Fuel Gauge Quit Working

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Dec 12, 2011 | 10:45 PM

cfpinz

Thread Starter

Mountain Pass

Joined: Aug 2006

Posts: 196

Likes: 34

From: Virginia

Fuel Gauge Quit Working

1997 F350 7.3, CC, 4WD

Coming home to Virginia from Colorado last month in a snow storm and my front tank gauge gradually quit working. Every time I filled it up, it registered a little lower than previous times until it never moved off of E. Checked all the external wires and can't see anything that ice ripped loose, and the back tank gauge works fine.

Anything else I should check before jerking the front tank and looking into the sending unit?

Thanks.

Dec 13, 2011 | 01:00 PM

deadsenator

Senior User

Joined: Jan 2004

Posts: 475

Likes: 0

From: Pugetopolis

Hey, this just happened on my front tank, too. Switched over and it only reads 1/3. Back tank is fine. Driving by mile until I figure it out....

Dec 13, 2011 | 04:53 PM

cfpinz

Thread Starter

Mountain Pass

Joined: Aug 2006

Posts: 196

Likes: 34

From: Virginia

Quote:

Originally Posted by deadsenator

Hey, this just happened on my front tank, too. Switched over and it only reads 1/3. Back tank is fine. Driving by mile until I figure it out....

Same here. Had an old '87 F350 with the 6.9 in it that I used on the farm and drove everyday, around 360k when I sold it. The last 5 years I had it, the front fuel gauge quit working and the back tank rusted out. Just filled it up every 200 miles or so, until the speedo/odo quit working. Then I just kept mental notes of mileage and filled it up every so often. Some trucks just ain't worth spending any money on...

Dec 17, 2011 | 10:27 PM

cfpinz

Thread Starter

Mountain Pass

Joined: Aug 2006

Posts: 196

Likes: 34

From: Virginia

deadsenator - Pulled the tank today and the float had taken on fuel. Had an extra tank stashed in the barn from a '91 that I junked a few years back, exact same float. Can't beat free.

Hope yours is as simple.

Dec 18, 2011 | 01:54 AM

deadsenator

Senior User

Joined: Jan 2004

Posts: 475

Likes: 0

From: Pugetopolis

Glad you got it sorted.

After driving on the front tank and seeing the gauge move up and down a little down near the bottom, I think I may have the same issue. I filled it today and the thing is stuck flat at the bottom now.

How hard is it to pull the tank? The trouble I have is that I don't have tons of spare time.

Guess I'll hafta make time someday soon. Thanks for the follow up!

Dec 18, 2011 | 11:03 PM

cfpinz

Thread Starter

Mountain Pass

Joined: Aug 2006

Posts: 196

Likes: 34

From: Virginia

Quote:

Originally Posted by deadsenator

Six bolts for the skid pan, two bolts for the tank, unhook the filler neck and lay it down far enough to get to everything if you don't want to fool with unhooking the fuel lines. No big deal but I'd start spraying the bolts down now with penetrating oil before getting started. Do that a few times beforehand and it'll make life easier.

If you can get an extra float and have it ready, a couple hours and you're done if none of the bolts break off. Just make sure and run it as close to empty as you can first. A can of degreaser and an air hose to blow off around the ring joint before taking them off is nice, I did that and still probably wound up with a half-acre of topsoil in my tank - that's what they make filters for.