HOW TO: Fix Bouncy/Hummingbird Fuel Gauge Needle

[kennythewelder]

After changing the fuel pump last weekend, my gas gauge needle was going craze. It has been doing this for years, but got worse after the F P swap. I just replaced the pump, screen, and fuel filter, not the assembly. So today, I go to Big Boy Toys, our local RC shop, and get some diff oil. 10,000. That was plenty thick. I used the gas gauge from the Denali clustor, that I replaced, when I did that cluster swap some time back. I keep the old stepper motors, and my old cluster, so I started with that. I took apart the stepper motor, and drilled a small hole in the plastic case with a torch tip drill. ( Around $10 at your local welding supply store.) The diff oil was around $8. I had an overseas emergency kit with some syringes in it, that was given to me, when I worked offshore. So I picked what I figured would be about the rite size. After disassembling the stepper motor, and drilling the hole, I tried to pull the diff fluid through the syringe by poking the needle in the container of fluid. This stuff is thick. No luck there, so after a few tries, I pulled the plunger out and pored the diff oil onto the syringe. I put it about 1/3 of the way full, and replaced the plunger, flipped it over and bleed out the air. My hole was a little bigger than my needle so this gave a place for air to escape. I pushed the plunger very hard, ( this stuff doesnt flow easy) and put the indicator needle back on the gauge so I could turn it back and forth ti work the air out. Once the air was out and did fluid was oozing out of the hole, I slowly pulled out the needle, keeping the plunger pushed so that the void would be filled with fluid. After that, I cleaned up everything with alcohol. I had some plastic epoxy so I mixed some of that, and plugged up the hole. After about 30 mins, the epoxy was set up, so I reasemblied the motor, the cluster, and reinstalled it in the truck but without the clear cover over the gauges. I put the needle back to about where it was after starting the truck, but I left it loose, and went fulled up the the gas. It pegged full, so I pushed the needle in place. Once home, I put everything back together, oh and no more bouncing gas gauge needle. Here are a few pics.

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[1997]

nice work, hope you serialized your hands, looks like a sergical procedure.

 

[Dylan Burow]

I’ve had a similar problem on my 94. Now I did replace the tank and sending unit with new parts because the tank was dangerously thin from rust. I also wanted to kill two birds and try to fix the gauge problem so that was also why I had replaced both of the parts. I still have the gauge problem though and switched out the old cluster with a good used one thinking it was bad and I still have the needle problem. So I’m debating whether I had a stroke of bad luck and the sending unit that came with my tank was bad.

Now there is two things that make this interesting, one is that the fuel in the tank doesn’t appear to be measured correctly by the gauge and the gauge only freaks out when going over bumps.

Any thoughts on my problem?

 

[AK49BWL]

It's possible your sender is bad out of the box... not unheard of. But it's far more likely you have a bad wiring connection somewhere, which would be a reason it bounces on bumps.

 

[Dylan Burow]

AWESOME info thanks, I have had wiring issues in other places before so I’ll check there before I do anything else.

 

[cbertoglia]

First, you need your supplies. I bought 30k R/C car diff oil, and it works great:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/130804510618?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

Then, you'll need some 3ML syringes (without needles):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-****-Syri...330?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f1a9a1d62

Now you have all you need.

1) VERY IMPORTANT: Turn key forward to "ON" position, and take a GOOD picture of where your fuel needle is.

2) Turn key off.

3) Remove dash bezel, unplug headlights, cargo lamp switch, air bag switch, and 4x4 switch.

4) Remove 4 screws holding in gauge cluster (they are 7MM hex head screws).

5) Pull gauge cluster, it will come right out.

6) Take inside and put on a table face up. Pull the clear part by pressing the tabs in on the sides.

7) Take a kitchen fork (the kind you eat food with) and gently pry up on the fuel needle with it, going back and forth. Needle should slide up and off.

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8) IMPORTANT: Hold bottle of oil downwards until oil is coming out. Then put syringe into opening and pull back about 1/2" of oil.

9) Turn syringe up and press the plunger until the air is removed.

*NOTE* It takes a lot of time for air to move through this oil. Be patient with the bubbles. Make sure the big ones come up and out.

10) Press syringe over needle post and firmly push down, but not too hard as to break it.

11) Pull up on the plunger. You should see a bubble come up into the syringe, you are creating a vacuum in the gauge. It will take a LONG time for that bubble to reach the top, but be patient. It is important that it does. Make sure you maintain downward pressure.

12) Slowly release the plunger and let the oil into the gauge, while holding pressure still.

13) Let it sit for a few minutes, and repeat the procedure a few times.

14) Put cluster, AS IS!, back into truck. Push it back so that it connects.

15) Turn key forward to "ON". Put fuel needle back on in the position it was in in your picture. Turn key off.

16) Reattach clear piece, then replace the 4 screws.

17) Reinstall dash bezel and plug everything back in.

You are done! The first time you have the key on it may bounce and vibrate a little, but as the oil coats everything it should dampen it a LOT. Mine was terribly bouncy and looked blurry it was vibrating so fast, now it looks just like any of my other gauges.

Awesome!!!
Just did this procedure, had to read it a few times. Worked prfect, mi hummingbird needle now is steady new.
Thanks!!

 

[RichMoss]

This sort of information is why forums like this are essential and amazing. Thanks to everyone.

I love the use of a fork, BTW

 

[RichMoss]

HopHead357 - I hope that everyone was ok and that you didn't lose all your family memories

 

[Archaic2021]

I need to do this considering I have several spare cluster...all have a bad air core fuel gauge. they all do the same thing and bounce around when driving.

The syringe from our sons gripe water will fit perfectly over the needle lol.

Just need to get some oil

 

[Hoplite]

After changing the fuel pump last weekend, my gas gauge needle was going craze. It has been doing this for years, but got worse after the F P swap. I just replaced the pump, screen, and fuel filter, not the assembly. So today, I go to Big Boy Toys, our local RC shop, and get some diff oil. 10,000. That was plenty thick. I used the gas gauge from the Denali clustor, that I replaced, when I did that cluster swap some time back. I keep the old stepper motors, and my old cluster, so I started with that. I took apart the stepper motor, and drilled a small hole in the plastic case with a torch tip drill. ( Around $10 at your local welding supply store.) The diff oil was around $8. I had an overseas emergency kit with some syringes in it, that was given to me, when I worked offshore. So I picked what I figured would be about the rite size. After disassembling the stepper motor, and drilling the hole, I tried to pull the diff fluid through the syringe by poking the needle in the container of fluid. This stuff is thick. No luck there, so after a few tries, I pulled the plunger out and pored the diff oil onto the syringe. I put it about 1/3 of the way full, and replaced the plunger, flipped it over and bleed out the air. My hole was a little bigger than my needle so this gave a place for air to escape. I pushed the plunger very hard, ( this stuff doesnt flow easy) and put the indicator needle back on the gauge so I could turn it back and forth ti work the air out. Once the air was out and did fluid was oozing out of the hole, I slowly pulled out the needle, keeping the plunger pushed so that the void would be filled with fluid. After that, I cleaned up everything with alcohol. I had some plastic epoxy so I mixed some of that, and plugged up the hole. After about 30 mins, the epoxy was set up, so I reasemblied the motor, the cluster, and reinstalled it in the truck but without the clear cover over the gauges. I put the needle back to about where it was after starting the truck, but I left it loose, and went fulled up the the gas. It pegged full, so I pushed the needle in place. Once home, I put everything back together, oh and no more bouncing gas gauge needle. Here are a few pics.

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Thank you for such an in depth follow up.