Yes it's somewhat common. Have you tried the fuel gauge sender selector switch on the dash yet? Sometimes the contacts get corroded or dirty and it doesn't work well. You could clean the switch with some contact cleaner or some guys have even taken it apart and cleaned the contacts.
Test the switch with a voltmeter. One orange wire goes to the gauge and should have a fluctuating DC between 0-9 volts. The other orange wire goes to the main tank. The white-yellow wire goes to the aux tank. If the switch is working you should see the fluctuating DC on the gauge wire and one of the other two depending on the switch position.
If you see the DC on the gauge wire but not the other wires, the switch is the problem.
