Gas Gauge

[SHOman]

I have a 92 Explorer with a gas gauge problem.
When I first power up the car, it goes to full
and then slowly returns to empty. Regardless
of how much fuel is in the tank.

Supposedly the sending unit was replaced.
So now I get to check the gauge itself. Any advise
on how to even get at the little bugger. And what
voltage I should be seeing.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

 

[NJAZ4.0XL]

Have you done a search and read the threads about the ball for the gas gauge in the tank cracking and filling with gas. That may be the problem although I can't see it ever reading full. Mine crapped out 25k ago and I just reset the trip meter. Beats dropping the tank. It's on the bottom of a big to do list...

 

[Msupertek]

Ford Certified Technician

disconnect the connector at the fuel pump, it will be at the rear of the tank driver side of course. On the harness side take a jumper wire and attach it to the yellow wire with white stripe down it and then ground the wire to the chassis (frame of vehicle), cycle the key off and then on it should go all they way to empty, then unground the wire and cycle key off then on again, now it should go all the way to full. If the guage does not respond relace it. If it does replace the sending unit. This is how us ford techs diag those fuel sending problems. Hope this helps ya.

 

[Commtech]

HEY THATS A GREAT TEST!!!!

I have been running for 2 years on a dead gas guage. I didn't want to go to all the trouble to pull the tank to find the sending unit working. Great way to isolate parts, love it!. Next time I have some time and weather to work on the X I'm gonna try that.

BTW...... here is something Very interesting about a Pontiac my wife used to have....
We bought a New 87 Bonneville, loaded. On the first trip we took out of town (car was 3 weeks old) found that the gass tank got stuck on 1/2 tank..... When I discovered it was screwwed up I tapped on the dash and watched the needle drop to "E"... Took it back to dealer and told him Exactly what happened when I tapped on dash. They replaced sending unit in the tank. Did the same thing the next week, took it back. Told them again what was happening, they said they would pull the tank again and recheck the unit........ took them a 3rd time to replace the offending gas guage!!!

 

[Msupertek]

Ford Certified Technician

Just to let all you explorer fans know, in five years I have replaced only 1 fuel guage at my Ford Dealership,
and thats because the needle was damaged. Otherwise I have replaced hundreds of senders. The main problem with the ealier than 1996 senders is that coke can looking float on them gets a pin hole and fills halfway with fuel. This can is suppose to float however when you have a float filled with fluid its floating qualities seem to dissappear. Later.

 

[mgerard]

msupertek, I did the check you described on my 92 Eb and it worked. The fuel needle moved to full then back to empty. I checked the ohms on sending unit, showed 15 ohms. True because I ran the EB for 230 miles since last fill up. SO I guess it is the brass float?

Mike
92 EB