My Chevelle died on me today.....

[1970Turtle]

Well, it's a brand new alternator and battery so I highly doubt, although won't rule out, a charging problem. The car smells highly of gas when I drive it and I have always thought that to be from a BAD exhaust leak where a doughnut gasket should be on the manifolds and holes in the floor boards (lol) causing the exhaust gasses to come into the car. However, I did stall it up at a dead stop and get on it the other day and it dumped way too much fuel into the carb, so it's a good possibility that it needs a good tuning, it also spits if I'm stopped and get on it too hard (i.e. to get across traffic when turning at a light). I'll start checking my fuel lines to see if any have collapsed and I'll just change the filter. Also, in a totally unrelated matter, my fuel gauge just quit working last week. It's stuck above the F, would that be the sending unit failing on me or could I be lucky and a wire just come loose?

[Warputer]

Originally Posted by 1970Turtle

so it's a good possibility that it needs a good tuning, it also spits if I'm stopped and get on it too hard (i.e. to get across traffic when turning at a light).

Mine has done this a few times.....especially if I don't let her warm up all the way & try to take off with the choke still on. Get a back fire thru the carb & she'll cut off. I plan to rebuild the Holley this winter.

[Hank70SS]

There is a tan wire in the harness that goes into the trunk. This the wire that goes to the sending unit. Trace the wires to find the correct one. Disconnect the tan wire and ground it to the body somewhere. If the gauge goes to empty the harness, trunk forward, and gauge are ok. Follow the tan wire down to the sending unit and make sure it's connected. Also check the ground wire from the sending unit. I would remove the ground, clean up the connection and reconnect.

It could be the sending unit but if any wire is not connected or you have a bad ground it will read full. The sender connects the gauge to ground, with varying resistance, as the fuel level goes down.