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Smoking car with bad needles....

432 views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  Tx_Cat 
#1 ·
Ok, every since I changed my original gauges to white's I know i messed up on almos all of them when I changed them, specially the gas, temperature (dunno about the oil pressure one). They told me to fill out my tank of gas and then move the gauge. We have 18 gallon tanks correct, so why when my gauge is almost in E, i only put 12.34 galons of gas :confused: that doesn't make sense. So when i fill it up, the needle goes all the way to full, but I know Im getting poor MPG on the city. I change plugs, wires, cleaned injector, cleaned maf, cleaned k&n cone and Im still getting poor mileage. Is it ok to put 5/30 even on winter??? When I accelerate, smoke comes out of my pipes, every time I am at a stop and I accelerate, friggin smoke comes out... Any comments on:

1.- How to fix my fuel, temperature, oil and speed needle??? It takes the speed needle alot to move.

2.- Hot to get rid of the damn smoke, i hate it to see smoke comming out of my pipes.

Thanks guys...

Israel
 
#2 ·
As for the gauges, make sure that the needles can move freely. Allow the car to get up to operating temp and then install the temperature needle. The voltage needle should be straight up when the car is idling and the A/C compressor is not engaged. The oil pressure needle should be about straight up when the engine is running. As for the fuel gauge, the best way that I have been able to reinstall the needle is with a full tank.

Speedometer needle: does it still have the little brass counterweight? If that is lost during the face replacement procedure, that would create erratic movement.

My LOW FUEL light usually comes on when I hit about 270 miles on a tank. But my needle will be just below 1/4 tank when that light comes on. As for why you can only fill up an 18 gallon tank with 12 gallons...I can't explain that. Maybe Ford wanted a large buffer volume so that you never run completely out. Isn't running a fuel pump dry not a good thing?

I get more miles per tank if I can do a lot of highway driving. But on average, I get about 22 MPG.

As for the oil consumption...sounds like the chronic valve guide seals.
 
#3 ·
I second Scott's call on the valve seals. Mine does the same thing, just not quite as bad.

Next time you fill up, reset your trip odometer and track the mileage on the gas that you use, i.e. at the tank after that, fill it up all the way, divide the mileage by the gallons to get your MPG. At least your needle is not working against you, such as showing half a tank with 1 gallon remaining. If you get into the habit of doing this and you drive pretty consistently tank to tank (i.e. same drive everyday, not one tank on the highway another around town) you can figure out by mileage roughly when you need to fill 'er up.

According to Ford, your light should come on at 1/8 remaining, which is 2.25 gallons. I've never seen one accurate though. Mine comes on with a little less than 4 gallons remaining consistently.

It is too late for you but I will again say to those installing aftermarket face gauges, be they Scott's or others, you can cut a vertical strip on the auxiliary gauges to slide them on without removing the needles. I saved myself a lot of trouble doing this the last time I did it. You will still need to remove the speedo and tach needle, but those are less picky than the aux gauges.
 
#4 ·
So it is OK to put 5/30 oil for the winter??? Cause they told me that that would kill the smoke from my car...
 
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