Crack in fuel float?

[Doug18]

Ok, so I was freaking out a little bit earlier today on my way to the beach because my fuel gauge was dropping at a rate of about 7.5-8 mpg. I had replaced my drive belts earlier today so I initially thought that I may have forgot to re-connect something but after a lenghty search that turned out to not be the case, everything was as it should be. So I continued to drive and figured I would just bite the bullet and pay the premium this time and dig into it tomorrow after class. However, on the return trip I stopped to refuel because the gauge was reading just below 1/4 of a tank, but surprisingly it was full to the cap at just about 7 gallons and I had actually gotten 18 mpg which is about on par for over 20 miles of beach driving. So now I am baffled as to what could be wrong with my truck. Any ideas?

 

[Singtoe]

If you are getting 18 mpg while driving on the beach, that is great!

If your tank is full and it only reads half full, your float might not be coming to the top. I believe the float is made of some type foam, so if it is cracked, it will still float.

You might have a dirty fuel sender. Put some SEAFOAM in the fuel tank see if it cleans it up. If not, the sender is probably worn out and needs to be replaced.

 

[HCurphy]

Mine does this every so often. Literally, did it yesterday while i was waiting on her to warm up. Its kin of unnerving at first isnt it?

I have scoured the internets trying to find out what was going on and i can't find any info. The best i've got is that these gas gauges are just not all that accurate. There is a reset you can do, but i can't recall the procedure, and the reset just kind of tells the computer "hey, this is full" from what i can remember.

So, you could try to find that reset procedure, thats one option.

I'm pretty sure I've seen people actually replace the circuit board on the back of the cluster attempting to fix there gauge, however, they may not have been having this same problem.

With my gas gauge, the first half a tank on the gauge is meaningless, after that it seems to be about right. Also, my gas light has never failed to illuminate properly, so i never worry to much.

So, options?
keep track of miles and live with it.
Attempt the reset.
try to find the (yotatech thread i think) where the guy replaced his board.

 

[Stick Figure]

Children of Bodom is the one that swapped his circuit board, but I think he problem was the opposite of yours. Where it reads full to half a tank when you are really empty. Mine has done that to me a few times, but for some reason usually only while towing.

 

[HCurphy]

Ah SF to the rescue.

COB doing it makes since, his thread is so ridiculously long and packed with awesomeness that it doesn't have defined borders in my brain.

 

[Doug18]

If you are getting 18 mpg while driving on the beach, that is great!

If your tank is full and it only reads half full, your float might not be coming to the top. I believe the float is made of some type foam, so if it is cracked, it will still float.

You might have a dirty fuel sender. Put some SEAFOAM in the fuel tank see if it cleans it up. If not, the sender is probably worn out and needs to be replaced.

Ok I may try using some seafoam ... it is really odd though b/c it will register full when it is full but it sky dives from there ... put it this way I have gone 58 miles and it is reading just above half when normally it would still be pointed nearly at the "F"

Mine does this every so often. Literally, did it yesterday while i was waiting on her to warm up. Its kin of unnerving at first isnt it?

So, options?
keep track of miles and live with it.
Attempt the reset.
try to find the (yotatech thread i think) where the guy replaced his board.

Yes it is very un-nerving haha especially when it decides to start doing it while im on a trip and already having a bad day from having to change my drive belts before I left haha.

Yea I tried resetting the ecu on the beach but to no avail so I will just use it as an incentive to fill up my tank more frequently until it completely goes out

 

[HCurphy]

... it is really odd though b/c it will register full when it is full but it sky dives from there ... put it this way I have gone 58 miles and it is reading just above half when normally it would still be pointed nearly at the "F"

that is exactly what i meant about the top half of my gas gauge being meaningless. On my last tank i was at 28 miles and the tank read half, this scenario happens to me more often then not. Usually once i do burn through a half in actual gas, my gauge reads apparently correct for the bottom half of the tank.

good luck to you, and please do update this thread if you figure something out.