1970 nova low fuel light
 

Need some help.. I have a 1970 nova. In the dash housing is a low fuel light. Car is a gauge package car, ie tachometer, clock. So as you know, on the floor, i have fuel,oil, temp and volt gauge .what is missing to make the low fuel light operational ?? Just the low fuel sender at floor console? Any help would be very appreciated!! Ie wire sch., pictures.

Thank you Todd

The low fuel circuitry is in a little pod on the back of the fuel gauge. There is a yellow trigger wire which feeds back to the cluster. Don't recall if it grounds to activate the light or powers to activate the light.


I have a loose gauge pod, I'll try to get a pic for you.
Gary

Thank you for your help Gary. Any pics would be great!!
Todd

Nova Low Fuel sender

Not being a smart ass but the first thing to check would be verify the bulb in the dash is working.
Gary

Gary, very true.. I do not have the low fuel sender unit at the floor console. So I think I have more problems than just a bulb.
Todd

Gary, not to sound dumb.. but where does the thick yellow wire go? As I do not see that on my car either..
Todd

I actually have one of those, never looked at the gauge cluster that close (It's in pretty bad shape).

The yellow wire goes up to the dash and connects to the light. I'm not sure if it goes into the cluster harness or is just separate and hooks up at the light. I do not have the dash from either of these gauge clusters. The Yellow wire appears to be separate from the console harness.

I would think the Low fuel light goes into the pod where the oil light would be (without gauges). Thusly the yellow lead would likely replace the oil sender lead in the cluster plug and ground when low fuel to illuminate the bulb.


I'll see if I can find my wiring schematic to confirm.


Share some pics of your cluster where the Low Fuel indicater lens is.
G

I didn't even know that such an option existed! Would love to have one for my collection...

The low fuel light was standard issue on Camaro when the console gauge package was ordered. I would assume that to be the case with Nova as well??

Reason being, since the fuel gauge is placed on the console and somewhat out of sight, the low fuel light was put in the dash to remind drivers fuel was getting low.

Also if the black box is inop, M&H Electric makes an adjustable version to replace it. I find them to be a nice addition anyway because the stock unit doesn't come on until you are way down around ~1/8 of a tank. A little too low for my liking. I'll see if I can find a link for it.

Here ya go. I can't get it to come up on M&H's site but that's who makes it.

Part number 37651 adjustable module.

http://www.autoobsession.com/lowfuel...letcamaro.aspx

I have Nova gauge clusters and Nova Tach dashes without the low fuel warning.
Must have been optional on Novas,

Snippet of wiring diagram (gauges and cluster). Yellow low fuel lead runs through console harness and up to the cluster plug as loct'n 952. The Low Fuel lens must replace either the OIL or TEMP warning light locations when gauges (and low fuel indicater) are added?
Would have to see a cluster to figure that out.

I recall the low fuel indicator was part of the U-17 gauge option package on V8 consoled Novas only.
It included a Tach,Clock and low fuel indicator all in the instrument panel.
The Water Temp,Fuel level,Oil psi & Ammeter gauges were in the floor console.

My Camaro had the full gauge package, but no low fuel indicator as far as I know. If it did have it then it didn't work because the low fuel light never came on.

Low fuel light
 

So yellow wire must plug into a lone bulb. Not one in the circuit board. How does that work if it takes the place of low oil light etc.

It would seem to me that the nova's would be equipped like Mr70 mentioned, as part of the gauge setup.

On the Camaro's the low fuel light is on all Camaro's, but it's only operable when U17 is ordered. In which case a 194 bulb is added and a single wire running to it.

If you have a 69 Camaro without gauges, take a flash light and run it across the lower section of the dash where the turn signals are. You'll see one of the dummy lights that actually says "fuel" along with Gen and Oil etc... It's on all Camaro's, it just won't have a bulb in it. Another tell tale sign someone added gauges to a Camaro. They almost always don't add the clock but they rarely ever make the low fuel light operable.

When you got gauges you didn't get the temp and oil warning lights so the yellow wire would go into the cluster plug in the spot where the sender wire for OIL or TEMP light was... printed circuit would connect to the bulb. When the circuit detects low fuel it grounds the yellow lead lighting the bulb.


That's the part I'm not sure of... where is the LOW FUEL indicator in the cluster and what spot is that on a non gauge car?


I have gauge pods in two cars that do not have low fuel lights so I'm not certain it was automatically included. I do know of one local car that had it.
Gary