Too low or too high? Give your tractor a gauge that is just right
Does your tractor gauge read Too Low and Too High all the time? The first step for repair is to determine exactly what is defective. This is what you do. If your gauge registers at Too Low all the time, this is almost always caused by a high resistance connection in one or more of the wires. The wire connection to the gas tank gauge is likely a bayonet connection. It sometimes ends up with high resistance because of exposure to water. To fix a gauge that registers Too Low, clean up all of the circuit connections in the gauge, including that of the gauge itself. If it does not now read correctly, it will have to be checked with the rheostat to determine which of the units is defective. Maybe your gauge says Too High at all times? In other words, does your gauge indicate you have three quarters of a tank, when you are fairly sure that you are closer to empty? Or perhaps the temperature gauge indicates a boiling temperature, when the temperature is likely much lower. These indications are generally caused when the wire from the sending unit to the receiving unit is partially grounded. The only way to really know is to use a rheostat in place of the sending unit and test if the gauge on the dash is in good repair. After you make certain there is no partial ground on the wire between the receiving and sending units, the sending unit should be replaced. Tractor enthusiasts find precise and reliable gauges on Steiner Tractor Parts website.