Fuel Gauge does not work

[IAmTodd]

Mine shows roughly a quarter when the ignition is off. When I start the truck it goes to 0.

Tank is full!

Will cleaning the contacts on the sending unit help? Or will it be the grounding trick? Or a new sending unit?

TIA

If you're going that far in just replace the whole unit. It's under $100 and you don't want to do it a second time. Most likely, if it's the stock one, the float has cracked and full of fuel.

 

[cgbier]

That sounds like a plan. Thank you.

 

[cgbier]

On the Sending Unit: Is this one gonna work for a Navajo? The description says Explorer only.

 

[IAmTodd]

They're one in the same. That will work. It's also the same one I put in mine last year.

 

[cgbier]

Thank you very much!

Really a great forum here!

 

[mr cribb]

If anyone cares, we replaced a fuel pump last week in a 94 Limited, and we dropped the tank. The tank was 3/4 full and what a pain in the ...! The tank is long and shaped weird then the tank straps are even more strange. One strap holds the tank in conjunction with the skid plate (that's what I call it).

So if anyone plans on dropping the tank, get a buddy to help for the extra hands. Otherwise I would cut the access hole if you're working on it by yourself. It is also easier if you have a way to put the truck in the air, we used the 4 post lift at work.

 

[cgbier]

Yeah, I have looked at that thing already. Not much of an issue for me, as I'll have to rebuild the rocker panels anyways. I prefer to have the tank taken out for that. It seems to be more an issue of having enough WD40 than anything else (I have been screwing around with French cars when I was younger - nothing can scare me anymore)... but thanks for the warning.

I have a good helper who will put extra effort into the job as he's looking forward to driving that truck once he's old enough to get a license.

 

[IAmTodd]

If anyone cares, we replaced a fuel pump last week in a 94 Limited, and we dropped the tank. The tank was 3/4 full and what a pain in the ...! The tank is long and shaped weird then the tank straps are even more strange. One strap holds the tank in conjunction with the skid plate (that's what I call it).

So if anyone plans on dropping the tank, get a buddy to help for the extra hands. Otherwise I would cut the access hole if you're working on it by yourself. It is also easier if you have a way to put the truck in the air, we used the 4 post lift at work.

I found it pretty easy to do on jack stands and using a floor jack to manipulate the tank. Worst part was the rusted up strap bolts.

Yeah, I have looked at that thing already. Not much of an issue for me, as I'll have to rebuild the rocker panels anyways. I prefer to have the tank taken out for that. It seems to be more an issue of having enough WD40 than anything else (I have been screwing around with French cars when I was younger - nothing can scare me anymore)... but thanks for the warning.

I have a good helper who will put extra effort into the job as he's looking forward to driving that truck once he's old enough to get a license.

Pick up some Deep Creep and start soaking the bolts a few days ahead of time. WD-40 doesn't do much to help those.

 

[cgbier]

Pick up some Deep Creep and start soaking the bolts a few days ahead of time. WD-40 doesn't do much to help those.

The bolts of parts I want to fix get soaked on a daily base.

Thanks for the tip with the Deep Creep.

 

[Roadrunner777]

Just did the fuel pump thing today, last one was an Airtex, got 3 years out of it and got a replacement on warranty. I'm good with that, I have the access panel cut and it didn't take very long. I read a tip a while ago on the fittings, and tried to find it again to thank the poster, but since I could not find it, I thought I would share. Before you try and undo them, hit them with compressed air and a good dose of PJ Blaster. Worked for me, in fact, one came off with just hand pressure on the removal tool.

I will leave the Airtex debate for another day. I was low on cash this week and went for new, fast and free. But, if I DID end up buying another brand, NAPA is made by Carter and it was in stock at a pretty decent price.

 

[vq5speed]

I did my pump couple weekends ago did the cutout panel too. I didn't know anything about Airtex before I purchased one. I read here on this site about them not lasting very long. After replacing mine my gauge works again but it only reads to the 3/4 mark. Sometimes it will creep slowly toward the full mark after I fill it up. But will settle back only at the 3/4 full. I plan on putting back my OEM pump back in with a new float as the old pump worked fine just the float got fuel in it.

 

[plcrew]

Got the access door cut and the fuel lines disconnected but the sending unit does not want to come loose. If I have to destroy the sending unit and the flange to get it out, is the flange a two piece unit that can be replaced? And is it a ford part only thing?

 

[plcrew]

So with lots of PB Blaster I got the lock ring loose and the sending unit out. So to answer my own question the flange is pressed into the take and is not servicable. I also picked up a Spectra Premium sending unit from auto zone and would give it low marks due to the electrical plug is not the same size. The plug is just slightly to big and will not fit.

 

[KEN's Exploder]

Hoping you folks knowledgable about the fuel gauge problem read this and can offer some suggestions. My 1994 Explorer fuel gauge has not worked for at least 10 years reading E always. I'm on my third fuel pump unit now and as long as the pump worked I was happy. Since it was expensive to repair I decided to forget it and use the trip odometer to meter out when my next fuel stop would be. However, on occasions the gauge takes a notion to operate once or so a year. Most often after taking a long drive at highway speeds. I just finished a 1600 mile trip and around the 1200 mile mark the gauge started working again. As soon as I stopped and turned off the vehicle the gauge stayed near where it was when last running. Starting it back up fifteen minutes later it would quickly sink back to E. This happened three times over the next 400 miles. Working gauge - stop vehicle - gauge returned to E when restarted - not working until highway speeds where it would start working again several minutes to an hour later. This sounds like a short to me somewhere in the fuel gauge sending wires. I will attempt to ground terminal 14 in image above to see if the gauge pegs out above full. I would like to know the color of the wires to follow them back to the instrument cluster. Not sure I understand coco944x4's explanation of going through the lug in the top plate? Is this the flange # 10 as seen in image above? "When i did i found a loss of connection of the ground wire for the sending unit going through the lug in the top plate. I clipped the wire on both sides of the plate, drilled a whole through it, spliced in a new piece of wire, sealed up the remainder of the whole with silicone, plugged it up, work the float arm, and viola!" Tank has to be dropped or floor door cut to do this, correct? Any suggestions will be appreciated. Sure would be nice if it was an easy short to repair. I don't think it is the float as it started working again when the tank was over 3/4 full.

Update: I found the plug in the back left hand rail that operates the fuel pump assembly. Unplugged it and turned the key on. The gauge went to beyond full over a few seconds time. SO it seems the gauge works OK.

 

[larrydd999]

Ken, I can't locate my '94 wiring diagram, but from my '92 diagram I see a yellow/white wire (#29) and an orange (#89) wire coming from the sender. On our '92 there's a square plug with spaces for 16 pins located between the firewall and the coolant reservoir. If you have this plug on your '94 you can unplug and test with a DMM between those two wires. Depending on the fuel level you should read somewhere between 30 ohms (full) and around 270 ohms (empty). From your experience with the working/not working situation, it appears to me you don't have a short - that would result in the gauge going to full and staying there. You have an intermittent open circuit which could be in the wiring to & from the gauge or at the in-tank sender. If the reading when it works does appear to be about correct, I'd suspect the in-tank sender.

 

[KEN's Exploder]

Thanks Larrydd999, The readings appear to be very accurate when the gauge is working. I was hoping it wasn't the sender in the tank. Not a job I want to tackle nor pay someone to do (again). Ford replaced it under warranty many years ago and I paid to have it replaced once as well. The fuel pump assembly is priced way too high form Ford. Any after markets you recommend to purchase or to stay away from?

 

[larrydd999]

Ken, I had a local shop replace the entire assembly - sender and pump - and they probably purchased it from NAPA since they mostly use their parts (if not OEM). It wasn't a job that I was comfortable doing either. My wife usually drives the car so I wanted the gauge working.
I'm sure others on this site will be able to give you the benefit of their experiences.
Larry

 

[FR-425]

I did my pump couple weekends ago did the cutout panel too. I didn't know anything about Airtex before I purchased one. I read here on this site about them not lasting very long. After replacing mine my gauge works again but it only reads to the 3/4 mark. Sometimes it will creep slowly toward the full mark after I fill it up. But will settle back only at the 3/4 full. I plan on putting back my OEM pump back in with a new float as the old pump worked fine just the float got fuel in it.

The fuel gauge amp is adjustable.
the long orange clip/cap in the middle is a slide capacitor. (slide it to adjust)

You can fill the tank, adjust to peg the gauge at full.

If you're full right up to the filler neck, peg'n the gauge will leave you with 5 gallons-ish reserve when the gauge is at E

 

[vq5speed]

And where is this chip panel located? behind the gauge behind the dash!

 

[2BeerDan]

I have a 1992 Ford Explorer 4x4 and my gas gauge borke one weeked while on the trails. I ended up replacing the entire sending unit with fuem pump and thr gauge still was not working. I did some research and a lot of people pointed to the Anti-Sloush Moduel and to bypass it with tape and a wire. But by doing that the gauge will work but with every turn or stop the gas gauge will be constantly movibg around. I did not want that to happen so i pulled my moduel from my dash and whent to the junk yard and pulled another one from a 1993 Explorer. And it worked. Now my gauge reads correctly. I would recommend this in stead of dropping the entire tank and skid plates. It took my about 10- 15 mins to pull from the Explorer at the junk yard.. And it was like 20 bucks.