Finicky gas gauge

So ever since I've owned(1 year) my Riviera the gas gauge has been finicky. It basically works when it wants to. Which isn't often. Majority of the time the needle is nowhere to be seen on the gauge or is hiding. But every now and then it makes an appearance and seems to display around the correct amount of gas/fuel in the tank. My trip counter works. So I trip it / reset the trip counter every time I fill up. So I kind of have an idea of when I need to fill up again.

Has anyone else encountered this? Or am I just lucky ?

Mine did about the same thing. Then it disappeared forever. New sending unit brought it right back and been fine since.

fuel sending unit was gonna be my guess...the unit should be available from your local jobber. If not I bought mine from evil-bay. If you plan on doing it yourself just wait 'til your low on fuel as to avoid having to deal with the weight of a full tank.

Cool, thanks fellas for the info. I was looking thru service manual. And from what i read in the manual. I was pretty sure it was the sending unit. I believe the manual mentioned there was a access panel in the trunk to get to the sending unit to pull out the unit and replace it.

You didn't mention what year your car is. But your profile shows u have a 64. That would be perfect if your 64 has that access panel. My 65 does not

My '64 does not either (nor does my '63 or any other 1st generation Riviera.) Wishful thinking I'm afraid.

Ed

You didn't mention what year your car is. But your profile shows u have a 64. That would be perfect if your 64 has that access panel. My 65 does not

64 is what I have. Well then my mistake

Sending unit should fix it. The sending unit went bad on my dad's 65 Riviera in 1970 and it was acting just as you described.

I had the same problem. Checked the sending unit and it checked out ok. This can be done with a ohm meter. My problem turned out to be a poor ground connection at the instrument cluster. Installed a wire from instrument cluster ground bus or the gauge negative terminal I don't remember exactly and on the other end to car body metal the under dash and solved the problem. If you have a poor ground connection a new sending unit will not work correctly either. Check your sending unit first, it may save you a few $$$

Arnulfo

Dialtone,

Be aware that the '63 and '64/'65 have sending units with different ohm readings in them. I think the '63 is a 45 ohm unit and the '64/'65 unit is a 90 ohm unit. Unlike some eBay vendors claim, not one part fits all '63 - '65 Rivieras. Before purchasing anything new, confirm with someone else or with some known source about the ohms of each sender; I think I'm correct but I could be off a year.

Ed

I just had to reply to this. I had a similar problem with my gauge reading all sorts of things for a year . I took the dash and sender out to try to fix the problem. One day I was thinking that during the restoration a year earkier I painstakingly dismantled every electrical connector outside the car and cleaned the wire ends with steel wool till they where bright copper again. The only one I didn't do was the gas tank sender ones. I pulled the tank down again and took off the ground shielding to discover it was a black colour . It took emery cloth to get it bright again. The fuel gauge has been working flawlessly since.

I had the same problem. Checked the sending unit and it checked out ok. This can be done with a ohm meter. My problem turned out to be a poor ground connection at the instrument cluster. Installed a wire from instrument cluster ground bus or the gauge negative terminal I don't remember exactly and on the other end to car body metal the under dash and solved the problem. If you have a poor ground connection a new sending unit will not work correctly either. Check your sending unit first, it may save you a few $$$

Arnulfo

Arnulfo, thanks for the input. Any money saved is what need.

Dialtone,

Be aware that the '63 and '64/'65 have sending units with different ohm readings in them. I think the '63 is a 45 ohm unit and the '64/'65 unit is a 90 ohm unit. Unlike some eBay vendors claim, not one part fits all '63 - '65 Rivieras. Before purchasing anything new, confirm with someone else or with some known source about the ohms of each sender; I think I'm correct but I could be off a year.

Ed

Ed, thank you kind sir for different ohm readings. You are a Riviera guru. You have been a huge help for me with my Riviera.

Would it be more ideal to check the ohm readings on the sending unit with a full gas tank or almost empty tank?

I just had to reply to this. I had a similar problem with my gauge reading all sorts of things for a year . I took the dash and sender out to try to fix the problem. One day I was thinking that during the restoration a year earkier I painstakingly dismantled every electrical connector outside the car and cleaned the wire ends with steel wool till they where bright copper again. The only one I didn't do was the gas tank sender ones. I pulled the tank down again and took off the ground shielding to discover it was a black colour . It took emery cloth to get it bright again. The fuel gauge has been working flawlessly since.

Northmn, thanks for the tip. I hope it's something that simple, with my rivi.

i think its best to remove the sending unit for the test . that way you can move the arm through it entire range of motion while watching the ohm meter needle move as you move the arm. be careful with the sending unit. handle it with care as to not bend the arm.bending the arm will result in a inaccurate gauge reading.

arnulfo

When I first bought my '64 it would run out at 1/4 tank. Now that the body has been off a couple of times the needle stays hidden above the full mark most of the time. When I see the needle I fill it.

I bought it when I was 30 and gas was cheap, but I didn't fill it very often. I'm 66 now and gas costs 5 or 6 times as much. Everything in the garage is full. That takes care of the gauge problem. Another 40 years and it will be even easier.

Bernie

Dialtone,

Be aware that the '63 and '64/'65 have sending units with different ohm readings in them. I think the '63 is a 45 ohm unit and the '64/'65 unit is a 90 ohm unit. Unlike some eBay vendors claim, not one part fits all '63 - '65 Rivieras. Before purchasing anything new, confirm with someone else or with some known source about the ohms of each sender; I think I'm correct but I could be off a year.

Ed

Ed, your encyclopedic knowledge of Riviera trivia continues to astound and amaze your fellow forum members. Do us all

a favor and write a book on Riviera trivia so if God forbid you get run over by a train or the old ticker gives out we won't be lost! I'll be the first in line to buy a copy!

It's nothing more than an interest in the Riviera AND a long time membership in the ROA. There's nothing that I contribute that I haven't picked up from 30 years in the ROA and reading what's been posted by those real Riviera gurus who laid the foundation for the rest of us. If you were to research all of past issues of the Riviews, you could find the same information that I post.

It's nothing more than an interest in the Riviera AND a long time membership in the ROA. There's nothing that I contribute that I haven't picked up from 30 years in the ROA and reading what's been posted by those real Riviera gurus who laid the foundation for the rest of us. If you were to research all of past issues of the Riviews, you could find the same information that I post.

Maybe I'm lazy but it just seems so much easier to just throw out a question and let Ed answer it rather than search through thirty years of Riviews. ........thanks Ed! And be sure to take a baby aspirin every day!

That I do; heart healthy. Now if I hadn't abused my body like I did playing sports and thinking I was the next GI Joe, I'd be in good shape. Just keep you fingers crossed that I continue to pay my cable/internet/phone bill.

That I do; heart healthy. Now if I hadn't abused my body like I did playing sports and thinking I was the next GI Joe, I'd be in good shape. Just keep you fingers crossed that I continue to pay my cable/internet/phone bill.

ED, I got my fingers and my toes crossed