New gauge cluster, now fuel gauge needle is pegged

[NoReverseYukon]

I installed new gauge cluster w/ tranny temp gauge.

Works fine except for one problem : the fuel gauge needle is pegged way beyond "full". Googling says that issue might correct itself after a few ignition-ons. Anyone know if that is true ?

Otherwise, it goes back to ebay seller for exchange.


Thanks.

 

[OR VietVet]

Can a Tech 2 reset that?

 

[Rocket Man]

It looks like they didn’t get the needles installed in the correct locations. Besides fuel, your volt gauge is too high and possibly oil pressure since youre probably not running almost 60 at idle. They probably removed the face and needles to add the temp gauge stepper motor to the cluster, swapped out the lens, and reinstalled the needles in the wrong location. There’s a method to removing and reinstalling them and when I did mine I followed a video that required marking where they started at with the ignition turned to on, engine off and cold. I’m not sure how to do it when you don’t know where they should be, like on a test bench but it’s easy to get them installed wrong and harder to put then on right.

 

[Rocket Man]

Can a Tech 2 reset that?

No.

 

[wjburken]

When you power off, do the needles go to zero?

 

[NoReverseYukon]

Thanks for the replies. After some more investigating, I think the fuel gauge stepper motor is bad. With my original cluster, the needle would rise slowly. With the new one, it jumps instantly to pegged. I even re-positioned the needle to closer to what it should read.

To satisfy my curiosity, and to answer the questions Rocket Man and wjburken raised, I re-installed the old cluster to check readings.

^ with ignition off, all gauges except oil psi drop to 0.

^ The oil psi is about 50 at idle, and the volts are the same original vs new clusters.

^ ignition off with original cluster is the same as new: all except oil psi drop to 0.

I did notice that the fuel needle will rise slowly with the original cluster, while it pegs instantly with the new one. I suspect the stepper motor is bad in the "reconditioned" cluster. I am sending it back.

 

[Rocket Man]

Thanks for the replies. After some more investigating, I think the fuel gauge stepper motor is bad. With my original cluster, the needle would rise slowly. With the new one, it jumps instantly to pegged. I even re-positioned the needle to closer to what it should read.

To satisfy my curiosity, and to answer the questions Rocket Man and wjburken raised, I re-installed the old cluster to check readings.
View attachment 234064
^ with ignition off, all gauges except oil psi drop to 0.
View attachment 234065
^ The oil psi is about 50 at idle, and the volts are the same original vs new clusters.
View attachment 234066
^ ignition off with original cluster is the same as new: all except oil psi drop to 0.

I did notice that the fuel needle will rise slowly with the original cluster, while it pegs instantly with the new one. I suspect the stepper motor is bad in the "reconditioned" cluster. I am sending it back.

From what I saw in videos you need to check with engine off and key in on position, that’s where you take a picture or mark the needles and then match that with the new cluster.