How to get the needle back?
#1
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How to get the needle back?
So my moms park avenue (not a bonne i realize, but close enough) was having battery troubles earlier this week and in the process of us starting it (and just attempting to) the gauges would do a little dance and sweep back and fourth.
SOMEHOW in this process, the gas gauge managed to go ALL the way round... Unfortunately neither me nor my father witnessed it. But now it is sitting on the WRONG side of the stopper peg. And is obviously stuck down there. Is there a way to trick it to go BACK around without having to disassemble the dashboard? (This is a very busy car so we'd have to pay a dealer to fix it if there is no such trick)
If i remove power in a certain pattern could the needle fall down so it will go back around the next time?
Any ideas?
SOMEHOW in this process, the gas gauge managed to go ALL the way round... Unfortunately neither me nor my father witnessed it. But now it is sitting on the WRONG side of the stopper peg. And is obviously stuck down there. Is there a way to trick it to go BACK around without having to disassemble the dashboard? (This is a very busy car so we'd have to pay a dealer to fix it if there is no such trick)
If i remove power in a certain pattern could the needle fall down so it will go back around the next time?
Any ideas?
#2
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Very odd. The only two options I can think of is to either disconnect the pump/sender connector near the tank, or disconnect the cluster and pray for the best.
If those don't work, you may be dropping the fuel tank to check the sender.
If those don't work, you may be dropping the fuel tank to check the sender.
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hmmmm, just out of curiousity, is there room for the needle to sweep back around the other way?
Can you get a pic of it?
This may or may not help, but when I tested a cluster in my '93 I pulled the cover off of mine and cleaned the guage faces and back side of the cover. I didn't realize it untill I put it all back to gather that my speedo was all the way past 120 as far as it could go and just sat there. even powering it on and making the guages sweep had no effect. I ended up just going for a little drive and as soon as I hit about 40 MPH, the needle jumped back and acted normal as if nothing had ever happened.
I am wondering if maybe something like that happened here. If there is enough room for the needle to sweep back the other way around, I personally would try to drive for a while and get the sender to sweep full to empty then fill the tank back up.
Just a thought. Might not work at all, but IMO, it is worth a try before dropping the tank.
Can you get a pic of it?
This may or may not help, but when I tested a cluster in my '93 I pulled the cover off of mine and cleaned the guage faces and back side of the cover. I didn't realize it untill I put it all back to gather that my speedo was all the way past 120 as far as it could go and just sat there. even powering it on and making the guages sweep had no effect. I ended up just going for a little drive and as soon as I hit about 40 MPH, the needle jumped back and acted normal as if nothing had ever happened.
I am wondering if maybe something like that happened here. If there is enough room for the needle to sweep back the other way around, I personally would try to drive for a while and get the sender to sweep full to empty then fill the tank back up.
Just a thought. Might not work at all, but IMO, it is worth a try before dropping the tank.
#4
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Re: How to get the needle back?
Originally Posted by bmsgaffer86
So my moms park avenue (not a bonne i realize, but close enough) was having battery troubles earlier this week and in the process of us starting it (and just attempting to) the gauges would do a little dance and sweep back and fourth.
SOMEHOW in this process, the gas gauge managed to go ALL the way round... Unfortunately neither me nor my father witnessed it. But now it is sitting on the WRONG side of the stopper peg. And is obviously stuck down there. Is there a way to trick it to go BACK around without having to disassemble the dashboard? (This is a very busy car so we'd have to pay a dealer to fix it if there is no such trick)
If i remove power in a certain pattern could the needle fall down so it will go back around the next time?
Any ideas?
SOMEHOW in this process, the gas gauge managed to go ALL the way round... Unfortunately neither me nor my father witnessed it. But now it is sitting on the WRONG side of the stopper peg. And is obviously stuck down there. Is there a way to trick it to go BACK around without having to disassemble the dashboard? (This is a very busy car so we'd have to pay a dealer to fix it if there is no such trick)
If i remove power in a certain pattern could the needle fall down so it will go back around the next time?
Any ideas?
I also recently read someone using a magnet IIRC to move the needle.
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Originally Posted by harofreak00
STOP!
my park avenue had the same thing when I bought it.
use 2 magnets, 1 to push, and 1 to pull the needle back around to where it is supposed to be. very simple.
my park avenue had the same thing when I bought it.
use 2 magnets, 1 to push, and 1 to pull the needle back around to where it is supposed to be. very simple.
#7
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Haro: you rock! That worked like a charm. I had to use a hard-drive magnet (the other two didnt get the needle past the bottom halfway point) to get it all the way around.
Thanks again!
Thanks again!
#9
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Originally Posted by harofreak00
glad it worked!
#10
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Originally Posted by willwren
If those don't work, you may be dropping the fuel tank to check the sender.
Cool to see a fix like the magnet thing.
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