At 03:23 AM 2/21/2002, Todd Last wrote:
>I wanted to test the fuel sender in my van, so I hooked up my multimeter
>to the two posts at the back of the fuel gauge that are the input
>terminals to the gauge - thinking that this would allow me to measure
>the current or resistance that the gauge measures.
>
>Well, it seems I've missed a very obvious electrical principle because
>as soon as I hook up the multimeter and turn it on, the gauge will drop
>to "E." If I turn the multimeter off, the gauge goes back to where it
>should be.  What am I missing here? Should I be testing the sender from
>somewhere else?  I want to determine the range of resistance or current
>that maps to a full and empty tank.

To measure the current in the circuit your meter has to be in series in the
circuit, not in parallel.  To measure the sender resistance, you have to
unhook the gauge and measure between the sender wire and ground.  Either
way, the meter has to be set to the right measurement type, test leads in
the right holes etc (many meters have separate jacks for current,
resistance, voltage etc).

david

>Todd
>'88 Westy

--
David Beierl - Providence, RI
  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"