GM Service Manual Online
For 1990-2009 cars only

The operation of each indicator is described with the corresponding circuit description.

Fuel Gauge (Oldsmobile)

The pointer of the fuel gage is moved by the magnetic fields of two coils. The coils are at right angles to each other. Battery voltage is applied to the F coil and the circuit divides at the opposite end of the coil. Another goes to ground through the variable resistor of the fuel gauge sender.

When the tank is low, the resistance of the sender is low. A large flow of current passes through the E coil and the fuel gage sender resistor.