Fuel gauge wires

[Jred]

I’m currently replacing all the lights in my dash. I have the tach out getting rebuilt. Anyways I pulled out the fuel and oil gauges as I thought I might try pulling them apart to clean the inside of the lenses. Decided not to after examining them. Went to put the gauges back in and now my fuel gauge doesn’t seem to read anything. Worked fine prior. I had taken some pictures of the wiring prior to pulling things apart but the lighting wasn’t the best so now I want to confirm the wiring. Does anyone know the proper placement of the wires for the back of the fuel gauge? The manual I have is black and white and I have not seen a proper description of wires that match mine. 

[Jim78]

10 hours ago, Jred said:

I’m currently replacing all the lights in my dash. I have the tach out getting rebuilt. Anyways I pulled out the fuel and oil gauges as I thought I might try pulling them apart to clean the inside of the lenses. Decided not to after examining them. Went to put the gauges back in and now my fuel gauge doesn’t seem to read anything. Worked fine prior. I had taken some pictures of the wiring prior to pulling things apart but the lighting wasn’t the best so now I want to confirm the wiring. Does anyone know the proper placement of the wires for the back of the fuel gauge? The manual I have is black and white and I have not seen a proper description of wires that match mine. 

You may have blown a fuse.  Check for 12V with the ignition in the ON position.  If your wiring is the same as the Studebaker harness, the gas gauge would have wire 47C (white) to ground, 55A (gray w/black trace) to the fuse, and 6 (red w/black trace) to the sending unit. 

[Jred]

Thanks @Jim78

Ill check the fuse. That’s the “clock” fuse correct?
 

Edited February 10, 2023 by Jred

[Thom]

Jred, I am considering replaces all of the gauges in 1987 to digital. Are you able to access all of your gauges without removing the dash?

[Jred]

5 hours ago, Thom said:

Jred, I am considering replaces all of the gauges in 1987 to digital. Are you able to access all of your gauges without removing the dash?

Yeah it’s tight in there though. 
like others have suggested you are better off to remove the front driver seat completely to allow you to lay on your back. I also cut an access hole in the side of the dash under the chrome end cap. That helped but maybe not necessary. Oh and removing the key ignition helped gain access to the tach. Once the tach is out access becomes easier and easier. 

[Jred]

Turns out that the gas gauge fuse was not the “clock fuse” but the “shifter fuse”. Replaced and things are well. 
here’s a shot with the leds in

 

[pantera928]

12 hours ago, Jred said:

Turns out that the gas gauge fuse was not the “clock fuse” but the “shifter fuse”. Replaced and things are well. 
here’s a shot with the leds in

 

Are they really that bright? What LED did you use? I have never gotten the red ones that bright

[Jred]

Here’s some more picts. I’d say they’re maybe 10% darker than what the photo is showing. But still much brighter than the old bulbs that were in there. Aero-lites.com

 

[Jred]

Can’t seem to upload the other picts  

 

 

#53, 182, 363, 1445 | 12-Volt Ba9S Base LED Replacement - Indicator SKU: AL-53-R-10PK LIGHT COLOR: RED

#1414, #1416, #57 LED Replacement | 12/14VDC SKU: AL-1414-R-10PK Color: RED Quantity: 10-Pack

 

[pantera928]

Well, can you easily read the gauges at night?

[Jred]

Yeah easily. 

 

[JimM]

Which of the LEDs go where? 

[Jred]

I bought the two sizes based off another avanti owners recommendation here or on another forum. The 57s are supposed to be for the dash mainly. The clock and vacuum got the the 53’s. Although the LED versions of the 53 and 57 bulb seem to be the same size. The center console, shift bezel and overhead got 53’s. But as I mentioned the 57’s would probably fit everywhere. 57’s appear brighter as well. 

[Kodjo]

Cleaning the glass also helps a lot. My dash with old red bulbs:

[Zedman]

How do these respond to Dimming ?

[Ron Dame]

Can the glass on the  later (1980) gauges be removed and cleaned similarly to the earlier ones?  Mine are nasty and I'd like to switch to red bulbs anyway

[Jred]

Interior lights at “high” and “low” seemed the same before and after. There was never a difference in my car that I could notice. 
 

the metal bezel on my gauges are pressed on and crimped on the rear. I was able to remove mine on the clock carefully using a dremel tool. It was the only way I could get to the inside guts of the clock for a clock repair shop to asses. The task didn’t seem worth the time to clean lenses. 

[Kodjo]

On 3/18/2023 at 3:14 AM, Zedman said:

How do these respond to Dimming ?

Dim I can't read the gauges. I think it needs to be completely dark outside for the dimmed setting to be of any use. It is never completely dark here with all the streetlights and houses.

Like Jred wrote, the bezels are crimped. I've opened them with a scew driver. After cleaning the glass i closed them again by re-crimping the bezel.