Recently picked up a new 1968 Ford Country Sedan. Many things work well. However, the gas gauge is... twitchy. Even when full, it reads empty, but occasionally will read 1/4 tank. Bad sending unit? Any other ideas before I tear into it? thanks!
Sounds to me like an open in the sender circuit. Pull the electrical connector off the sender. Inspect for corrosion, and a loose connector terminal. If good, take a wire and ground the wire to the frame. Turn the key to on while watching the gauge. If the needle goes full deflection, the wiring and gauge are good, something's wrong with the sender unit, which should be pulled, inspected, repaired or replaced.
At the age of your wagon, my money is on a bad float. I posted this in response to another gas gauge question, repeating it here for your benefit: "Get the gas out of the tank and pull the existing unit. Ground it to the tank, turn the switch on, and operate it by hand to see if the gauge works. If it does, then investigate the float. Most of the older cars use a brass float that for whatever reason, fails over time and fills with gas. Then your gauge reads empty all the time, when it is not. A replacement float, plastic or brass, can be had for around 15 bucks. I have fixed the sending unit in my 71 Chevy truck and in my 63 Country Sedan like this. It is worth a shot to check it first. By the way, if it reads full all the time, then it's not the float, but I would recommend checking the ground closely at that point before replacing it." -= HotRodRacer =-
Thanks for the thoughts: I've tracked down a few other threads that cover the disassembly and access to the tank. I'll start with that. Again, thanks!
Have had my car in at a local shop for a while for other work: While they had the tank out they checked: Bad sending unit. They found the problem (apparently an old rivet of some importance had died) and were able to fix it by installing a very small machine screw. Fully functional gas gauge now!
