Fuel Sender Issues

[Damien]

Hi all.

Looking for some advice.
I've had some issues after installing two new senders and their reading.
After installing both senders, the gauge reads with the ignition turned off and then goes to empty with the ignition on.

Everything was fine with the previous sender, it was still working but was corroded so I changed it when I cleaned out the tank.

TIA.

[earntaz]

Had the same issue with my 71 Nova ... check the instrument cluster/fuel gauge ground.

[Damien]

Well, pulled the gauge cluster out and bench tested the fuel gauge and sender and everything seems to be working so I'm at a bit of a loss.
The resistor on the rear of the fuel gauge is obviously ok as well given everything is working.
The sender has a good ground at the tank as well.
I'm wondering if the tan wire may be compromised somewhere between the harness in the front and the rear?
Remembering that the crusty sender and the gauge was working fine before the sender was swapped out. Frustrating.

[Damien]

Still no gas gauge unfortunately and not a fan of having things that don't work correctly in my cars, least of all the gas gauge.
I'm going to have another crack at this, this coming weekend I think and drop the tank again!
I'm thinking the the female connector on the tan wire from the gauge to the sender, may be a little loose on the sender pin.
Running out of options at this stage.

[SS427]

If the gauge reads empty with the key on and there is gas in the tank, then the tan wire is somehow grounded or pinched is my guess. Try unhooking the tan from the harness and with the key on, see where it reads. Then using a jumper wire ground the tan wire and repeat the test. The fact that both senders read the same can pretty much rule out the senders as being the issue. Make sure you reattached the sender ground to the body up above the rear differential. That could be a problem.

[Damien]

Thanks Rick.
I think you're right with the tan wire.
I'll check through all those items.

[Damien]

A bit of a report back for anyone interested.
The problem surrounds the sender being fitted in the tank and not wanting to work as I have connected 2 new and one old senders which all worked whilst connected into the cars system but outside the tank, but once installed in the tank, only the crusty old sender works. Needless to say that sender stayed in the tank. I thought the new senders may have been grounding out in the tank somehow when fitted, so I played around with the power strap off the sender to make sure it wasn't touching anything but it didn't seem to make any difference. Anyhoo, the crusty old sender stays in for now and I will look to find another OEM sender that I can have rebuilt to install at a later date.
Cheers.