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Low Fuel warning....

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Old May 15, 2004 | 02:06 PM
  #1  
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From: Pearl Harbor, Hi
Low Fuel warning....

Just some questions about this, and wondering if anyone else experienced this saem thing. After I put my first tank of gas in the F150 SCREW, i was on the road maybe 2 miles when the fuel guage went below the low mark and chimed low fuel, I waited about 5 minutes and it finally came back to show a full tank. I figured it might be a fluke, but the other day when I filled it up again (second time since owning the truck) it did it again. Any suggestions on this??? besides the obvious take it to the dealer.....

Another problem I had when I first bought the truck was the radio and power windows still operating with the key out of the ignition and the doors open... this turned out to be caused by a short in the door switch. Fixed by the dealership ASAP. I'm hoping i dont have electrical issues with this truck, I like it to much.....

Mahalo,
Paul
 
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Old May 15, 2004 | 02:14 PM
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When you filled the tank, was the engine running? Ford fuel gages have to reset themselves after fill-up in order to read accurately, and they can only do this when you refill with the engine shut off. If it was running, or the key turned to the "ON" position, then your gage could react that way.
 
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Old May 16, 2004 | 12:17 AM
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Filling the truck while it's running, or with the key "on" will not make the fuel gauge drop below empty and chime the low fuel light. Doing this will just cause it to stay where it was before you filled it. When you restart or rekey the ignition, it will pop up to full and read correctly.

I would guess your guage is grounding out.

FWIW, at about 3,000 miles my fuel gauge got stuck at just below a 1/4 tank for 3-days. This happened right after a fill up (with engine and key off). A bump must have broke it lose, because the day I was to take it to the dealer, it started working again. Since the dealer "couldn't duplicate", they didn't repair it. Been fine since.
 
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Old May 16, 2004 | 02:32 PM
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1956MarkII
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Originally Posted by desmoduc
...After I put my first tank of gas in the F150 SCREW, i was on the road maybe 2 miles when the fuel guage went below the low mark and chimed low fuel, I waited about 5 minutes and it finally came back to show a full tank...
Did you actually look at the gauge right after you filled it, confirming that it was reading full, and THEN it dropped down below 1/4? As you had only gone 2 miles when you noticed the low fuel level, is it possible it had been at that level the whole time? An important difference to know in helping you diagnose this problem. We'd still need to know if the engine was running when you filled it.
 
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Old May 16, 2004 | 06:05 PM
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Did you actually look at the gauge right after you filled it, confirming that it was reading full, and THEN it dropped down below 1/4? As you had only gone 2 miles when you noticed the low fuel level, is it possible it had been at that level the whole time?
It doesn't matter. The tank was full and the gauge went below the low mark (not the 1/4 mark) and chimed the low fuel light.

When a gauge pegs out at one end or the other, it is an indication of a short or ground problem. It's going to be either his sender at the tank, cluster unit (guage), or a bad wire somewhere. This might even be related to his other electrical problems. He needs to take it to the dealer for warranty repair.
 
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Old May 17, 2004 | 06:42 PM
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From: Pearl Harbor, Hi
The truck was off, key in my pocket. When I started it back up the fuel went to full. While driving it went to beloew the indication leverl and chimed. Hasn't happened yet (3rd fill yesterday) thanks for the quick answers guys. I'll have them look at it when I bring it in for its service.
 
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Old May 17, 2004 | 07:45 PM
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In that case, I've got to go along with CruelCrew's diagnosis: a short. Ford dealers often get that call about the fuel gauge not reading full, and 9 times out of 10 it's a new owner not familiar with the Ford product, and they've left the engine running while refueling. Heck, I've done it myself! When these questions come up, I look for the simplest, most-likely solution to the problem. Unfortunately, in your case, you'll have to spend some time in the service department.
 
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Old May 18, 2004 | 12:07 AM
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I wouldn't be so fast.
It could be the computer too.
Same thing happened on mine and many other Focus's when I first bought it.
I'd fill up and the guage would drop below empty, then slowly raise to full as I was driving. It was REALLY annoying.
I asked at the ford house and they never knew anything. But I think one of the times I took it in, they flashed the computer, because it mysteriously quit doing it after doing it very often for nearly a year.
 
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