Gas gauge needle not there
 

Well since I have some time to kill my gas gauge on my 73 gto rally gauge cluster has no needle should I take it apart and try to find out the issue or check somewhere else like the brand new sending unit

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While it's possible the needle just fell off, it might be past it's normal sweep due to an open fuel gauge circuit. I don't believe those gauges had little pegs to keep the needle from overextending. I have several Rally gauge clusters from these cars, so if it is indeed the gauge unit, I can help.

Check the tank unit ground wire, which is screwed into the passengers side trunk brace by the rear axle. My '73 would have a flaky fuel gauge reading, and after cleaning that ground, it worked flawlessly.

In case it turns out that you think you have a bad sender in the tank. If you order a new one please test it with an ohm meter BEFORE you put that in your fuel tank!


The reproduction tank senders are not always good even if they are new in a box.

As far as I know those senders are all made overseas and they do not always test them before they ship them over here.

The ohms you are looking for on your year car would be: zero or 1 ohm = E. 44 or 45 ohms = 1/2 scale and 89,90, or 91 ohms will give you a full reading on the gauge. Hold the sender in the air as if the sender were in the tank so you can move the float arm up and down to imitate different levers of gas in your tank. NEVER EVER APPLY 12 volts of + power to a fuel tank sender, you will damage it beyond repair!!!!

Only test those senders using an ohm meter and NOT the $20 one from Harbor Freight! buy a decent one!!! Fluke makes a nice meter.

When I bought my 74 Grand Am, the gas gauge didn't work. Long story short, BOTH my gauge and sending units were bad. The sending unit they sell is for all A body, which is a problem because Lemans models have a 22 gallon tank and the Grand Am is 25 gallon. The GA tank is deeper and the A body unit didn't extend to the bottom of the tank. That meant I would run out of gas with 3 gallons still in the bottom of the tank. I sent the original unit off to be rebuilt, which is always an alternative.