Fuel Guage not reading

[Puremuscle]

Purchased a 91 explorer from this guy and the fuel guage isn't working. I checked the fuse and it's fine. I'm wondering if there is something eles i can check before going through the process of replacing the sending unit.

 

[Robrt32]

Check the wiring at the tank and make sure somebody didn't leave it disconnected when they changed the pump... I would start there after fuse

 

[techieman33]

There is a ball float in the tank, it's pretty common for it to develop a hole, fill up with gas and sink, so it always reads empty

 

[Puremuscle]

I'll check the wiring tonight. If that checks out ok then the float is probablly the cause. I saw in the tech section that the best way to get to the sending unit is to cut through the floor. How bad is it to drop the tankn?

 

[Robrt32]

It isn't just awful but i dread it every time... If i had a lift, it wold be ok.... Dirt in eyes is rough

 

[boggs1227]

for the first timer about 2 hours to drop .2 ways of replaceing the sending unit / pump ( same part)

before doing anything make sure you got all the gas out of the tank for a few reasons like fire / weight ( if you drop) / and being able to clean the tank (inside)


1> is to cut a hole right above the tank / pump .many people have done it this way but you got to rip up the carpet in the rear hatch area and i think remove the rear seats ( don't quote me tho) ...next get a jig saw with a metal blade short enough not to slice into the tank .then glue every thing back with silicone sealant.

2> is to drop the tank...take out the spare tire.get 2 pieces of rail road tie or something of same dimensions ( 8x8 ) and jack up the truck and rest the rear wheels on the blocks with the emergancy brake on.next geta fuel line tool and undo the connectors and also undo the wire harness (left hand frame rail ...kinda hard to see but it's there) next undo the the filler hose o-clamps. undo 4-5 bolts that hold the skid plate / straps and drop the tank down ( like i said with all the gas out it's pretty light weight for the most part,i also used a large piece of carpet on the ground below the tank to let it sit down on .sounds like alot of work to drop it but it's really not( at least to me it was'nt) plus when it's out you can inspect the tank inside and out and flush and clean it real good and get a air compressor and dry it out ..... i had rocks under my skid plate eatting into the tanks plastic ...not good.


either way has it's pro's and cons ...up to you . but when you reach the point of replaceing the pump make sure you mark the angle of wich the pump lines were pointing so that your fuel/return lines will match up and not be stressed from a diff angle on the tank.

and to conclude ......BUY A QUALITY PUMP IF YOU CAN .reason i say this is i thought i was going to be smart and buy a cheaper pump ,i installed it and 3 days later it went out had a year warranty...spent $25 more bucks and got a good bosch pump with a life time warranty and has yet to go belly up on me ....but yet i had to install it twice ....just trying to save you from the mistake i got my self into .

 

[jaycin]

Some time ago I posted about my fuel gauge not working (93 XLT 2WD). I got a response telling me that there IS NO FUSE for this gauge. Been using the odometer ever since and that's been fine. now I found this post saying something about a fuse --- is there one and where is it located?

 

[Macgiobuin]

Interior Fuse #11 which also runs the voltmeter, temperature gauge, oil gauge, check engine light, low oil indicator. If ALL these do not work, then it's likely the fuse. If your check engine light comes on for a couple seconds during start-up, then the gauge, or its feeding circuit from the dash, or the grounding circuit is bad.