Fuel pressure guage fail

[bbrewer2005]

OK so my fuel pressure gauge (96 cobra with 302 based motor), is not working. It stays just passed half a tank. It doesnt matter if engine is running or battery unplugged. It never moves. All other guages work fine. Does this sound like a sender issue, or a cluster/wire issue? What should I check first? I have a known working sender I can put in if I need to, but Dropping the tank is a pita, and would like to go to that last.

Thanks!
Brian

edit* Can a Mod edit the title to say level intead of pressure?
Thanks!

 

[MustangChris]

fuel pressure gauge? or fuel tank quantity gauge?

 

[bbrewer2005]

fuel pressure gauge? or fuel tank quantity gauge?

Ahh I'm an idiot. I meant fuel quantity.

Fuel level gauge.

 

[MustangChris]

thats what i assumed, but you know what they say about assuming. lol.

so, has the front plastic ever been taken off the gauge cluster?
do you have fellow mustang friends nearby?

 

[RichV]

Is your cluster from a 94/95? Or the 96?

Aren't the sensors different resistance between the years?

 

[bbrewer2005]

I do have a few but I'm not sure If they would be willing to take apart their dash so I could troubleshoot. lol
As far as the plastic being removed, I'm not sure. I bought the car as a roller and the cluster bezel was removed when I got it, so its possible.

Its the 96 cluster and 96 dash harness that is original to the car. All the gauges work properly and within range, except for speedo which reads a little high (I knew that prior to the chassis swap), and obviously, the fuel gauge.
The car I pulled my 306 motor from, was also a 96 car with a 96 harness that had been spliced to work with a 95 cobra gauge cluster (must note that the fuel gauge wires were unaltered, which tells me they are the same across the years). All functioned as supposed to for the 2 years I drove it.

I know how to test the sending units resistance, but as I said before, I'd like to save that for last as I dont think thats the issue.

 

[bbrewer2005]

Turned out to be the gauge cluster and the anti slosh module. The gauge traces got nicked by the previous owner, that caused a short. Melted 2 traces on the cluster, and burned a resistor on the anti slosh module.

 

[daltonduree]

im having a simmilar issue on my 94 gt. basically the gauge works except that the zero is the quarter tank mark and it goes past full. what do i do?

 

[lutter94]

im having a simmilar issue on my 94 gt. basically the gauge works except that the zero is the quarter tank mark and it goes past full. what do i do?

Fill the tank, then pop the needle off. Reattach it where you want the needle to point when full. The needle will come off if you pull it straight towards you, a fork should work. After running a few more tanks, readjust if you need to.

 

[daltonduree]

that sounds almost too easy... its a mustang after alll...

 

[MustangChris]

sounds like someone may have fiddled with your cluster if that's the case.... does your carfax line up with your car mileage okay? doesnt look like anyone was messing with the odometer, right?

 

[daltonduree]

sounds like someone may have fiddled with your cluster if that's the case.... does your carfax line up with your car mileage okay? doesnt look like anyone was messing with the odometer, right?

im too cheap to run a car max... i did put led bulbs into the cluster.

 

[MustangChris]

supporting members get a discount on car fax.

look at the stickies in the back room.

 

[daltonduree]

on another note how do i get to the back room without searching for it?

 

[MustangChris]

this just in:

It's a sub-forum under the lounge.

Forum --> Lounge --> The Back Room

 

[MustangChris]

also, if you did an LED swap you may have simply bumped the Fuel Gauge needle during the process, knocking it off calibration. Just a thought.