Fuel Gauge Problem

[deadweight]

hey guys, The mrs has a cheap little pulsar ti which has developed an issue with the fuel gauge. For some reason its as if the gauge only registers as full, half or empty, if it has between 1/2-full the gauge will sit at half til the fuel level drops below half a tank, then the gauge will drop down to empty. Sometimes it will just stay at empty, then next time you turn the car on say half a tank. I thought it could possibly be a bad wire somewhere but I am not too sure where to start or where to look. I don't wanna go pulling the cradle out of the tank or whatever is required if I don't have to.. Anyone have any ideas? Monitoring the odometer is getting annoying!

Edited January 13, 2013 by deadweight

[Got a Pulsar]

Sounds like a dirty level sender/sensor. There is a DIY around here for R33 (used it to clean mine) but it might give you an idea of what to do to fix the Pulsar.

Not a Pulsar !!!

[mad082]

without knowing what model pulsar it is, the r33 fuel level sender cleaning guide won't work for the pulsar as they work off a totally different design. it might be worth just pulling the sender out and checking the wiring though. but i'd say that either the gauge or the sender is dead

[deadweight]

its a 1992 Pulsar Ti.

I might get it pulled out today and have a look. Any suggestions for testing whether its the sender or gauge failing?

[mad082]

if you were to put a multimeter on the terminals and then measure the voltage as you lift the sender up and down in the tank might be one way to check