# Main gas gauge wont work, aux does work



## Maverick_124 (Sep 13, 2011)

so, since my main gas gauge wont work, but the aux does..apparently that means i need to change my level indicator, im just wondering if there is a way to try and salvage it from having to be replaced..or is there something where i can just replace the level unit, and not the entire fuel pump assembly?


im buying my friends car and this is just one of the issues it has..it also has an issue idling..which ill fix once i get it to my house..

also, last question, what is a good shock/spring combo for a street car, pref something on the rough side, that isn't a coil-over setup where you have to hack away at the OE struts

Thanks for any help 

~Tim


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

The fuel sender is completely seperate from the fuel pump assy. You'll have to drop the tank to access it. They MSRP from Nissan for about $150-$190 depending on whether it's for a digital or analog gauge.


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## Maverick_124 (Sep 13, 2011)

its analog..why do i need to drop it?? i saw a ring in the trunk of my friends trunk that looks like it goes to the tank..

tho its my 1st nissan/sports car...


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

The access cover is for the fuel pump. The fuel gauge sender is further over on the tank. In other words, there are two holes on top of the tank: one for the fuel sender assy. and the other for the fuel pump.


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## Maverick_124 (Sep 13, 2011)

ahhh fuel tank shouldn't be too hard to drop.. figure the hardest is removing the lines from the pump itself i would think..ill have to go rent the snaps to remove those..


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

Back then they used to use fuel injection clamps. Remove the access panel, loosen the clamps with a Phillips head screwdriver and soak the fuel hose with carb cleaner, which will help soften them up and make them easier to remove.


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## Maverick_124 (Sep 13, 2011)

oh, well i love them then..ill get a new level sender and install it after im able to part out my car and truck..lol


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## AZ-ZBum (Nov 21, 2004)

Man. I wish people without Z31s would stop trying to "help".

The fuel level sending unit can be replaced though the trunk.
The fuel PUMP has to have the tank dropped.


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

Well, I guess I stand corrected! It's been 8 years since I left Nissan, so I may make the occassional mistake!


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## Maverick_124 (Sep 13, 2011)

haha well that certainly make it a hole lot easier. now, to find a cheap, but not shitty, fuel lever sender..

wonder if any in the junk yard work...


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

You can pick up a new Nissan sender for $108 at Nissan Truck Accessories, Nissan Car Accesories


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## AZ-ZBum (Nov 21, 2004)

Maverick_124 said:


> haha well that certainly make it a hole lot easier. now, to find a cheap, but not shitty, fuel lever sender..
> 
> wonder if any in the junk yard work...


What? Do you like buying broken parts? This is one of the top three most commonly broken parts of the Z31. Chances of you finding a good unit in a junkyard are slim to none. Either spend the money on a new REDESIGNED unit or live with the false reading on the needle. At least you're quarter gauge works. No. Very stupid to buy a fuel level sending unit from a junkyard.



smj999smj said:


> Well, I guess I stand corrected! It's been 8 years since I left Nissan, so I may make the occassional mistake!


Don't let it happen again!


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## Maverick_124 (Sep 13, 2011)

so go to Nissan and hope to not get ripped off for price on a new part??


last time i went to a dealership they charged me 300 bucks to check a sensor...


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## AZ-ZBum (Nov 21, 2004)

You have to get it from any Nissan dealer. You don't have to pay them to install it. There are several dealers online that sell parts for up to 25% off MSRP. Try the list of site sponsors.


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

You can order Nissan parts online for a discount. The link I gave above was for a genuine Nissan part from a Nissan dealer. Nissan suggested MSRP for the gauge unit is $150; they have it for $108 (+shipping). 1stAAANissanParts.com is one of the cheapest i've come accross. Other sites you may want to check are NissanPartsZone.com and CourtesyParts.com, the latter two give you access to the Nissan parts diagram, which can be handy.


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## AZ-ZBum (Nov 21, 2004)

1stAAANissanParts.com looks like good pricing.
Similar to nissanparts.cc.
Some more. Some less.

(The FLSUs are cheaper at nissanparts.cc in this case)


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## Maverick_124 (Sep 13, 2011)

don't knwo why..but im iffy about that first site..haha

iv used CP before so ill probably go through there..


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## OriginalGinger (Apr 19, 2011)

So theres no way in salvaging an existing level sender? I took mine apart because the regular gauge would always read full and the little gauge would go from 0 to 1/8 randomly fluctuating. Little pin comes out the bottom and the cover comes off and its the metal rod with one sender on one side and one on the other with the float having pins running along the level. I tried to just use gas and wipe it off and clean it but putting it back together it did the same thing. Anyone know what ohms its supposed to be reading at 0 and full?


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

Looking at the harness connector (front side) for the fuel sender, with the connector's lock tap at the top, the terminals are numbered, from left to right, #1 and #2 on the top and #3 and #4 across the bottom.

With an Ohmmeter, attach the ground lead to #1 terminal.

Attaching the positive lead to #2 terminal will allow you to test the main float resistance. Full=approx. 6 ohms, half-full=approx. 30-35 ohms, empty=approx. 80 ohms.

Attaching the positive lead to #3 terminal allows you to test the subgauge. With the float at approx. 1/4 full, the resistance should read more than 60 ohms. WIth the float at the empty position, the resistance should read approx. 6 ohms.


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## Maverick_124 (Sep 13, 2011)

huh..well, ill look into that..my friend said there was an electrical issue in the car..runs run tho, just kinda refuses to idle. and the gears grind in all gears above 3000RPM. nothing i cant deal with tho. the gears never slip, never come out..just, above 3000RPM its grinds going into gears..but under 3k its fine


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## Maverick_124 (Sep 13, 2011)

well...i should be more clear..once in a gear i can go to redline i just cant shift above 3k w/o the grinding


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## AZ-ZBum (Nov 21, 2004)

OriginalGinger said:


> So theres no way in salvaging an existing level sender? I took mine apart because the regular gauge would always read full and the little gauge would go from 0 to 1/8 randomly fluctuating. Little pin comes out the bottom and the cover comes off and its the metal rod with one sender on one side and one on the other with the float having pins running along the level. I tried to just use gas and wipe it off and clean it but putting it back together it did the same thing. Anyone know what ohms its supposed to be reading at 0 and full?


Sure. But the many of the people who've done this report back in a few months that their sending unit failed again.


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## OriginalGinger (Apr 19, 2011)

Ya I took it apart again and gave it all a closer look. The float has those pins on it that rub up and down the sensor telling it what level its at. On the wider side the pins are bent sideways a little and the tracks on the level its self were pretty deep. I can see why they replaced the design on these.


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## Maverick_124 (Sep 13, 2011)

well, i was quoted 170 from the dealership..which is the pump, and seal..ill be looking at those other sites..haha


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## AZ-ZBum (Nov 21, 2004)

Maverick_124 said:


> well, i was quoted 170 from the dealership..which is the pump, and seal..ill be looking at those other sites..haha


I thought you said you needed a sending unit? The fuel pump has nothing to do with the fuel gauge.


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## Maverick_124 (Sep 13, 2011)

I call it the pump cause I'm use to the pump, and sending unit being together..I was quoted for the sending unit and a seal..


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## AZ-ZBum (Nov 21, 2004)

So you obviously didn't check out the two provided links for this part.


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## Maverick_124 (Sep 13, 2011)

i wanted to see what the saving would be. one link i looked at was $126 shipped. but..i don't remember what it was..


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## Maverick_124 (Sep 13, 2011)

for 

1stAAANissanParts.com, the sending unit is 124.38, shipped

and for nissanparts.cc it is 134.25 shipped..

if AAA stay low, ill get the sender through them once i get the money..


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## AZ-ZBum (Nov 21, 2004)

Intersting. I'm coming up with completely different numbers for nissanparts.cc.
Analog for $115.72 shipped.
Digital for $144.41 shipped.

Are you sure you have the right part numbers?


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## Maverick_124 (Sep 13, 2011)

well..here is the screen cap of the check out..

Nissanparts.cc










and this is 1stAAANissanParts.com


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## AZ-ZBum (Nov 21, 2004)

First one says trademotion.com, not nissanparts.cc


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## Maverick_124 (Sep 13, 2011)

i went to nissanparts.cc, and that's where it took me since my 300 isn't a 1990 or newer


with Nissanparts.cc i click on parts "browse OEM parts", then on the next page i click on "part look up" and it opens a new tab and goes to autocenter.net, which is where the top screen cap is from


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## AZ-ZBum (Nov 21, 2004)

And there in lies your problem. Get the part number and put it into the search option. Better pricing that way. You can look up the part numbers on z31.com's fiche.


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## Maverick_124 (Sep 13, 2011)

ahh ok, ill go to that right now




ok, that's really cheap..its 115.72 shipped, that's a cool site..

tho, ill remember to search part number before searching parts to get it cheaper haha


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## Maverick_124 (Sep 13, 2011)

ok..so I talked to my buddy to get an exact idea of what the gas gauge does...


apparently its find F to 1/2, but once it hits 1/2 it goes to E and the au gauge wont work, that's what i got from the conversation

=/


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## AZ-ZBum (Nov 21, 2004)

It doesn't work? Really? I'd be surprised. Most of the time, the 1/4 gauge works just fine. Next time he says it doesn't work, ask him how many gallons of gas he put in to get it to full. If it's less than 15 gallons, he didn't let it get low enough.


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## Maverick_124 (Sep 13, 2011)

well he said when the main is F to 1/2 the aux is at 1/4, once the main goes to E after reaching 1/2 the aux also goes to E. im taking delivery today, so ill get a picture of it.


now to talk mom into loaning me $116 to get a new sending unit...


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## AZ-ZBum (Nov 21, 2004)

So what happened to this comment in your initial post?


Maverick_124 said:


> so, since my main gas gauge wont work, but the aux does


And I'm confused. You've spent all this time asking questions about a car you don't even own yet? I would suggest you wait until you get the car to figure out what it really needs. There could be far bigger issues to deal with than a broken fuel gauge.


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## Maverick_124 (Sep 13, 2011)

i own it, i just haven't gotten it yet hes doing a few things with it


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