Gas gauge

[John Rogers]

My fuel gauge has started going nuts on me , it alternates from reading slap full to empty. My guess would be that the fuel sensor in going/gone bad. I want to take it into the dealer to have it looked at ,, however I would like to avoid the feeling of being ripped off. Has anyone here had this problem that can give me an idea of what cost of repair I should be expecting ? I am not sure if this is something I want to attempt myself.



Thanks guys

 

[Dreman]

I had some weirdness from the gas gauge on my Trac a couple of years ago. I wound up wiggling the connections at the tank, and the problem went away.



However, that sounds like the very same problem my GMC has had for years. After one quote of $900 to replace the fuel pump/sending unit in the tank, I left it that way, and now I use the trip meter to know when to fill up. A little more research, though, revealed that it is possible to find replacement units on ebay for $135. I have no idea what the price might be for the Ford equivalent. And it is easier to remove the bed to get access to the top of the fuel tank than it is to remove the fuel tank. I haven't taken the bed off my Trac, but I understand it isn't hard. Maybe one day I'll fix the GMC, but I'm kind of used to it now.

 

[Nick Smith]

What kind of roads are you seeing this on? Are they steep or level? Because I've seen mine fluctuate about a quarter to half a tank while driving on slopped roads. If its happening on level roads then it might be the fuel gauge sensor. The thing with our tanks it that they are long and shallow so the fuel can slosh around giving false readings.



BTW just in case anyone is interested here is how fuel gauges work: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-gauge.htm