Fuel Gauge
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 265
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix, AZ
Fuel Gauge
ok so i got gas today $60 bucks for 24 Gal, but anyway when i started the truck after fueling the gauge just returned to where it was before i got gas. i shut the truck off and then on again, no change. then as i am driving home i shut it off again, and back on still nothing. drove some more and the gauge is slowly moving up, it is back to a quarter tank after driving 10 min. so now it is slowly filling but still isn't showing full. anyone ever seen this before?? any help would be great. 04 250 5.4
Guest
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 7,988
Likes: 55
From: north west new jersey
this a common problem. let it sit over night and see how it reads in the am .it will for sure start reading better in a few hours.
always when filling make sure the motor and key are turned off .
always when filling make sure the motor and key are turned off .
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 5,859
Likes: 7
From: USA
Its the nature of the beast,the guage system uses a damping resistor in the instrumentation module to dampin fluctations in the fuel guage.
They do go bad,but as stated its been a noticable thing over the yrs of our trucks.
Rich
They do go bad,but as stated its been a noticable thing over the yrs of our trucks.
Rich
Junior User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
I am having the SAME problem. It has been to the shop twice. First time they "PID" the gauge and checked for loose wires.
Last week I took it for the 35k service. They checked for loose wires, etc. Ended up draining the tank and replacing the sending unit.
My son took the truck on a trip this past weekend, same problem.
This started at about 28k mile. Very frustrating.
Has anyone got this fixed yet?
Last week I took it for the 35k service. They checked for loose wires, etc. Ended up draining the tank and replacing the sending unit.
My son took the truck on a trip this past weekend, same problem.
This started at about 28k mile. Very frustrating.
Has anyone got this fixed yet?
Junior User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
I searched through all of the archive threads on this topic and have not found a solution.
I always have the key "off" as stated in many posts.
I performed a TSB search and could not find anything on this. I did find an Oasis report that is very vague.
Any ideas?
I always have the key "off" as stated in many posts.
I performed a TSB search and could not find anything on this. I did find an Oasis report that is very vague.
Any ideas?
Trending Topics
Freshman User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
Mine will do this once in awhile. It hasn't happen in two years though. I will shut it off, take the key out, and fill it. After starting it, the guage will stay where it was before I filled. A couple of years ago I was in the middle of North Dakota when it did it. I drove about 30 miles and it slowly creeped up to full. I never had the dealership look at it, because they are a bunch of boneheads there. I don't like them touching my truck. Its out of warranty now. Maybe I should of had it taken care of, but they probably would tell me nothing was wrong. It wouldn't do it when they looked at it. It would of been a waste of my time. As long as it runs good, I am not going to worry about it.
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?
Brett Foote
2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Most Surprising 2026 Ford Truck Features!
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Ford Trucks Coming to Mecum Indy 2026
Brett Foote
5 Best / 5 Worst Ford Truck Wheels of All Time
Joe Kucinski
Posting Guru
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,366
Likes: 2
From: Northern Utah
The key (pun intended) to avoiding this problem is to not leave the key in the auxilary position. Mine will always read low if I leave the stereo on while fueling. If your truck does it (frequently) without the key in the ignition, go back to the dealer (if under warranty). Better yet, put fuel in just prior to getting to the dealer and say: SEE...PROBLEM!
Junior User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
She is going in again tomorrow. The service rep said there is an "anti-slosh" circuit built-in to the instrument cluster that has probably "burned-out."
Makes sense to me based on what the gauge is doing.
This past weekend, we moved my baby girl into Western Carolina University. It is 285 miles from Sanford. The gauge seemed to be okay until I hit the mountain roads, up, down, twisting, etc. Then the gauge went crazy again. After sitting for a while, it fixed itself.
I got 21.4 going to WCU, and 22.5 coming home. This is my calculations, not the computer, although it was very close. I have never had a loaded 4X4 that got this kind of mileage, one of the many reasons, I LOVE MY Super Duty PSD!
I will post an update after the repair.
Makes sense to me based on what the gauge is doing.
This past weekend, we moved my baby girl into Western Carolina University. It is 285 miles from Sanford. The gauge seemed to be okay until I hit the mountain roads, up, down, twisting, etc. Then the gauge went crazy again. After sitting for a while, it fixed itself.
I got 21.4 going to WCU, and 22.5 coming home. This is my calculations, not the computer, although it was very close. I have never had a loaded 4X4 that got this kind of mileage, one of the many reasons, I LOVE MY Super Duty PSD!
I will post an update after the repair.
Junior User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
The problem was resolved by replacing the instrument cluster. Now after I fill up, turn the key on, the needle jumps up past full like it used to and the needle seems to be registering correctly as the fuel gets used.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,815
Likes: 24
From: Houston
Originally Posted by Hot Spot
The problem was resolved by replacing the instrument cluster.
Senior User
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 364
Likes: 0
From: Redding, CA
My 02 never worked consistantly enough to trust it. So, I always used the tripmeter to keep track of the mileage/remaining fuel. I still use this method with my 05. Just don't trust those guagues. Only problem with this is that you have to know what your average MPG is.
Mike
Mike
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 265
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix, AZ
well i have fueled up 5 times since then and it was just fine, maybe the ignition was stuck in a middle position even though the key was in my pocket. so i will just go with it and see if it does it again.
Freshman User
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
From: Washington MO
I posted about this a while ago, when my 04 was still a baby, I had my feul pump replaced under warranty and it doesnt do it anymore. Sometimes mine would get an accurate reading but most of the time it read E. I had to guess how much gas i had for 2 weeks until i got it into the shop! Seems like every SD has a feul guage malfunction in some way or another, getting it fixed is tricky. I dont know much about the feul system, but they replaced my pump. It was 900$ but covered by warranty, my case may have been of the more severe though as it read empty most of the time!