weird gas gauge

[4Evr4RunN3R]

Today i was stopped in traffic and i noticed that when holding the brake, the gas gauge would go down. I was a little under 3/4 and looked away for a second and when i looked back it was down next to a 1/4. When i let the brake go to start moving again it went up. it doesnt do it all the time but sometimes i can notice it moving a tiny bit at a time. Any ideas on what could be happening?

 

[4Evr4RunN3R]

guess no has an idea of what it could be?

 

[beallen21]

mine does the same when I brake hard i show like a quarter tank less than I have, it's just your gas sloshing around in the tank man, no worries

 

[p nut]

Yeah, the pre-2001 gauges were prone to malfunction. My 98 4Runner did the same thing. Even when it was full, it would only read 3/4 tank, sometimes. Then, it would also go up and down like crazy, sometimes. There is a TSB for this, (not free. You have to pay for it). I believe they replace the fuel sender in the tank.

I would just reset the trip odo every fill up and keep track of the gas level that way.

 

[greentoy]

I have a 99' runner and a 96' runner, they both do that. It's a known problem in late 90's 4runners.

 

[4Evr4RunN3R]

Yeah i knew that the gas gauge was not reliable in the 96 4runner, but i never knew it could go up and down like that. I usually set the trip odo to calculate gas and i usually get 235 miles on one tank right before the gas light goes on. but its good to know that im not alone on this subject, thanks alot guys