". Tugging on it doesn't seem to cause anything to disengage, and I'm uncomfortable applying any more than the not-so-gentle force that I already have. If I manually push it to zero it simply goes back to the old behavior as soon as it powers on.

Any help is greatly appreciated. I'm out of ideas, and this is my next-to-last-ditch effort to avoid dropping $150 on a replacement gauge. The last-ditch effort will be to pull out on the needle until it moves, even if that breaks it (since I'll have nothing to lose at that point).

 

 

Maybe the fuel pick up tube is crooked on the sending unit?

 

This was about as simple as it gets. I pulled hard on the needle at its base, about as hard as I could with bare fingers, and it separated from the spindle. I guess it did require a Hulk level of gentle.

Once that was done, I powered on the gauge on my test bench, shorted the sender input to ground, and gave it enough time to settle at zero. I then carefully lined up the needle where I wanted it to be (just under empty) and pressed the needle back onto the spindle.

I function tested the gauge and it works as it should. Everything's back in the car and working normally.