Gas Mileage/Gauge Inaccuracy...

[Cranmaro99]

Hey all,

I've recently purchased a 2001 5.0 AWD Limited Explorer for my daily driver, and so far the thing is solid and everything works well on the car. 114k miles on it, and I'm replacing the balljoints on the car next weekend, and besides that all looks solid.

Except one thing that annoys me:

My gas gauge is very inaccurate and inconsistent. Usually something like this won't bother me on an older car but fuel gauge inaccuracy does bother me a lot.

It's inconsistent, too. The gauge moves up and down (slowly) and reads something different every time I start the car. However, the gauge is 'generally' accurate, as in it's never a 1/4 of a tank off the marker... Aka when its a 1/2 tank of gas, it won't read less that 1/4 of a tank or more than 3/4. But it's always wrong.

I also have the digital readout below my digital HVAC controls. And the digital fuel mileage and consumption readings are always inaccurate, too.

Do these come hand in hand, or does the digital readings come from a different source than the analog gas gauge?

For example: I'll start the car and it says I have 115 miles til empty, and then I'll start the car after work and it will read 87 miles til empty, etc etc.


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Long story short, what does this sound like? Bad gas floater-reader in the tank? Bad 02s?

Not throwing any codes... yet.

 

[yavapaires]

I have NO IDEA about the computer part, I would never trust what says any way. But about your fuel gauge, does it vary the reading on level ground, or, does it vary depending on the level of the ground? IE: on my 96, the fuel gauge changes considerably depending if it is parked nose up or nose down. I am talking about parked in my driveway,which has a very shallow incline. If I pull in, the gauge will show fuller than it is. If I back in, it will show less full than it is. We're talking probably about 2-3 gallons difference. I consider this normal, and ignore it.

 

[Cranmaro99]

I have NO IDEA about the computer part, I would never trust what says any way. But about your fuel gauge, does it vary the reading on level ground, or, does it vary depending on the level of the ground? IE: on my 96, the fuel gauge changes considerably depending if it is parked nose up or nose down. I am talking about parked in my driveway,which has a very shallow incline. If I pull in, the gauge will show fuller than it is. If I back in, it will show less full than it is. We're talking probably about 2-3 gallons difference. I consider this normal, and ignore it.

No it occurs on flat ground. It does change even more so when on uneven ground, as well, however...

 

[yavapaires]

OK in that case, I would look for a bad ground, a bad connection at the tank sending unit, and if that don't fix it, look at pulling the sending unit out. Let us know what you find. Thanks

 

[Cranmaro99]

Ok I'll check it out. Where is the sending unit on these trucks located?

 

[yavapaires]

Sending unit is in the gas tank, accessed through the top of the tank. You will have to drop the tank, or there are posts on here where guys have cut a hole in the floor, behind the back seat. Not an easy job, but sometimes necessary. If it were mine, I would run it nearly out of gas, or siphon the gas, then drop the tank.