Everyone asks this but...

[GFRY HTSN]

Hi all. I have a 1996 Explorer. My gas gauge went out a while back, and i was wondering if i could just buy the center message center, and ONLY wire it up to the gas tank. Fordhouse said it would be extensive parts/labor to fix the guage, and i have found a message center for 20$, and didnt think it would be to hard to put it in and ONLY wire it for the gas miles till empty readout. If i only wire it to that, will it constantly think all my lights are out, and all the other stuff i havent hooked it up to? Sorry for the unclear post

 

[briwayjones]

A lot of times the gauge goes out because the sender unit for the guage that is in the gas tank goes bad. If that's the case the only way to fix it is replace the gas tank.

 

[Lee S.]

This thread (located in the list of useful threads forum) might give you a start:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=677621#post677621

Lee

 

[GFRY HTSN]

lee s : yah, i found that thread, thanks though, but i was asking if i only hook the unit up to the gas tank, if it would still function properly

 

[Spdrcer34]

I believe the answer is NO. In order for the message center to 'know' how much gas you have left, or how many miles until empty, it HAS TO GET A SIGNAL from the Gas Tank Sending unit. If the brass float is cracked and full of gasoline, sinking it causing a constant 'empty' reading on the gauge....the message center will ALSO tell you it's empty.

That would be the same thing as adding a Lock/Unlock button to a vehicle that has no lock/unlock solenoids.....

Ryan

 

[Mbrooks420]

I would guess that wiring up the message center, even for bare bones operation, would be at least as hard as fixing the guage. I don't know who told you it'd be extensive parts and labor, but I suggest you don't listen to anything else they have to offer as advice. It's either the guage, winring from the guage to sender, or the sender unit is damaged.

 

[MadMike6786]

i though i was the only one with a gas gauge problem. mine would read past full(way past) randomly lol usually when i started it up it. now it seems to of gone away.

 

[GFRY HTSN]

my sending unit is fine, it is my actual guage that is corrupt. The one on the dash(I know for a fact, sending unit is fine, it is the actual instrument cluster itself). Ford house says i need to replace the whole instrument cluster,but i dont want to due to having one with different mileage than i already have, and it costs more to replace all that than to get a message center, and have it hooked up to the gas tank. Plus, i kinda like the idea of having that gadget. So, has anyone ever hooked up a message center, and not hooked it up to everything it is supposed to be hooked up to, and does it still work fine.

 

[Doug]

The gauge cluster is easy to change, you can swap them out in less than an hour. as far as having diff. mileages you can probably change the mileage on the new dash while it's out. hooking up the message center is going to be alot more work than it's worth.