Fuel gauge failing

[Morania]

My fuel gauge reads great when the tank is full. When I get down to about half full, the needle bottoms out.

After I fill up it jumps right up to full again and is pretty accurate until half a tank.

The fuel light works fine and I keep an eye on my mileage so it's mostly an inconvenience for those who aren't don't understand the truck intimately.
Like, my wife who worries about it. But on the up side, she fills it up every time she uses it.

It would be nice to have it working.

 

[fourwd1]

The fuel level sending unit in the tank is going bad, a common problem. Sometimes you can get them working again by pulling it and cleaning the windings with some electrical contact cleaner.

 

[Morania]

I was really really hoping you would say that it was a resistor that was easy to find and replace. That said.......

Is the sending unit easy to find? and will I blow myself up monkeyin' around with it?

 

[fourwd1]

There's an access panel under the passenger side rear seat, that IIRC is to get to the sending unit, but maybe for access to the fuel pickup. Remove the panel, and if what you see is just wires and no rubber hoses, that's it.

There will be a lot of very small phillips head screws that will probably be rusted, so be very careful not to strip the heads. I think I used vice grips to break them loose.

 

[Morania]

Are you avoiding the part about blowing up my house and yard or do you just not remember your big explosion?

:awais:

 

[fourwd1]

Unless you are smoking while you do it, or stick a match in the tank to see how much gas is left, there shouldn't be a concern.

If the fumes become strong just make sure the ventilation is adequate.

And don't sit there inhaling the fumes either.