The gas gauge has never been right on my car. I think one of the previous owners replaced the sender years ago and as most replacement senders seem to work, the gauge read low. A full tank was just over half way on the gauge.
I found this on the web a while ago... TechnoVersions - MeterMatch for Analog Gauge Correction
Basically, this went in the sender wire from the tank and you could adjust it to make the gauge read correctly. They have two versions, one with a LED warning light and one with a built in voltage limiter.
The Ford guys have the same issue. Here's an article that the MeterMatch website linked to. http://technoversions.com/MeterMatch-Fairlane.pdf
It seemed like a simple solution to a common problem. So... I got in touch with them, asked a few questions and I ordered one.
One thing that has to change is the voltage limiter. The old mechanical/electrical piece won't supply the constant output that the gauge will need to work correctly with the MeterMatch. They address that on their site, and have a version with the built in regulator, but I've also found out that the newer electronic voltage limiters will work well with it... So if you've already replaced the limiter, the installation gets a bit easier.
I installed mine a couple nights ago. My gas gauge would never read too much above a 1/2 and I have been resetting my trip odometer every time I fill up to double check myself as the gauge drops towards empty.
I figured I had about 3/8 of a tank left and used the MeterMatch to correct to that level. I used the "mid low" point to set that. Since we've had rain every day since I did this (more like a monsoon), I haven't been able to fill the tank and set the high point. I figure I have to use a little math and figure gas mileage and set the "mid high" point after using about a 1/4 of the tank. Here it is hanging out of the dash.
So... We'll see what happens and I'll report back on how it works. With the Carlisle trip coming up, I should run a couple full tanks of gas through the car.
I also wired mine to use the existing "low fuel" warning light. It was a little more complicated and involved the use of a relay to turn the light on... I'll show how I did that a little later.
I found this on the web a while ago... TechnoVersions - MeterMatch for Analog Gauge Correction
Basically, this went in the sender wire from the tank and you could adjust it to make the gauge read correctly. They have two versions, one with a LED warning light and one with a built in voltage limiter.
The Ford guys have the same issue. Here's an article that the MeterMatch website linked to. http://technoversions.com/MeterMatch-Fairlane.pdf
It seemed like a simple solution to a common problem. So... I got in touch with them, asked a few questions and I ordered one.
One thing that has to change is the voltage limiter. The old mechanical/electrical piece won't supply the constant output that the gauge will need to work correctly with the MeterMatch. They address that on their site, and have a version with the built in regulator, but I've also found out that the newer electronic voltage limiters will work well with it... So if you've already replaced the limiter, the installation gets a bit easier.
I installed mine a couple nights ago. My gas gauge would never read too much above a 1/2 and I have been resetting my trip odometer every time I fill up to double check myself as the gauge drops towards empty.
I figured I had about 3/8 of a tank left and used the MeterMatch to correct to that level. I used the "mid low" point to set that. Since we've had rain every day since I did this (more like a monsoon), I haven't been able to fill the tank and set the high point. I figure I have to use a little math and figure gas mileage and set the "mid high" point after using about a 1/4 of the tank. Here it is hanging out of the dash.
So... We'll see what happens and I'll report back on how it works. With the Carlisle trip coming up, I should run a couple full tanks of gas through the car.
I also wired mine to use the existing "low fuel" warning light. It was a little more complicated and involved the use of a relay to turn the light on... I'll show how I did that a little later.