Fuel Gauge without function - please help!

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Apr 7, 2006 | 11:56 AM

South Germany

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Fuel Gauge without function - please help!

Fuel Gauge without function. Anyone have a wiring diagram for a 1986 Ford F250 XLT Pickup? - Please help!!
- Greetings from good old Germany

Apr 7, 2006 | 03:20 PM

srercrcr

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Aveeterzane!
Ford's fuel sending units/grounds is another Ford "Better Idea".
Might as well get used to driving by miles, not the gauge.
That's what I've been doing for the last 100K miles, on both tanks!!
It's just not worth fixing, IMHO.

Apr 7, 2006 | 04:40 PM

fellro86

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Joined: Feb 2004

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From: Marengo, Iowa

Try unplugging the sender at the tank, and see what happens, if it reads full, and your guage normally reads empty, the guage is workin as well as they will, it's the sender. It can be as simple as a float that has leaked, filling with fuel, and no longer floating.

Apr 7, 2006 | 11:53 PM

Bdox

Fleet Owner

Joined: Sep 2005

Posts: 28,609

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From: Lake Tahoe, Nevada

That's right. Fuel sending units on old Ford trucks are very unreliable. Mine is bad too but the cost of the replacement is over a hundred dollars and the trouble of changing it has left me uninspired to repair it.

Apr 8, 2006 | 01:21 PM

jinserra

Senior User

Joined: Apr 2006

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From: gloucester va

I had the same problem in my old 1983 f150 and When I dropped tha tank and checked the sending unit the float was full of fuel. I went to the dealer and got a new float for about 10 bucks. Problem solved.

Apr 8, 2006 | 03:10 PM

reamer

Logistics Pro

Joined: Jan 2001

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From: Connecticut

It's easier to remove the bed than drop the tank, That's what I did.

Apr 8, 2006 | 08:12 PM

fellro86

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Joined: Feb 2004

Posts: 11,697

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From: Marengo, Iowa

I don't know, it isn't all that bad to pull the tank, all those rusty bed bolts and the fact I don't have ant help, it was easier to pull the tank when it was close to empty.

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Apr 8, 2006 | 08:48 PM

Franklin2

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From: Virginia

I agree, I would rather drop the tank than pull the bed. Both times I have pulled my bed for other reasons, I have had to grind the heads of the bolts off because they were so rusted.

You can take the sending unit wire off the tank, and with the key in run and someone watching the gauge, ground the sending unit wire. The fuel gauge should go full scale one direction. Then take the wire off ground and let it hang in the air. The gauge should swing full scale in the opposite direction. If this works, then it is the sending unit that is bad.

I would go ahead and take the sending unit out and troubleshoot. Sometimes it is the float, and sometimes there is something wrong with the sending unit inside. Usually the little wiper arm is broke off, or getting ready to break off and is not making contact. I have fixed about 5 sending units on different vehicles by carefully bending the little tabs back on the send unit metal box, and then taking a soldering gun and re-attaching the arm back by soldering it. I have had a 100% success rate so far.