fuel gauge broke..ideas?

[Hossexplorer]

Hey my fuel gauge is broken, it is stuck on Empty when its clearly not. Its a '92, I can't find any other posts about it does anyone have an idea where to start?

 

[solitary ogre]

i found this link extremely helpful.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182160&highlight=fuel+pump+access

the guys at the ford dealer cheered me on when i told them i was cutting a hole in the floor rather than drop the tank out to replace my fuel pump.

enjoy........t

 

[Hossexplorer]

That is a good link if I was replacing a fuel pump but, I didnt see anything about how to fix a fuel gauge...

 

[solitary ogre]

the sending unit for the fuel gauge is mounted on the tube that the fuel pump is hooked up too inside the tank. you can buy just a pump or just a sending unit. i got the entire unit for $210 (canadian $$) including a new "O" ring, from the local ford dealer. the strainer on the bottom of the pump was clogged up with a lot of grit. don't buy a cheap pump. it may come back to haunt you later. i replaced the fuel filter as well. it was full of crap also including about 3 ounces of water that ran out when i drained it as i took it off the frame rail. the pump i took out was still running but was making a very loud high pitch whine.
also note: the wire does NOT detach from the top of the pump unit. you have to unplug it at the back of the tank along side the frame. there is about 24 to 30 inches of wire there that comes with the complete assembly. for the first time in over a decade i have a vehicle with a working fuel guage. no more watching the trip meter to guess when to fill up.
i did a quick patch to cover the hole using "peel & stick" a roofing membrane that sticks like shyt to a baby blanket. when the weather gets warmer then i'll fix it properly but the fumes can't get in for the time being and perhaps that mouse that made a nest on top of my fuel tank will have froze his balls off and left town.

enjoy..............t

 

[boggs1227]

i have to agree ...buy a good pump ,the first one i installed went out in 3 days ( cheap $98 dollar unit ) ...when it started to go it started makeing a really bad low and high pitch warblly sound .spent a little more money and bought a bosch pump .compared to the old stock one that has a metal or brass float this one has a plastic one .i think the plastic floats give more of a instant reading on the guage ( like the stock metal one gave readings more slowly in reaction to how much fuel you have in the tank) ......i have noticed at high way speeds that the guage goes to a certain point when driveing but when stopped it instantlly goes back to that level.

one bad thing i have noticed is how ford designed the guage to read...it's like when you fill up it seems forever to see the guage drop but when it does from that point go starts going down pretty quick .....it's like when the guage reads full when filling theres like another 2-3 gallons before it's actually topped off compared to the reading on the guage.so i guess the guage should have the full mark another 1/4 inch past where it reads full at ....strange....

also if you replace the pump your self ,make sure you mark the direction at the top of the pump for how the lines connect up to it .best to have it the way it was because a new angle could stress the fuel / return lines and or make reconnecting the lines back up a pain .

my 2 cents. . . . . .

 

[scrivyscriv]

Your problem most likely isn't the sending unit, per se, although it could be dirty contacts. The brass float attached to it probably has a pinhole leak and it's filled up with gas, settled to the bottom of the tank, and will forever give you an "empty" reading until you run completely out of gas, are parked on a hill, and try to start your engine about ten times.

Don't ask me how I know.

I've looked at Ford dealers AND the folks who supply Ford dealers, and neither one has a part number for that float. I took mine out, shook the gas out of it, and epoxy'd the two pinholes, but the gas ate the epoxy right up. You can solder the holes or simply replace the float - if it's leaking now, it will surely leak somewhere else in the near future, IMO, and is worth replacing, considering you have to remove the tank skid plate, the left rear wheel, a gas tank containing an unknown amount of gas, and remove the fuel pump assy (if you can even get it out all the way).

Check out this link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CORV...LOAT-60-9_W0QQitemZ360103567466QQcmdZViewItem

I don't know about successive generations, but 1st gen Explorers have a float just like this.

 

[gsmaclean]

I've looked at Ford dealers AND the folks who supply Ford dealers, and neither one has a part number for that float. I took mine out, shook the gas out of it, and epoxy'd the two pinholes, but the gas ate the epoxy right up. You can solder the holes or simply replace the float - if it's leaking now, it will surely leak somewhere else in the near future, IMO, and is worth replacing, considering you have to remove the tank skid plate, the left rear wheel, a gas tank containing an unknown amount of gas, and remove the fuel pump assy (if you can even get it out all the way).

Or...just cut a hole above the tank like I and lots of other people have done (read above).

I never found a replacement float, instead I just replaced the float assembly, which was easy enough to do, and relatively inexpensive. You have to pull the fuel pump off your old assembly and put it on the new one, which again is relatively easy.

This is the one I put in my 94, from RockAuto.com, search for part number FG42A:

 

[mikeinri]

Can the brass float be replaced with something else, like plastic?

Mike

 

[gsmaclean]

Can the brass float be replaced with something else, like plastic?

Mike

I read online here somewhere back when I did mine where someone drilled a couple holes in the brass float, drained the gas, then dipped the whole thing in solder to seal it again, and it fixed the problem.

I suppose if you found a piece of plastic that was impermeable to gasoline, was hollow, and could be fastened to the sender rod, you might be able to do it.

 

[scrivyscriv]

gsmaclean, I have been looking for that part for years and everyone told me it didn't exist!! Thanks for the info and part number.

Mike, I'd be iffy on putting a plastic float in the tank unless it was made for constant immersion/contact with gasoline... You could melt it and have a nasty mess if it goes wrong! But if you look at sending unit gsmaclean kindly posted a picture of. you can see it's made of plastic, so...

 

[boggs1227]

...my bosch pump has a plastic float........



edit : now if you found a styrofoam float that would be the thing to stay away from lol ........ can you say napalm !?