Help diagnosing fuel gauge issues

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Mar 26, 2020 | 08:00 AM

gpeade

Thread Starter

Laughing Gas

Joined: Aug 2004

Posts: 808

Likes: 0

From: P.G. VA

Help diagnosing fuel gauge issues

Hey folks, I have an 03 SD with 6.0L and the fuel gauge has never read 100% correctly. It appears correct except the tank is empty when the gauge is just below 1/4 tank. (ask me how I know).
Yesterday after a fill up the needle dropped all the way down and the low fuel light came on. This morning after starting it the needle was just over 1/4 but a little later it was reading full like it should have been. I'm thinking its a problem with either the float or sending unit in the tank. But before I drop the tank I was curious if there was a way to verify the gauge itself is functioning correctly? I'd have read too many stories of replaced sending units that still don't read correctly and I don't want to be in that group.

Mar 26, 2020 | 02:58 PM

kirkules

5th Wheeling

Joined: Sep 2013

Posts: 30

Likes: 1

My '03 guage never read over 3/4. Had to replace the fuel pump last week, which comes with a new sending unit. Now everything seems to read reasonably correct. Since I didn't want to spend the cash to change it out just to get a more accurate gauge I have just been filling up based on my trip odometer. I get around 10mpg so I have been filling up every 200 to 250 miles. A few more stops but not that big of a deal.