Fuel gage stays on full until turned off | Ford Explorer Forums

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Fuel gage stays on full until turned off

Joined
July 28, 2021
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City, State
Denver Colorado
Year, Model & Trim Level
98 explorer xlt v8
98 Explorer XLT 5.0 I was getting gas the other day And noticed that The gas station pump kept clicking so I’m automatically thinking it’s the evap tube or the canister??my gasoline gauge still shows full until I turn it off . When I turn it back to the on position and not started it goes back to full. Any suggestions? Video down below
 

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  • IMG_7979.MOV
    7.6 MB



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Mine is the same way it appears that you have a full tank of gas
 












Yep that’s what it’s doing. I wonder if it’s the vent valve.
I'm pretty sure it's the slosh module In the instrument cluster that's causing this issue which is not an issue This is normal in my opinion
Now that I think about it the module has a higher voltage when the vehicle is running the second you shut off the vehicle voltage drops to battery level and you're getting a different reading
 






I'm pretty sure it's the slosh module In the instrument cluster that's causing this issue which is not an issue This is normal in my opinion
Now that I think about it the module has a higher voltage when the vehicle is running the second you shut off the vehicle voltage drops to battery level and you're getting a different reading
So should I replace the slosh module? Or bypass it?
 






I'd do nothing
If it ant broke don't fix it
 






So should I replace the slosh module? Or bypass it?
Don't make a problem, I have or had a problem with Ford slosh module on another car. The fuel gage worked or did not. On that first gen slosh module the caps fail. So I was collecting slosh module from the JY. The explorer work on a few item, not just the fuel gauge. I don't know how it can be bypass when it click into place. Nothing is marked.
 






Don't make a problem, I have or had a problem with Ford slosh module on another car. The fuel gage worked or did not. On that first gen slosh module the caps fail. So I was collecting slosh module from the JY. The explorer work on a few item, not just the fuel gauge. I don't know how it can be bypass when it click into place. Nothing is marked.
The top picture(right side) is the 2nd gen slosh module, the bottom picture( left side)is the 1 gen slosh module. The wires are power, ground, signal in, signal out. Now what are the arrangement on the 2nd gen slosh module

IMG_20221215_094152.jpg
 






After review
The top picture(right side) is the 2nd gen slosh module, the bottom picture( left side)is the 1 gen slosh module. The wires are power, ground, signal in, signal out. Now what are the arrangement on the 2nd gen slosh module

View attachment 437242
after reviewing the schematic for the 2nd gen slosh module.; which indicates 4 connection only, not 8 which the module has. The schematic shows that all the indicator gauges share the same power and ground. What are the other 4 connections for?
 












But it is broke. Gauges reads full no matter what. Sometimes it’ll go down a bit, but it’s not accurate. The sender and pump are fine so I’m wondering what it could be.
 






But it is broke. Gauges reads full no matter what. Sometimes it’ll go down a bit, but it’s not accurate. The sender and pump are fine so I’m wondering what it could be.
I would had say the sending unit. How do you know its good, it might be a shorted wire to ground, because the gauge is reading full
 






I have a great mach
I would had say the sending unit. How do you know its good, it might be a shorted wire to ground, because the gauge is reading full
I have a great mechanic and he said he’s already checked it but I’m taking it back next week so he can give it a once over. This is the weirdest thing. It’ll read full down a little from time to time.
 






The slosh module is (or was, if they've changed it) a 4 channel opamp based circuit. The wiring diagram linked in my sig (file name: instrument-cluster-instrument-cluster-circuit-1-of-2.pdf) show 7 connections. Oil pressure, fuel tank sender input, fuel gauge output, coolant temperature, check gauge light, power, ground.

Edit: video link removed

I don't know if that is the solution, or your sending unit is stuck at max range, or a wiring problem.
 






The slosh module is a 4 channel opamp based circuit. The wiring diagram linked in my sig (file name: instrument-cluster-instrument-cluster-circuit-1-of-2.pdf) show 7 connections. Oil pressure, fuel tank sender input, fuel gauge output, coolant temperature, check gauge light, power, ground.

Here's a video showing how to bypass, "IF" your module is the same as shown. It's just jumpering the fuel tank sending unit input, to the fuel gauge output, and covering the other bank of contacts.



I don't know if that is the solution, or your sending unit is stuck at max range, or a wiring problem.

Where the file "file name: instrument-cluster-instrument-cluster-circuit-1-of-2.pdf) show 7 connections"?
 






Screenshot of relevant portion of attached PDF

Something screwy happened with my prior post, I "thought" I had edited it to replace the video link (which after I watched it further, the guy never even revealed if what he showed, worked, like he didn't know if it would. He did have the right idea though, I just don't know if the pins he picked were correct.

I had replaced that video link with suggestions to use a multimeter to check low resistance/continuity between the sending unit wire and which dash cluster connector pin that corresponds to, then once that is found, which slosh module pin has continuity to that cluster contact. This gives the input signal contact, then check the other slosh module contacts for continuity to one of the fuel gauge contacts, to determine which is the output pin, and then you can connect input pin to output pin on the slosh module with a jumper wire. Instead of tracing the first part with a multimeter you could also look at the wiring diagrams for the connector # and pin # on each, as shown in the pic below and the rest of the instrument cluster diagrams, but since the diagrams don't include a pinout for the slosh module itself, continuity between each of its pins and the fuel gauge seems necessary, unless it can be reverse engineered from the circuit board itself.

In other words, suppose the PCB has an LM2902 quad (4 channel) opamp, then using the LM2902 datasheet, see which input on the IC that the sending unit is going to, then on the same opamp channel, which pin contact on the PCB that same channel's output is going to.

IIRC I'd also posted that I would prefer to instead (or at least as the first attempt related to the slosh module) try replacing the large electrolytic capacitor and retouching all suspect solder joints, particularly on the largest resistor just across from that capacitor.

slosh.png
 

Attachments







The guy in the video, did what alot of people where doing too fix the fuel gauge not working by adding the jumper wire or connecting input wire together with the output wire. Which my picture in response #8 the green and yellow wires. That only works if all of the module are working. The module with wire leads the caps go bad. Typical problem, the fuel gauge stop working. My question is, the 2nd module has 8 slide pins on it, what is the arrangement of there function?
 






^ I'm having trouble understanding what you are stating, what does "that only works if all of the module are working"? I am stating that if the sending unit, resistive float sensor is sending the right pull down resistance *signal* and the wiring is good, then jumpering across the input and output is something some people have done.

You can determine the function of each contact on the slosh module by using a multimeter to measure for continuity, low resistance to the next thing in the circuit, whether it be upstream on the respective numbered contact on the numbered connectors (C286 #12, C287 #12, #8, & #3, and C288 #1) on the wiring diagram, or use the multimeter to check the other direction, what each slosh module contact goes to downstream, on my previously attached picture.
 






^ I'm having trouble understanding what you are stating, what does "that only works if all of the module are working"? I am stating that if the sending unit, resistive float sensor is sending the right pull down resistance *signal* and the wiring is good, then jumpering across the input and output is something some people have done.

You can determine the function of each contact on the slosh module by using a multimeter to measure for continuity, low resistance to the next thing in the circuit, whether it be upstream on the respective numbered contact on the numbered connectors (C286 #12, C287 #12, #8, & #3, and C288 #1) on the wiring diagram, or use the multimeter to check the other direction, what each slosh module contact goes to downstream, on my previously attached picture.
What I am trying to find out. is the inputs on module #2 with the slide pin connectors? In response #8 module #2:
Slide pin #1--?
Slide pin #2--?
Slide pin #3--?
Slide pin #4--?
Slide pin #5--?
Slide pin #6--?
Slide pin #7--?
Slide pin #8--?

Exampe: In response #8, there also a module #1 with wire leads;
Green -- signal in from tank
Black-and-white ground
Red--- 12volts power in
Yellow-- signal out to gauge
 



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Since the pinout is not shown on the diagrams, if you can't find a pinout elsewhere on the internet, you'd need to do as I described, use a multimeter to find what each pin connects to, to map them out.

I checked Helm's diagram but same thing, only shows connections, not the pinout #'s for the slosh module. This diagram is useful in another way. If connector pin 12 going to the fuel tank (between it and a ground) is around 145 ohms, then it's not the slosh module causing a full tank reading, rather the sending unit potentiometer (variable resistor) related, like dirty contacts or stuck sending unit float lever. If it's reading open circuit, then a wire or connector problem, maybe also a slight possibility that the sending unit potentiometer broke in a more severe way.

slosh3.png
 






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