Gauge cluster needles????

[caldera193]

I had to do some work with my gauge but I'm trying to put the needles back in order and I'm having some issues. My tach and temp gauges are fine now but my speedo jumps around and my gas gauge doesn't drop down to E when the car is off. I hope anyone can add some insight to this. Thanks

[tinman5]

I tried this once and can only say "I guess it worked".
With the cluster plugged in and the front cover removed, remove the needles for the fuel and speedo.
Drive to a gas station and fill up. With the car on and a full tank carefully reset the fuel needle so it points to "full"
Now for the speedo you will need an open stretch of preferably straight, level road with minimal traffic and a gps of some sort. Start driving and when your gps indicates a desired, safe speed set your cruise control. Let it hold for a moment and reset your speedo needle to correspond with the gps. Drive around for a bit and verify the cluster speed against your gps speed.
Be advised that tire sizes other than stock will affect the indicated speed beyond what you reset the needle. For example, I did this for a friend whose car was running some aftermarket wheels and tires a bit smaller than stock. I used 40mph as my set speed. The gauge cluster is now accurate to that point but is off by a few mph at highway speeds. Keep in mind the speed sensor is calibrated around preset values to determine overall speed. I can only imagine tire diameter/circumference is one of those values.
Hope this helps.

[caldera193]

I tried this once and can only say "I guess it worked".
With the cluster plugged in and the front cover removed, remove the needles for the fuel and speedo.
Drive to a gas station and fill up. With the car on and a full tank carefully reset the fuel needle so it points to "full"
Now for the speedo you will need an open stretch of preferably straight, level road with minimal traffic and a gps of some sort. Start driving and when your gps indicates a desired, safe speed set your cruise control. Let it hold for a moment and reset your speedo needle to correspond with the gps. Drive around for a bit and verify the cluster speed against your gps speed.
Be advised that tire sizes other than stock will affect the indicated speed beyond what you reset the needle. For example, I did this for a friend whose car was running some aftermarket wheels and tires a bit smaller than stock. I used 40mph as my set speed. The gauge cluster is now accurate to that point but is off by a few mph at highway speeds. Keep in mind the speed sensor is calibrated around preset values to determine overall speed. I can only imagine tire diameter/circumference is one of those values.
Hope this helps.

Thanks, I have my tach and speedo and temp gauges pretty sorted. My gas one is pissing me off lol. When I try to put the needle in even if its wrong, it doesn't feel like it's weighted at all and there's no resistance.

[tinman5]

Damn that sucks. I think mine is acting up a bit as well. It seems to have begun to "droop" as well. Full used to read over the line and now it reads at the line. Oh well. After 10 years...

[caldera193]

Damn that sucks. I think mine is acting up a bit as well. It seems to have begun to "droop" as well. Full used to read over the line and now it reads at the line. Oh well. After 10 years...

Yea it's depressing to see our cars show age lol. Can you change the gas gauge without changing the cluster?

[tinman5]

I think maybe it has a bit to do with level sending unit itself. Years of use and the eventual varnishing that comes with gas probably distorts the reading as well. All speculation mind you, bug even a broken clock is right twice a day...

[caldera193]

I think maybe it has a bit to do with level sending unit itself. Years of use and the eventual varnishing that comes with gas probably distorts the reading as well. All speculation mind you, bug even a broken clock is right twice a day...

Can I change that piece alone? Or do I have to replace the entire cluster?

[tinman5]

The sending unit?
Unless I am way off, the sending unit/floater resides in the fuel cell. If it's anything like other cars, its part of the fuel pump cradle assembly and tends to be ridiculously expensive.