My fuel guage misreads and I had another instrument cluster that read the same. It pegs out until the tank gets really low and then starts from full down to empty. I couldn't find any info but I heard you can take the fuel sending unit off and bend something on it to correct the problem but I'm not sure what it is. I don't want to pay $45.00 for a new one if I can help it. Anybody know how to do this?

-Adam

Yes you should be able to do that, it is going to be somewhat hit and miss. The biggest problem is that you have to drop the fuel tank to get to the sender unit.

What you will find when you get in there is a brass float on the end of a rod. the other end of the rod is hooked to a hinge or pivot. Close to that is a contact which runs across a fiber plate wrapped with a high resistance wire. As the contact runs across the wire the voltage changes based on where on the wrapped wire it is touching. The more voltage the higher the needle will sit in the gauge.

The way I would adjust it would be to bend the sending unit until it shows just under empty in the empty tank. Now you can put it back together and add just enough gas to bring the needle up to empty. now you know how much fuel you have left when the gauge hits empty.

Thanks.

So what causes it to loose adjustment? Did the float wear out or did the part that I need to bend work itself to where it is bent to the wrong location? Do I just bend this piece by looking at the fuel gauge to see what reading the fuel gauge picks up?

Sounds like a project for next Saturday.

-Adam

It sounds like it could just be sticking. 

It wears out because as you drive the float bouces up and down with the sloshing fuel.I am a licenced mechanic and I have replaced lots of senders. The float arm has to rub on the resistance wire all the time. Because most people keep their fuel tank toped up the most wear occurs at the one end of the resistance wire.When this wears out the sender loses ground and the circuit goes open.Bending anything won't help you because once the reading comes back again you are getting the correct reading, bending the float will throw that off and you really won't know how much is left.The only way to fix this is to replace the sender. The sj410 I just picked up is the same way, but at least it is accurate near empty. 

i agree with 83sj410. i had to replace mine a year ago for almost the same reason. i feel its better to replace the thing and not have to keep messing with it. it realy sucks |removethispart|@$$ not knowing if youre going to run out of fuel or not.