It could be something as simple as the float has a hole in it. That's what was wrong with my 1990 front tank. When it was full it read empty. Picked up a float at the junk yard as I was passing by a truck that had the tanks out. Easy to replace. Drop the tank, remove the ring, lift out the sending unit and replace the float. It just clips in to a metal wire.
It could be something as simple as the float has a hole in it. That's what was wrong with my 1990 front tank. When it was full it read empty. Picked up a float at the junk yard as I was passing by a truck that had the tanks out. Easy to replace. Drop the tank, remove the ring, lift out the sending unit and replace the float. It just clips in to a metal wire.
^^All things to check. If none of the above ideas works, you might also check the connection at the gauge cluster.
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My 88 F350 has had this problem from about 70k miles (bought the truck new), I think your problem (mine too) is in the dash, swapping tanks changes the oil pressure. The tank gauge stays at full on either tank until it is almost empty then it jumps down to just above "E", this problem started out with fuel needle swinging wildly when the tank(S) would be about half, then it switched to the all or nothing deal. My temp gauge froze up a while back, jumping the sender connection does nothing to move it, I have been threatening to put some aftermarket gauges for the oil and water but just haven't done it yet. I think these trucks have more than one problem in these areas, someone a while back posted on the web about rebuilt dash cluster and fuel sender mods, but it was pricey if I remember, I think I'll find a later dash and instrument set up from a salvage yard and be done with it, it is kind of the same thing with the headlights going bad, it is cheaper to buy a complete 92-97 nose from a salvage yard than the 88 light assemblies new.
My truck has had this problem, i have put 2 new sending units. I have just dealt with it and filled up every 3 days. I am going to try a new cluster as well. It seems like a common problem. Its common enough that i just cut a hole in my bed so i dont have to drop the tank. Best thing to do is just try new stuff. Maybe an aftermarket fuel pump or gauge set-up.
I just picked up a cluster from a low mileage 91 "cluncker" (the truck was really nice ) , for $20 bucks why not? I'll put it in in the next few days and report back, if it solves the problem that will be great and maybe give some of you other guys some hope, if not what the heck, right??
Okay guys, here is the result of my 91 instrument cluster installation in my 88 F350, flunk, water temp did not work at all, oil pressure way off from original, fuel gauge even more squirrely than the old one . I noticed some differences before hooking it up but convinced myself it was because it was newer and improved, wrong. Went back to the salvage guy, told him what happened he said no problem, go find the one you need and we'll swap out, well maybe some hope yet. I found an 89 full size Bronco that had a cluster real close to my original, the 89 had a couple of extra resistors that you can see from the outside, other than that the same even with the little extra circuit board on the lower right corner like the original. Well this didn't work any better than the 91, the reading for oil pressure was slightly higher but all else the same. I am a bit puzzled by this, the senders for temp and oil pressure are the same from year to year for the 460 engine. What this means to me is the signals are the same from the senders but something in the clusters reads them a different way, hence the big variations from cluster to cluster.
At this point I am considering three options, one is sending the original cluster to one of several outfits that claim to be able to fix/remanufacture it, another is biting the bullet and going through Ford for a new or remanufactured (not cheap I'll bet), the last is doing away with the original meters save the tach and speedometer and going with whatever will work. The fuel gauge issue may prove to be the tough one to solve, the senders in the tanks are dubious at best, I'm not afraid to cross breed brand to brand, I'm for whatever will work.
That's it for now, I'll keep you posted on any progress.
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) , for $20 bucks why not? I'll put it in in the next few days and report back, if it solves the problem that will be great and maybe give some of you other guys some hope, if not what the heck, right??
. I noticed some differences before hooking it up but convinced myself it was because it was newer and improved, wrong. Went back to the salvage guy, told him what happened he said no problem, go find the one you need and we'll swap out, well maybe some hope yet. I found an 89 full size Bronco that had a cluster real close to my original, the 89 had a couple of extra resistors that you can see from the outside, other than that the same even with the little extra circuit board on the lower right corner like the original. Well this didn't work any better than the 91, the reading for oil pressure was slightly higher but all else the same. I am a bit puzzled by this, the senders for temp and oil pressure are the same from year to year for the 460 engine. What this means to me is the signals are the same from the senders but something in the clusters reads them a different way, hence the big variations from cluster to cluster.
