Left side of cluster not working

mcglsr2

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Where would I take this ohm reading at?

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You can do it either at the sending unit or at the gauge, whichever is easier for you to get to. You will need a Multimeter. Put the Red lead from the Multimeter on the sending unit wire (either on the post at the sending unit, or in the correct pin in the cluster harness), and then put the Black lead from the Multimeter on a known good ground. The Multimeter should be set in Ohms, in a range that will measure XX to XXX Ohms (200 Ohms is a good setting if you have it).

Here's a vid on how to measure it at the sending unit:

[video=youtube;yU1BDBZWl8A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU1BDBZWl8A[/video]


Are you sure you got the correct sending unit? I don't know if the resistances are different between different years? Also, in my car, the Fuel gauge sending wire is located in the left cluster harness, pin #4, and it's a Yellow with White stripe wire.
 
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97_281gt

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You can do it either at the sending unit or at the gauge, whichever is easier for you to get to. You will need a Multimeter. Put the Red lead from the Multimeter on the sending unit wire (either on the post at the sending unit, or in the correct pin in the cluster harness), and then put the Black lead from the Multimeter on a known good ground. The Multimeter should be set in Ohms, in a range that will measure XX to XXX Ohms (200 Ohms is a good setting if you have it).

Here's a vid on how to measure it at the sending unit:

[video=youtube;yU1BDBZWl8A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU1BDBZWl8A[/video]


Are you sure you got the correct sending unit? I don't know if the resistances are different between different years? Also, in my car, the Fuel gauge sending wire is located in the left cluster harness, pin #4, and it's a Yellow with White stripe wire.
87 to 97 were all the same sending unit and I'll go ohm it out and see what it says

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97_281gt

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I got 134 ohms from the sending unit

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mcglsr2

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I assume you have close to a full tank? Without seeing a wiring diagram for your year - I hate to say this but I suspect your cluster :( If your Ohms measures out good, and your ground is good, the only thing left is the cluster. Or maybe the actual harness connector.
 
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97_281gt

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I assume you have close to a full tank? Without seeing a wiring diagram for your year - I hate to say this but I suspect your cluster :( If your Ohms measures out good, and your ground is good, the only thing left is the cluster. Or maybe the actual harness connector.
Yea it's only got 60 miles on the full tank ad I've put 3 clusters and a extra fuel gauge I had laying around in it i seriously doubt 4 fuel gauges are bad

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Wait, what do you mean extra fuel gauge?
I pulled a fuel gauge and coolant gauge out of a v6 cluster and slapped in in my cluster for shits and giggles and did the same thing all the other ones did

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So ive technically have put four different clusters in my car and they all do the same exact thing

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mcglsr2

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Okay, maybe it's the power feed then. The wire that feeds +12v to the fuel gauge and coolant gauge is Red with Yellow stripe, located in the left harness, pin #1. Using the Multimeter, make sure this has 12 volts on it. Watch as the gauges fail - when they do, measure the voltage at this wire. Let me know what voltage you see.
 
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97_281gt

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Well it will be a couple days I don't daily this car and it doesn't go back down to empty till I put 75 miles on it

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As of right now with it reading quarter tank on the gauge and the actual tank being full it has 12.1v

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mcglsr2

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Well it should be 12v. So I'm going to summarize what we have so far, to help me gather my thoughts on this:

1) the fuel gauge doesn't work properly
2) the coolant temp doesn't work properly
3) both gauges share the same power feed
4) both gauges share the same ground (along with the radio)
5) your power feed is reading 12v while the gauges are failing, thus your power feed is good
6) you said you added on a separate ground, but the gauges still failed
7) you have swapped a number of clusters, all failed
8) you measured the resistance of the fuel sender, and it was in the proper range Ohms-wise

At this point, I'm not sure what else it could be. I still think it's a bad ground. It's either that, or somehow you have had a failed cluster each time (or the bad ground has caused each cluster to fail once you plug it in, so now you do have a bad cluster?).

So what exactly did you do to test the Ground? Also, I assume you have an aftermarket radio. Did you install it yourself? And I'd be interested in seeing a wiring diagram for your car - my 95 does not have OBDII. The Fuel gauge sender does NOT go to the computer. Just to the cluster. So I'm not sure how the PO had a mechanic scan for the fuel sender signal, unless on yours it does run through the computer. If so, then those wires/connections could be problems. My car does not do that, and thus my wiring diagram doesn't show that, so I can't say for sure.

Also, for what it's worth, the factory manual specifically says NOT to disassemble the fuel gauge, as this effs up the calibration. So I don't know if we can trust your V6 fuel gauge swap (it may be okay, I honestly don't know, I just see what the manual says).
 
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Well it should be 12v. So I'm going to summarize what we have so far, to help me gather my thoughts on this:

1) the fuel gauge doesn't work properly
2) the coolant temp doesn't work properly
3) both gauges share the same power feed
4) both gauges share the same ground (along with the radio)
5) your power feed is reading 12v while the gauges are failing, thus your power feed is good
6) you said you added on a separate ground, but the gauges still failed
7) you have swapped a number of clusters, all failed
8) you measured the resistance of the fuel sender, and it was in the proper range Ohms-wise

At this point, I'm not sure what else it could be. I still think it's a bad ground. It's either that, or somehow you have had a failed cluster each time (or the bad ground has caused each cluster to fail once you plug it in, so now you do have a bad cluster?).

So what exactly did you do to test the Ground? Also, I assume you have an aftermarket radio. Did you install it yourself? And I'd be interested in seeing a wiring diagram for your car - my 95 does not have OBDII. The Fuel gauge sender does NOT go to the computer. Just to the cluster. So I'm not sure how the PO had a mechanic scan for the fuel sender signal, unless on yours it does run through the computer. If so, then those wires/connections could be problems. My car does not do that, and thus my wiring diagram doesn't show that, so I can't say for sure.

Also, for what it's worth, the factory manual specifically says NOT to disassemble the fuel gauge, as this effs up the calibration. So I don't know if we can trust your V6 fuel gauge swap (it may be okay, I honestly don't know, I just see what the manual says).
Idk I've asked around about the scanner and everyone I know that has one says they have never seen that so I think his guy bs him I didn't install the radio it just has one of those after market harness in it nothing out of the ordinary in it and this is what I mean buy swapping the fuel and coolant gauge
801f6c7bf6344aa158ad86367c59e0d8.jpg

The whole lest side of the cluster was swapped I've tested the ground with a test light and the ohm meter and got .9 ohms on it

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mcglsr2

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Did you test the ground at the same time the gauges were failing?
 
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The gauges are failed all the time they never work so yes they were fail when I checked them

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mcglsr2

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Alright, well if we know that the power feed is good (+12v), and we know that the ground is good (meaning it's not open), and we know that the sending unit is sending the correct resistance, then the ONLY thing left is the cluster, as crazy as that must seem.

The problem has to be in one (or more) of these places:
1) power feed
2) ground
3) sending unit
4) cluster
5) fuse (see NOTE below)

There is nothing else. If yours is wired the same as mine, and assuming someone hasn't drastically altered the wiring, then that list is everything that relates to the fuel gauge. If you trust your readings for numbers 1 through 3, then 4 MUST be the problem. If you don't accept that, then re-measure 1 through 3 and be sure that the readings you get are legit (meaning measured at the same time the gauges are failing and that they are measured correctly).

NOTE: if your voltmeter and oil pressure gauge work correctly, then it's not the fuse that feeds the coolant and fuel gauge, as all 4 gauges share the same fuse.
 
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I'm gonna take the cluster out of my buddy's car that works probably tomorrow and see for sure

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evilcw311

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When your testing the wires at the cluster how are you testing them?!?

1) are you stabbing the wire in the harness behind the cluster or.....

2) are your testing the pin in the plug on the side where it connects to the cluster?!?

I ask because I've seen several times over the years that wires will test out ok all the way up to the back side of the harness but on the connection side they fail.

This is caused by the wire breaking inside of the coating due to pressure from a bend and will drive you nuts trying to find it.


This message courtesy of crapatalk!
 
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When your testing the wires at the cluster how are you testing them?!?

1) are you stabbing the wire in the harness behind the cluster or.....

2) are your testing the pin in the plug on the side where it connects to the cluster?!?

I ask because I've seen several times over the years that wires will test out ok all the way up to the back side of the harness but on the connection side they fail.

This is caused by the wire breaking inside of the coating due to pressure from a bend and will drive you nuts trying to find it.


This message courtesy of crapatalk!
I was testing everything at the pin

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mcglsr2

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I'm gonna take the cluster out of my buddy's car that works probably tomorrow and see for sure

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Also give him one of your clusters that you think for sure works - see if it works on his car.
 

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