Gas Gauge Wiring Help

I'm trying to re-connect the wires from the sending unit to the gas gauge. The harness is cut in half. There are 2 wires coming from the sending unit end (pink & black) and there are 3 wires coming from the gas gauge end(pink, black, and black/white). Does anyone know where the blqck/white wire goes? 71 VW pan.

When I connect the pinks and blacks together the gauge goes to "Full" (when the tanks is actually almost empty).

Bob: Check out the CMC build manual by clicking into the library above.
Lots of info to be had there.
Black wire should be to a good ground. Sounds like the pink from the sender(center terminal) is the signal wire and should go to the gauge. Which gauges do you have? Usually the gauge will have 4 terminals. 12v,ground,signal wire from gauge and a lead for gauge illumination.

http://speedsterowners.com/library/fiberfaba/images/fiberfaba070.jpg

Some wire colors may vary but you can still piece the puzzle together.
Usually if the gauge pegs you have a bad sender unit. Just be sure it's grounded real good.

~WB

Thanks for the link Bill. It will come in very handy. Unfortunately, it appears the builder of this car did his own thing. Wiring is a mess. Cut wires and wires that lead nowhere are everywhere.

The instrument light is working and now remains pinned full when ignition is on so I guess my I'll try a new fuel level sensor.

You're not alone there, Bob. My wiring isn't the neatest either but rather a mess, but it all works perfectly and "if it ain't broke" I'm not fixin' it. I'd probably make things worse if I did.

~WB

Isn't that a giant pain?
We should make a pact here on the old SOC -- if you're making one of these things in your garage, you could REALLY help the hobby and lose all the excess wiring from the Bug before you start putting it back together ...
Seriously. 'Cuz you KNOW one of us is going to buy it from you when you move up to that IM you always never wanted but couldn't pass up ... ;)

Yes, I don't want to say too many thing bad about this build for fear that someone on this site built it. They really went low-end on this car. I know very little about building a car but even I can see poor workmanship. It does have 4 good tires on it so at least I got that going for me. :)

All I gotta do yet is get the break lights working and I can at least get it inspected (unless they find a hidden problem.)

I put aside about $4000 to get it right and no doubt I will need more.

Bob, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you won't be offending anyone with commentary on workmanship.
I'm pretty sure we've all been there, either unscrewing a ham-fisted somethingorother or putting those extra five bolts in that should have been there all along ...
:)

Boy, ain't THAT the truth!

My wife and I bought an Austin Healey some years back, and I don't think there were two matching bolts anywhere on the entire car!

Many father-and-son teams have built CMC's over the years. Some of them were very professional about their builds, and some of them had a "Git R Dun!" attitude. THOSE usually need a little more TLC later on from subsequent owners...... ;>)

I have given up on my gas gauge. It is only accurate when the tank is full. I have run out of gas five times. You'd think that I would learn after the second time. I know that if I get close to 200 miles on a tank I am up shipscreek