Woah woah woah. Mine never flooded, nor was there a claim. It proved to be water tight and the only damage was the ABS module and exterior light bulbs.

I'm flattered by the 25k reference, you shorted me by 235,000 miles

 

NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!! I was more referencing the fact that yours had been through mud and had God knows what thrown on the hood and windows and Michaels rig gets polished more than a 15 year olds... coin collection...

 

I have seen some shady practices. I bought a low mileage 2000 Ex that only had 98,000 miles on it.

Test drove it over weekend, filled it up 35 gallons. Drove it 25 miles back to dealer and fuel gauge was on 3/4 of a tank. It was on full after I filled it.

So, I ended up not buying it at askin price. I "think" someone replaced the instrument panel and fuel gauge was not calibrated to a 40+ gallon tank. No way I used 10 gallons of gas in 25 miles.

Told dealer this and he did not belive me so he filled it again. It took about 2 gallons or so. Fuel gauge went back to full.

Now I know this could just be a float issue, but a 2000 V10 with only 98,000 miles? I was skeptical so I low balled the dealer. Bought it for $2500. V10 4x4 leather with dvd system.

Are miles correct? I can't say for sure, but it is a dependable vehicle and I like it.

It's easy to swap out an instrument panel, so buyer be ware.

 

That is not how the fuel gauge works. There is no calibration in the instrument cluster. the gauge is a standard 1-5v stepper motor. The calibration comes from the float in the tank. The float level controls a voltage resistor that sends the correct voltage to the stepper motor to move the needle to indicate the float level.

The math for your theory also doesn't work. If you drove 25 miles @12mpg you used apromoxiatly 2 gallons of fuel. Gauge went down by 25%. So take 2 gallons x 4 and you get a 8 gallon tank. Fairly confident ford doesn't put that instrument cluster in anything with a 8 gallon tank.

But that said... GOOD JOB using a mechanical issues as a bargining chip at the dealer.

 

I've had 3 V10 Excursions all with true documented miles (80k, 118k, 102k when bought) all of them had different fuel gauge readings after miles traveled. My 2002 is the worst, I can fill up and go 25-30 miles and it drops to 3/4 but then will hang there forever. It also likes to tell me i'm totally on empty with zero miles to go, when I can only barely squeeze 36G in the tank. I've replaced the fuel pump hoping that would fix it but alas no. Now I just compensate for it, on the flip side my 2004 would not trip the fuel light or be on E until I had used 42 Gallons or so....talk about wacky differences.

 

My fuel gauge is not linear either. I don't think many of them are as they seem to develop their own quirks. But like you said, you just get used to the function.

Mine indicates full for much longer then it is actually full, Then drops quickly to 1/4 tank where it hangs again for longer then I actually have a quarter tank. Thankfully the last quarter of the tank is indicated on a linear fashion down to empty.

The fix would be a new float assembly but .... Meh.

 

I know that every SN95 mustang that I have ever owned came with an "anti-slosh" module which had something to do with the way the gauge would read, granted those mustangs dont have a low fuel light. Perhaps the EX has a similar technology, a calibration which is set for every single truck.

 

Your mechanic is clueless, I would be hesitant having him work on my truck

 

Sure odometer fraud is possible. I have 4 instrument clusters I am choosing between to go in my 1978 Bronco. The miles vary from 26k to 89k, and they are 5 digit so I'm not sure how many times they have rolled over and I truly don't care. By the time it is driving I will have replaced all of the drivetrain and 1/4 of the body. I'll put in the cluster I like and if I ever am forced to sell it I will just let the buyer know the miles are unknown. They were unknown when I bought it as a basket case anyway. Like has been said, it is only someone's integrity that keeps them from cheating the odometer and trying to pass it off as the real miles. Good luck.