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Erratic fuel gauge

firepop5

Well-Known Member
Joined
September 3, 2007
Messages
297
Reaction score
3
City, State
floral park ny
Year, Model & Trim Level
96 EB
96 EXP. 5.0

My fuel gauge registers erratically-it will move from full to 1/2 to empty to 3/4 or anywhere in between while you are driving. This usually triggers the "check gauge" light on the dash. I would automatically suspect the float and/or sender in the tank. I studied a schematic of the fuel gauge circuit and I see that that gauge is supposed to move according to the resistance to ground established by the sender.
I have a message center in the console that I set to read "--- miles until empty". According to the schematic, that message is also controlled by the resistance set by the sending unit. The miles to empty message does not vary erractically along with the gauge, it just goes down consistently as fuel is used up. I sort of use this message as my fuel gauge now. This makes me think the problem might not be the sender. Should I look elsewhere or just change the sender? Don' want to drop the tank if I don't have to!
 



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Mine does the same thing. Pisses me off. I think that i am going to get like 20 miles to the gallon then the gauge drops off and i only end up getting 17
 






mine moves a bit, making me wonder if it is the sender
 






Does your "miles to empty" number travel up and down?
 






i dont have the info console thing, it moves around over a 1/8 of a tank, maybe just normal compared to my old ranger
 






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