Fuel gauge fluctuates
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Joined: Mar 2012
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Fuel gauge fluctuates
I have a 1997 Ford E-SUPER DUTY RV chassis. The fuel gauge fluctuates from full to empty, and anywhere in between sporadically. I have ruled out a "ground" problem because it does not just go from correct reading to empty, but will read 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 or anywhere in between and vary considerably while driving. I suspect it is the sending unit and was told that they sometimes get rusty from sitting. The RV is 15 years old with only 60K miles on it and it has indeed sat for long periods of time, so the rusty issue seems plausible.
Any ideas? If my suspicion is correct, is it worth trying to put some sort of fuel additive in the tank to see if it "frees" the sender, or will I have to replace the sending unit?
Many thanks!
Any ideas? If my suspicion is correct, is it worth trying to put some sort of fuel additive in the tank to see if it "frees" the sender, or will I have to replace the sending unit?
Many thanks!
Fleet Owner
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 21,253
Likes: 1,656
From: Reynoldsburg, Ohio
Assuming your fuel tank is just the standard E-Series type the sending unit indeed can suffer from sitting still too long. I have a 2000 E250 with its own fuel gauge quirk; slightly less than 1/4 tank and the gauge drops below E, stays there even if the tank is filled. After filling a sharp road bump seems to jar the sending unit loose and suddenly it reads accurately again.
Adding Chevron's Techron Concentrate seems to help but even so this problem returns occasionally. Of course with these vehicles its best to never let them run lower than 1/4 tank which is what I do most times.
I think its possible to replace just the sending unit but were it me and I already had the tank out it would be thoroughly cleaned (professionally) and a new pump with sending unit installed. A bit costly yes but what price is dependability?
HTH
Adding Chevron's Techron Concentrate seems to help but even so this problem returns occasionally. Of course with these vehicles its best to never let them run lower than 1/4 tank which is what I do most times.
I think its possible to replace just the sending unit but were it me and I already had the tank out it would be thoroughly cleaned (professionally) and a new pump with sending unit installed. A bit costly yes but what price is dependability?
HTH
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