Gas Gauge Problem

[earnbud]

Hi guys ive had a problem with my gas gauge and lately its getting worse . i notice sometimes when driving the gas gauge fluctuates

for example i drove probably 10 miles and it showed i had a 1/4 tank of gas and when i got were i was going it showed it was on empty or sometimes it shows how much gas is in the tank and then when i go to turn the vehicle on the gas gauge goes down or even just today it showed it was on empty so i got some gas about 2 gallons at most and drove only a few minutes but when i got home it showed a 1/4 tank

im not sure if its an electrical problem or the actual sending unit/fuel pump issue , but its really annoying and my odometer doesn't work so i cant find out that way either on how much gas i got

 

[OneLever]

Common problem on second gens. When the gas gets below a quarter tank the gauge becomes inaccurate. This also happens if you are parked on an incline or driving on an incline for a long time. Easy fix is to keep the tank above half full since the energy savings of running a near empty tank are negligible. Also with winter coming if you were to get stranded, say on a family trip out of FL, you'd want that full tank. That way you can idle for hours and survive in the freezing cold.

Never hurts to keep a jug of distilled water in the trunk either. Can drink it or mix it 50/50 with antifreeze if needed. Always keep a coat with gloves in the trunk too. Can you tell I live farther north?

 

[earnbud]

I used to live up north , but down here its rarely cold other then a few months out of the year

One thing a local mechanic here in florida said for me to put in full concentrate in my vehicle and no 50/50 due to how hot the 4.0 engines get , ive never heard of that before

Is there anyway to actually fix the gas problem , would replacing the sending unit fix it

 

[2TimingTom]

Full concentrate antifreeze? Really? Your local mechanic knows nothing about how a cooling system works. Never go back to him.

Antifreeze, or coolant, actually doesn't do much for cooling. Antifreeze helps with corrosion, lubrication and of course, keeping the coolant solution from freezing. The best mix for the best cooling performance is actually to run 100% water. But then it's a trade off with the other benefits that antifreeze offers.

In FL, I'd run about 65% or 70% water and the rest antifreeze.

And as far as the gas gauge goes- it's annoying, huh? I've only filled up my Explorer twice since I've owned it, but I can get at least 330 miles out of a tank. But I think I'm going to start filling up after 250 miles or so because of winter coming and the fluctuating gas gauge annoys me.

 

[earnbud]

Yeah i know it doesnt make any sence , well what if i just run the 50/50 , its cheaper and he said supposedly the stuff at autozone and advanced ect is mostly water but the antifreeze at walmart is the real thing

As far as the gas gauge its really anoying , and my odometer is stuck so i cant even guess on how many miles i will go till im empty

 

[1Aauto]

It sounds like it could be a bad sending unit.

 

[my98nnj]

One thing a local mechanic here in florida said for me to put in full concentrate in my vehicle and no 50/50 due to how hot the 4.0 engines get ,

Find another mechanic. Antifreeze is a poor heat transfer agent which is why it's mixed with water. If you run straight antifreeze down in FL you'll probably run pretty hot.

 

[earnbud]

If this is a common issue , then if i put in a new sending unit wouldnt it probably fix the problem , because its really annoying

 

[earnbud]

Well lately its happening more and more , the other day when i just left a parking lot it showed i was on empty and when i was driving a few miles it went back up to 1/4 tank , is this mostly a sending unit problem like a problem with the float or could this also be an electrical issue

I dont wanna waste money , but i drive alot and i cant afford for my gas gauge to be wrong , would you guys know if i put in a brand new sending unit that it would resolve the issue with the gauge being wrong , if not that then what can i do to fix it

 

[OneLever]

It's the only thing I could think of to fix that problem. I seem to recall a TSB related to losing power under acceleration related to the fuel pump and cavitation. But you haven't mentioned any fuel pump problems so the sending unit, or it's electrical connections, seems like a good candidate. Search the forum for people having the same issue, and let us know how you fix it.

 

[98 5oh XLT]

I have the same issue and find it irritating as well. I park at a slight angle so i get into my truck after just waking up to go pick up the lady from work (I work graveyard) and it says empty, get going twords gas station....it goes up to 1/4th tank. It will also show that it has more fuel going up hill and less fuel going down hill, however i am used to it because my Saturn ION did the same thing. Just keep it above quarter or half tank and you never have to worry

 

[unclemeat]

You can try Chevron fuel injector cleaner with Techron. I know it sounds rediculas, but for some reason it seems to make fuel gages work properly.

Second, the reason we mix our anti-freeze 50/50 with water is because it gives us a higher boiling point and a lower freezing point, than a pure or different mix ratio (basic chemistry).

 

[Explorer2011]

I have this same problem when i get down to 1/4 of a tank.. it will go from say almost 1/4 to E and go back and forth nothing has worked

 

[earnbud]

Well i put some marvel mystery oil in the tank , but i just guessed on how much considering i didnt know how much was in the tank

I was initially thinking electrical problem except when i noticed today it showed i was on empty and i put 6 bucks in which gave me about 2 gallons of gas and then i checked the gauge after and it went back up to 1/4 tank of gas , sounds like a float problem almost

i dont wanna waste my money but i cant stand this issue and if it is an electrical issue how can i check it