GQ patrol fuel level sensor problem(smaller tank fitted due to gas conversion)

[Marti]

hi guys i just bought a 1989 ford maverick(gq patrol)
it has a tb42 carby and its been converted to gas which means the main fuel tank has been replaqced with a 55l tank
the fuel gauge doesnt work right now because of this and im wondering if anyone has done this conversion or managed to find an aftermarket fuel level sensor to work with th gauge on the dash?

any help would be awsome

Thanks

Marti

[GQPorkroll]

I'm not of much help but I have a gas conversion on the same truck, but with a much smaller fuel tank, probably only a 20-5L one, and my dash gauge reads correctly.

It sounds like it's just a dodgy sender unit. The original wiring should all work. I'd remove the aux tank, check the size of the sender unit hole (if it's a tank specifically for a Troll, the standard sender should fit) and buy a second hand sender from the wreckers/fleabay and fit it up. If it is a smaller hole, or there is no hole, it's more complicated, but you can buy VDO sender units. You may need to alter the tank, or re bend a sender so it works correctly.

It might also be a dodgy fuel gauge in the dash.

Better thing to do is to run gas all the time and splash $10 of fuel in once a week, and when using petrol, drive off the odometer, $10 should get you roughly 80-100km depending on driving style and conditions.

I hardly keep any fuel in my truck, it runs almost exclusively gas and maybe once a week I fire it on petrol and drive to work, mainly because it has a Holley and it takes too long to warm up with no choke.

[grumbo]

Marti to check to see if its your gauge thats buggered remove the multi pin plug off the fuel tank and this SHOULD have 2 pins one is an earth and the other goes to the gauge simply connect these 2 pins use a piece of wire and the gauge should go to full--dont forget to turn the ignition on. If the gauge doesn't work it may need replacing-but check that the wiring is ok. If it works then the sender is the problem. Remove the sender-you'll have to remove tank and check with a multimeter to see if its actually working--another problem that I've found is dry solder joins or broken wires going in the to the top of the tank. BTW does it have a separate gauge for LPG? there was a thing around that converted the gas gauge signal to read out on the fuel gauge.

[Marti]

the lpg has a seperate little led panel which shows full and empty and is used t switch from petrol to gas

[Marti]

i have no problem buying a sender unit, but the gauge is all the way down ha ha, ill have to have a look on thursday. the little inspection flap is under the rear seats in a swb patrol?

[GQPorkroll]

If the gauge is all the way down it's a closed circuit and the problem is in the sender. All the way up is an open circuit and the fault is in the gauge.

Check all the sender wiring with a multimeter and see if there is current coming out, etc. possibly then pull your cluster out and check the wiring as there could be a problem at the back of the dash.

[Airstrike]

I have the same problem but the sender when out and in tests ok for power etc... Mine always shows as full. I have got the gas taken out and going back to original tank from auxiliary I hope this will fix me up this week.

[Marti]

well the guy i bought it off said it hasnt worked since the gas conversion so im thinking either they havent put the sender back at time fo the conversion or they have earthed something and its shat a fuse. ill check it all out thursday when i get it to the workshop

[Yendor]

I have the same problem but the sender when out and in tests ok for power etc... Mine always shows as full. I have got the gas taken out and going back to original tank from auxiliary I hope this will fix me up this week.

More then likely the wires at the fuel sender are around the wrong way.

[Yendor]

well the guy i bought it off said it hasnt worked since the gas conversion so im thinking either they havent put the sender back at time fo the conversion or they have earthed something and its shat a fuse. ill check it all out thursday when i get it to the workshop

If the wire for the fuel sender was earthed the fuel gauge would read full.