I just bought a 91 Prelude a few weeks ago and the gas gauge was not working when I bought it. I know the car sat for a while before I bought it and the guy I bought it from suggested that "the floater was stuck" from sitting and that it might start working again as I drove the car. It has been about three weeks and it hasn't started working so obviously something is wrong with it. I have seen the gas light come on once but most of the time I almost run out of gas before I know it is low.
Help?

 

U need the wiring schematic for the fuel pump assembly, and then you can test the signal wires for the fuel-level variable-resister (which is attached to the floater...it allows a different amount of voltage thru dependant on the the position of the variable resister which is dependant on the position of the floater arm).

Most assemblies have 4 wires: Power and Ground for the pump and voltage-in and "resisted-voltage-out" from the resistor (going back to the gauge).

If it allows voltage through the resister, then yeah, try dropping the tank to see if it is just stuck. If it is a solid "1" or "0" (perfect connection or ZERO connection) passing thru the resistor, then the resistor is probably bad.

--TJ

 

3rd gen is a little easier to diag because the fuel pump and fuel sending unit are different assemblies on different sides of the gas tank. Fuel sending unit is on the passenger side. Pry up the cover plate and have at it