Eric, my 2003 Mercury Marauder has the exact same problem! This is fairly rare for me to have all the answers right here...and from you! I thank you entirely because that gauge reading full all the time along with the corresponding trouble code that lights up my MIL has gotten to be quite an eye sore. Thank you thank you thank you!
Here is a tip Eric next time you have a tank full of gas to deal with and a still working fuel pump inside it. Disconnect the fuel line to the engine and run it to a gas can then power the fuel pump with 12v and let it pump out most of the gasoline for you before you remove the pump assembly.
This is easy to diagnose. Unplug the sending unit and turn the key on(take note of what the fuel gauge is reading) Turn the key off and intentionally short out the Yellow/White wire straight to ground, turn key back and again, take note of what the fuel gauge reads now. You can also wire in a simple 3 wire potentiometer so you can really dial in the resistance you want to add to the circuit. If you can manually force the gauge to read different levels of fuel, you are done, it is a problem with the sending unit, NOT the cluster or the wiring harness. This is a good directional test. Do you turn left or do you turn right? Crown Vics, Towncars, Grand Marquis, all share a similar sending unit circuit set up. "Don't take a bath in fuel if you don't have to"
On my Mk2 Golf, I connected my multimeter to the fuel pump/sending unit plug and shook my car from side to side by the door jams. I noticed changes in the resistance readings, meaning the level sender is OK. Great video Eric! God bless!
I have had to drop my tank in my Durango twice in the last six months and well even though I was using my impact the head on one of the strap bolt snapped off, luckily the bolt had come out enough that I was able to put a but on it and use it like a stud. Thank you aftermarket fuel pump that lasted 6 months. I put an OEM one in now.
Something I discovered after doing it the hard way, if you support the car by the chassis vs the axle. The pumpkin drops down enough so that you can pull the pump assy completely out. Dropping the tail pipe to the side helps also. Easy peasy
Not exactly. I measured the resistance of the sending unit directly which showed that it was good. I trust my experience. The vehicle has been gone almost 2 months and the gauge is still working fine. In a way, I was trying to make a video about fuel pump removal as well but that didn't work out the way I planned. Remember, I'm not just repairing vehicles but also trying to make interesting video at the same time. It's not as easy as you might think.
EricTheCarGuy Eric I bought a similar car just a mercury, I have the same problem that just started where it keeps going past full, before sometimes it would do that and drop back down, recently now it’s not doing that and staying at full all the time, and this car has had the whole sending unit and pump replaced, need help. Thanks
If your going to remove the pump might as well replace the sending unit regardless. Not too expensive and they are prone to failure. Particularly intermittent ones like this. FYI, if removing/replacing the straps the studs are not reusable, they are broken off short at the factory. I used 03131exhaust manifold bolts rather than going to the dealer.
I have to think that most professionals would have replaced the unit, arguing that it was probably a sticky arm and the customer would be unhappy if they had to come back in a few months to have the job done again, paying labour twice. But, DIY repair discounts labour cost, so this was done the way many of us would have done it. Good job!
What I did for testing sending units on a GM is frankenstein a testing rig from old fuel pumps. Take a working sending unit and the wire harness, clip the 2 wires for the fuel pump power...now you can unplug it at the tank, leave the pump in, plug in the testing rig and sweep it up and down.
Although it was the sending unit that was stuck here, I would first disconnect the connector and turn the ignition on and look at the gauge. Resistance on those sending units increases as the level gets lower and when it is disconnected (infinite resistance) the gauge shows empty. On the other hand if the wire that goes from the gauge to the tank was touching ground somewhere along the way, when you disconnect it it would still show full, thus we don't have to mess around with the tank :)
Dear ericthrcarguy, I just wanted to thank you for all the help you give your viewers with your awesome fucking videos! I watch your videos every night before i go to bed because i want the last thing to hear before i go to sleep is something educational and informative. I will be leaving to marine corps bootcamp in a week and i wont be able to see your videos anymore, which is gonna suck. I appreciate the time and effort you put in your videos and i want you to keep up with what your doing!
Great video as always Eric! An old fashion Simpson analog VOM works great in this kind of test. You can readily see breaks in continuity during the full range sweep of the needle.
Provided of course that the scan tool displays fuel level. Some older models are not connected to the computer. An example would be a '94 Ranger and it does use the anti-slosh module that you mentioned.
2) on and then watch the gauge as you vary the pot. If the gauge works normally from empty to full, you know the wiring to cluster and gauge is good. Now, you could go to the sending unit knowing the problem is there or in the wiring to it. You could check the resistance of the sending unit from this point also, but I like a dynamic test using voltage. If you like to see this method, I have a few videos on my channel describing this method with a Ford Ranger. Thanks for the ear!
I used a 1/4" plastic ( nose clear vinyl) hose from a hardware store and got it past the rollover valve to drain my Taurus fuel tank, yes it took awhile to siphon 14 gallons but I did other tasks to drop the tank. Larger hoses that I tried were too big and it took some finagling to get the hose to advance into the tank. Note: place a mark from a black magic marker at 5 foot intervals on a 15 foot hose so you can keep track of progress when inserting the hose.
I had a fuel leak on my Pontiac G6 caused by the plumbing coming out of the pump assembly. The car still ran well enough and the indicator gauge worked properly so I did a few laps around our Loop 101 freeway until the tank was down to 1/8 of capacity. The guys that worked on it were appreciative not to have a full tank to deal with.
Hey Eric, The issue is that the Ethanol is causing a buildup on the contacts on the sending unit. Usually I replace them b/c the problem will come back. FYI, I own my own mobile repair business and also volunteer at my local High School for automotive. I specialize in the Panther Platform (Crown Vics, Mercs, Town Cars). If you need a consult on something, buy all means let me know. Bryan, Vero Beach (The Lincoln Man)
Thanks---- I have seen people ground the power wire going to the sending unit to see if the dash gas gauge moves to full, if so you can rule out the dash gauge ,wires and connectors before you have to deal with the sending unit /gas....thanks again
This is why I am not of turning wrenches on a ford product. They have design flaws that IMO are exactly that, flaws. They work, but when they fail, it sucks to fix. Thanks for the videos ETCG
I think it's pretty clear why it worked after testing the sending unit: These arms can get stuck to a point where their own weight isn't enough to let them drop down, so moving it with your hands got it unstuck, and this made it work again.
I am thinking check ground first,Pump fuel out with pump in the tank,line hooked to schrader valve , Disable fuel pump to relive line pressure. witch the hose on the schrader valve would do also.Going to have to see if my meter sound kicks off like that. I am like you ,in moving the float arm being the only way to test the sending unit.
Those wires that go towards the trunk area are for the fuel tank pressure sensor. I found this out because I have an '04 Crown Victoria that is my commute-to-work beater car, and after replacing the intake manifold, I got a code for the fuel tank pressure sensor voltage low. After pondering how replacing the intake manifold could have anything to do with this code, I decided to look at the fuel pump wiring and found that an incompetent had replaced the fuel pumper/sender assembly and this is the cause of the code. How did I know that was done and the skill level (or lack thereof) that was involved? When you replace the fuel pump, you have to deal with those three wires that go to the fuel tank pressure sensor. You can try to disconnect the wiring from the sensor (which I think might be difficult) and use the new wiring that comes with the fuel pump, or keep the existing sensor wiring. If you're going to keep the existing sensor wiring, you need to hook it up to the fuel pump harness connector. The way you're SUPPOSED to do that is to remove the red retainer/locking wedge (needle nose pliers work well) from the 8-pin connector that has those three wires in it (and the rest going to the pump/sender), and use a small screwdriver or pick to lift up the plastic locking tang on the terminals and pull them out. Then re-install them in the 8-pin connector that comes with your fuel pump (in the correct order, obviously), then reinstall the red retainer/locking wedge. This is the super easy, correct way to do it. The way that it was actually done: Cut the three wires. Splice them together with regular non-waterproof butt connectors. Seeing the butt connectors is how I knew the pump/sender was replaced. Seeing one of the wires out of the butt connector with a bunch of green powder on the end of it is how I knew they are not the waterproof kind, and that an incompetent did this work, and why I was getting a code for fuel tank pressure sensor voltage low. I replaced them with the heat-shrink butt connectors crimped with a good crimper (Klein Tools 1005), shrunk them down, hasn't been a problem since.
It's a whole lot easier to use the pump to drain the tank before disassembly by jumping the relay. Also, you get a lot more room by supporting this vehicle at the frame instead of the rear (let the rear hang down), use a prybar to hold the exhaust out of the way. The other harness goes to the tank vent, which is a MAJOR PITA to get to and disconnect. I usually strip the wire loom and pop the pins out of the main connector.
For those who may be confused about the continuity test, just know that every meter has a different thresh hold of what it considers "continuity". The meter used uses 100 ohms, my meter happens to have 20 ohms. This is a bad way to test the sending unit. Using plain resistance is better and look at the resistance change from min to max and compare it to the manufactures specification.
hey buddy love your videos. depending on configuration I either ground or add power to the sending unit wire to check. anything newer with a bcm or cluster module I'll just do a Guage sweep. or a simple smack with a hammer will often tweak the Guage to verify a bad unit.
From what I've seen the full size fords are somewhat prone to the float getting hung up. One time on my old 1990 I smacked the fuel tank and I heard the float drop, all fixed. The new ones are probably a bit different but I've heard of the same thing happening.
Bryan. A hack? That's actually the first thing a lot of us pros go for on an issue like this. That fact its giving a reading means the signal is bad. If it was an issue with the wiring and what not it would not jump like it did. Experience is the most valuable tool you can own.
I recently changed a fuel pump in an 01 Silverado and I feel for you on the gas smell. I found that if you wash with soap and water, which doesn't get rid of the gas smell, then wash with some vinegar for about 30 seconds and wash again with soap and water the gas smell will be gone.
You can remove most of the gas from the tank by connecting a hose to the fuel pressure test port at the engine and running this hose into a gas can. Energize the fuel pump at the fuel pump relay to run the pump. Be sure to jump the correct pins at the relay. Do not let the pump run dry.
chances are the contacts on the variable resistor were just worn some and when you messed with it, it moved them closer to make good contact and make it work properly again, ive done that before on my own car, works great!
Hey eric, hope you read this. Next time ( if it's an electric fuel pump ) attach a hose to the fuel line where, and open up the relay of the fuel pump and turn the pump on. would have saved some gas ;) plus it's not all over the floor .
Put in place of the sender, change the resistance as the sender would from full to empty resistance range usually 0 to 90 or 0 to 180 depending on model.watch fuel level pid reaction to resistance change.dont pay attention to fuel gauge because some have anti slosh strategies were they won't report sudden fuel level changes due to fuel sloshing around fuel tank.if pid reacts to resistance changes in correct manner then its the sending unit.if not then disconnect IC and measure circuit resista
I ran into this type of issues before and what I notice is that when that happens later down the line you will end up having to change the sending unit. The first thing I check before removing the unit is the power cable make sure is getting power and then check the ground wire too. Most of the times some lube and wigle fix the problem when it is a ground problem. If not I change the unit any ways since there is a good chance that it will go bad later on.
Hi Eric I really think you could to with a Lift /Hoist or even a Pit to work under car. some of these modern day Fuel gauges work through the engine PCM, that's pretty hard to diagnose..Fred.
Forever is right. I love these cars, but not much as changed. I drive an '86 Grand Marquis and had to recently swap out fuel tanks (rust). The wiring harness ran straight up into the trunk with no disconnect.
Hi Eric well in my opinion for what it's worth, when a fuel gauge reads full all the time, it's not normally the sender unit, it could be, but I would have suspected the lead from gauge to back of car grounding out, or fault behind dash, with the wire pulled off the back the gauge should go down to zero, if you ground it out the gauge usually goes to full...that's with most gauges not every single one Fred.
There's an easier way to deal with the gas issue; attach a standard parts store siphon pump to the fuel line coming out of the tank, and siphon away any residual fuel into a container. I've found that this method works well, even with electric fuel pumps.
Eric, re the full tank and draining it sufficiently to remove the sender - why o why didnt you disconnect the fuel line at the rail , bridge the fuel pump relay, and pump the fuel out into clean containers for reuse?
When I worked in a police department as a fleet mechanic if you ever have a fuel pump sending issues on a box you start it and let it run till its out of gas add a gallon or 2 back reprime put on lift and a lot less gas shower
What about checking the OBDII data to check the gauge? Hook up a scanner and see if you get a "Full" reading. Unless of course the computer is not involved in the system. But the "Low Fuel" light on the dash would indicate that it is.
Hi Eric i use a old electric fuel pump, connect the suction side to the pipe on the tank you disconnected and put the outlet side into a clean fuel container connect the pump up to 12 volts how ever you want just to get the pump working disable the cars fuel pump, while you are pumping fuel out turn the ignition on and watch the fuel gauge if it don't move after pumping 3-4 gallon give the sender a bump with a hammer. I don't like checking sweep with digital meters use an analogue one.
Hey, Eric! I have a 2009 Ford Taurus. The gas gauge will read half full right after my wife filled it up with $39 of gas! We'll turn it off. Turn the car back on later and the gauge will read higher than half but not full. We may turn it back on and it will go to full. Th gas gauge varies on the readings. What may be the issue with this please? The gas gauge WORKS, to some degree. We would just like for it to always show the correct reading!!! Thank you VERY much!
1 ) Hi Eric, as you've mentioned most of the time the problem is the sending unit. In my diagnosis with problems like this, I WANT to know which direction to go. Do I go into the gauge cluster or the tank. On most cars, there is a connector or two before it gets to the sending unit. On a recent repair with a Ford Ranger, there are two connectors under the hood that will feed to the sending unit. I opened a connector and hooked a pot with similar resistance as the sending unit. Turn the key cont)
First thing I do when it comes to electrical problem in areas like that, exposed to everything, is disconnect everything, a good electrical cleaner, a small bronze brush, clean everything before even remove a bolt, I guess around 50% of the cases the problem get solved and in a very fast manner.
Check the wiring to the temperature gauge and the connection at the gauge. Test with OHM meter. For 1981 to 1990, coolant sensor, 13,500 (OHMS) @ 20 degrees F. Subsequent values: 7,500(Ohms)@40F, 3,400@70, 1,800@100, 450@160 and 185(Ohms)@210F
That's a good idea but the problem with that is that if the tank is full then it will show full any ways so you wouldn't know if it is fixed. Your method will work if you know have less than a full tank.
A much safer approach is have the customer fill the the tank, reset the trip meter, and bring it in when it's known to be near empty. Or, If the fuel pump is still working, it's not difficult to use it for a pump out. There are numerous other ways as well. All that fuel raining everywhere was very dangerous, even a minuscule static spark from clothing, a dropped tool, drop light switch or whatever... or the vapors finding some distant ignition source would have been lethal.
I also use the pump itself to drain the gas in clean containers. Most modern vehicles have anti siphoning equipment installed so from above is not always possible. And its a waste of good and expensive gas
BEFORE TAKING THE SENDING UNIT OUT I WOULD HAVE TAPED ON THE UNIT HOUSEING WITH SOMETHING THEN CHECKED THE FUEL GAGE TO SEE IF IT WORKED......SAVE A LOT OF WORK, I HAD THIS HAPPEN TO MY MAZDA AND IT WORKED FOR ME.
As a ford dealer tech.i use the Ids scan tool to active command the IC fuel gauge to 0 25 50 75 or 100% to determine if IC has the ability to control gauge.then I check fuel level voltage and percent correlate to each other.then ill got to sending unit and measure resistance at the connector component side.if that resistance islet with in min max range then its bad.if its ok I use a IC input signal module witch is basically switches and dials that change resistance across two wires that you
WE had the same problem out of a 02 Viper. But changing the fuel pump in one of those is a breeze. Wish all cars were like that. Also done this on a 00 S10, that wasn't fun!
A very good and easy method to test the fuel level sensor, would be to do a voltage drop test across the sensor. I will be posting videos on how to do this in a of couple days
Scan tool is the best tool to start the testing, with enhanced EVAP on all modern cars fuel level is monitored by the ECM for EVAP testing, most will only test when fuel level is over 20% and less than 80% if the scan tool shows fuel level is at 4% or gallons to empty and gauge is at fulll I would go for the gauge if it shows 0% you go for testing the sending unit. FYI fuel level is monitored by the ECM and that info is sent to the IPC- instrument panel cluster- aka gauges via ECM
eric you could place a rheostat in the circuit at the connector going to the sending unit. with the rheostat in circuit you can can the whole wiring and the gauge to see if it moves. if it does the only other thing it can be is the sending unit. it be easier than taking the sending unit. just a thought. your feedback on the comment would be great. thanks for the videos great info
When I had a problem with the fuel gauge on my Porsche 944 I looked for a a harness connector and disconnected it at that place. If the gauge is pegged at specific location all the time i may be a ground or short problem. I then measured the sending unit for resistance. It checked out good. I then took a variable resistor from 0-250 ohms and put in values according to repair manual and checked the gauge by connecting the resistor to the wiring harness. In my case, it was the gauge.
Yes, any analog meter will show drop-outs a lot better than a DVOM. Even using the analog bar graph on digital meters doesn't make it that much easier.
Let's say your fuel gauge it's reading empty all the time. it used fluctuate back and forth first and now reads empty all the time. Sending unit is good so what would be your next step? Before checking or assuming is the gauge itself . Thank you for ur videos I learned a lot from watching them. I'm a newbie. ☺
Hey nice vid, First one I watched. I am looking forward to watching more of these. And to the comment I am responding too. I think That is what makes this entertaining. From watching this you seem more like me who just try different ways instead of some hot shot mechanic telling me how to do my job. So thanks. Its enjoyable to watch people attempt the same results in different ways. I think I will learn from watching you. What to do or what not to do lol. Have a good one.
Drop the tank? Replace gasket/o-ring on flange of unit? The tone of a DMM set to OHM = closed circut = "full" or *empty *make warning light/chime come on dash guage when "nearly empty". Kinda hokey and dangerous on this one, Eric.
I know you didn't do it for long, just to get the axles up on stands, but in my Ford Certified tech classes we are repeatedly told NOT to lift from the differential case as it can cause some flexing from the weight of the car and pressure on the case at the points where the rear axles lock and seal to the differential case. Just what I've been taught, what are your thoughts on this?
My way to drain.... Take fuel line under hood, extend it temporarily to reach a large gas container, turn on/cycle the key so the pump drains the tank for you.
With a known Issue like this where the arm is known to stick, It wouldn't hurt to drive the car about 150miles or wait until your commute makes those miles (if the tank is known to be full this should eat about 1/4 of the tank on most cars) then shake the car left/right or up/down. It's a bit easier than removing the sending unit. IMO
I'm thinking I got lucky with my XJ when it's pump failed.... Twice. Both times, the tank was around a quarter tank. :) My Sonoma on the other hand.... Well... I'm glad the pump is on top, not the side!
I remember having an old Buick Skylark when I was a kid and the fuel gauge was messed up. It was in the tank itself and the only way I could tell if there was fuel in it was to stop quickly and I could hear the float bang back and forth - It wasn't always accurate as I ran out of fuel a few times but I was poor and couldn't afford to fix it.
Mostly like Reading full is always ground issue,, Im sure that's what you adjusted by moving it around,, I do sugest you get a Mity Vac there $60 bucks and you can drain the tank with is, pumps like a bike pump, there great when the tanks full. Love Mine.
maybe someone already said this, but some scan tools will allow you to sweep the fuel gauge verifying that if it were getting a good signal then it would work alright
Hi Eric. Appreciate the video. Excellent, as usual. Got a question: 1997 Merc Tracer/Ford Escort wagon (2.0 motor) has stuck fuel gauge at 1/2 tank. Gauge never moves, even on startup/shutdown. Bad gauge, or sending unit? Keep up the great vids. :-)
Thanks eric a have learn alot from watching your video. I have honda civic with same problem. My question is when testing the sending unit there is little circuit board that goes across floater is that where you put one of the lead and for honda what is ohm reading thanks once again.
I think you're right, that would have given me the room I needed to remove the unit. Thanks for the suggestion.
Eric, my 2003 Mercury Marauder has the exact same problem! This is fairly rare for me to have all the answers right here...and from you! I thank you entirely because that gauge reading full all the time along with the corresponding trouble code that lights up my MIL has gotten to be quite an eye sore. Thank you thank you thank you!
Here is a tip Eric next time you have a tank full of gas to deal with and a still working fuel pump inside it. Disconnect the fuel line to the engine and run it to a gas can then power the fuel pump with 12v and let it pump out most of the gasoline for you before you remove the pump assembly.
This is easy to diagnose. Unplug the sending unit and turn the key on(take note of what the fuel gauge is reading) Turn the key off and intentionally short out the Yellow/White wire straight to ground, turn key back and again, take note of what the fuel gauge reads now. You can also wire in a simple 3 wire potentiometer so you can really dial in the resistance you want to add to the circuit. If you can manually force the gauge to read different levels of fuel, you are done, it is a problem with the sending unit, NOT the cluster or the wiring harness. This is a good directional test. Do you turn left or do you turn right? Crown Vics, Towncars, Grand Marquis, all share a similar sending unit circuit set up. "Don't take a bath in fuel if you don't have to"
On my Mk2 Golf, I connected my multimeter to the fuel pump/sending unit plug and shook my car from side to side by the door jams. I noticed changes in the resistance readings, meaning the level sender is OK.
Great video Eric! God bless!
I have had to drop my tank in my Durango twice in the last six months and well even though I was using my impact the head on one of the strap bolt snapped off, luckily the bolt had come out enough that I was able to put a but on it and use it like a stud. Thank you aftermarket fuel pump that lasted 6 months. I put an OEM one in now.
We did one of these in automotive school. my instructor was not happy about those connectors. we had to drop the tank a bit. feel your pain
Something I discovered after doing it the hard way, if you support the car by the chassis vs the axle. The pumpkin drops down enough so that you can pull the pump assy completely out. Dropping the tail pipe to the side helps also. Easy peasy
Not exactly. I measured the resistance of the sending unit directly which showed that it was good. I trust my experience. The vehicle has been gone almost 2 months and the gauge is still working fine. In a way, I was trying to make a video about fuel pump removal as well but that didn't work out the way I planned. Remember, I'm not just repairing vehicles but also trying to make interesting video at the same time. It's not as easy as you might think.
EricTheCarGuy Eric I bought a similar car just a mercury, I have the same problem that just started where it keeps going past full, before sometimes it would do that and drop back down, recently now it’s not doing that and staying at full all the time, and this car has had the whole sending unit and pump replaced, need help. Thanks
If your going to remove the pump might as well replace the sending unit regardless. Not too expensive and they are prone to failure. Particularly intermittent ones like this. FYI, if removing/replacing the straps the studs are not reusable, they are broken off short at the factory. I used 03131exhaust manifold bolts rather than going to the dealer.
I have to think that most professionals would have replaced the unit, arguing that it was probably a sticky arm and the customer would be unhappy if they had to come back in a few months to have the job done again, paying labour twice. But, DIY repair discounts labour cost, so this was done the way many of us would have done it. Good job!
The ATF solvent he is talking about is a 50/50 mix of ATF & Acetone. Works like a dream.
What I did for testing sending units on a GM is frankenstein a testing rig from old fuel pumps. Take a working sending unit and the wire harness, clip the 2 wires for the fuel pump power...now you can unplug it at the tank, leave the pump in, plug in the testing rig and sweep it up and down.
Jack the body up, let the axle dangle down, that will free up tons of room at the fuel pump assembly.
Great video.
ETCG the best part about this video was just how big of a pain in the a.. it was to repair it and get to the sending unit lol, loved it!
Although it was the sending unit that was stuck here, I would first disconnect the connector and turn the ignition on and look at the gauge. Resistance on those sending units increases as the level gets lower and when it is disconnected (infinite resistance) the gauge shows empty. On the other hand if the wire that goes from the gauge to the tank was touching ground somewhere along the way, when you disconnect it it would still show full, thus we don't have to mess around with the tank :)
Dear ericthrcarguy,
I just wanted to thank you for all the help you give your viewers with your awesome fucking videos! I watch your videos every night before i go to bed because i want the last thing to hear before i go to sleep is something educational and informative. I will be leaving to marine corps bootcamp in a week and i wont be able to see your videos anymore, which is gonna suck. I appreciate the time and effort you put in your videos and i want you to keep up with what your doing!
Great video as always Eric! An old fashion Simpson analog VOM works great in this kind of test. You can readily see breaks in continuity during the full range sweep of the needle.
Provided of course that the scan tool displays fuel level. Some older models are not connected to the computer. An example would be a '94 Ranger and it does use the anti-slosh module that you mentioned.
2) on and then watch the gauge as you vary the pot. If the gauge works normally from empty to full, you know the wiring to cluster and gauge is good. Now, you could go to the sending unit knowing the problem is there or in the wiring to it. You could check the resistance of the sending unit from this point also, but I like a dynamic test using voltage. If you like to see this method, I have a few videos on my channel describing this method with a Ford Ranger. Thanks for the ear!
Classic Eric. The good ol’ days of ETCG.
I used a 1/4" plastic ( nose clear vinyl) hose from a hardware store and got it past the rollover valve to drain my Taurus fuel tank, yes it took awhile to siphon 14 gallons but I did other tasks to drop the tank. Larger hoses that I tried were too big and it took some finagling to get the hose to advance into the tank. Note: place a mark from a black magic marker at 5 foot intervals on a 15 foot hose so you can keep track of progress when inserting the hose.
I had a fuel leak on my Pontiac G6 caused by the plumbing coming out of the pump assembly. The car still ran well enough and the indicator gauge worked properly so I did a few laps around our Loop 101 freeway until the tank was down to 1/8 of capacity. The guys that worked on it were appreciative not to have a full tank to deal with.
That's the exact recipe that's posted at the link in the description.
It was stuck at full when it came in. It's been gone over a month now and it's still fixed.
Good call. I'll have to try that next time.
Gotta love the not-so-quick connect connections, I've only ever seen them on fuel lines and I hate them so much.
Hey Eric,
The issue is that the Ethanol is causing a buildup on the contacts on the sending unit. Usually I replace them b/c the problem will come back. FYI, I own my own mobile repair business and also volunteer at my local High School for automotive. I specialize in the Panther Platform (Crown Vics, Mercs, Town Cars). If you need a consult on something, buy all means let me know.
Bryan, Vero Beach
(The Lincoln Man)
Good job Eric! I use PB Blaster to loosen rusted stuff. Always works well for me.
Thanks---- I have seen people ground the power wire going to the sending unit to see if the dash gas gauge moves to full, if so you can rule out the dash gauge ,wires and connectors before you have to deal with the sending unit /gas....thanks again
This is why I am not of turning wrenches on a ford product. They have design flaws that IMO are exactly that, flaws. They work, but when they fail, it sucks to fix. Thanks for the videos ETCG
I think it's pretty clear why it worked after testing the sending unit: These arms can get stuck to a point where their own weight isn't enough to let them drop down, so moving it with your hands got it unstuck, and this made it work again.
I am thinking check ground first,Pump fuel out with pump in the tank,line hooked to schrader valve , Disable fuel pump to relive line pressure. witch the hose on the schrader valve would do also.Going to have to see if my meter sound kicks off like that. I am like you ,in moving the float arm being the only way to test the sending unit.
Those wires that go towards the trunk area are for the fuel tank pressure sensor. I found this out because I have an '04 Crown Victoria that is my commute-to-work beater car, and after replacing the intake manifold, I got a code for the fuel tank pressure sensor voltage low. After pondering how replacing the intake manifold could have anything to do with this code, I decided to look at the fuel pump wiring and found that an incompetent had replaced the fuel pumper/sender assembly and this is the cause of the code. How did I know that was done and the skill level (or lack thereof) that was involved?
When you replace the fuel pump, you have to deal with those three wires that go to the fuel tank pressure sensor. You can try to disconnect the wiring from the sensor (which I think might be difficult) and use the new wiring that comes with the fuel pump, or keep the existing sensor wiring.
If you're going to keep the existing sensor wiring, you need to hook it up to the fuel pump harness connector. The way you're SUPPOSED to do that is to remove the red retainer/locking wedge (needle nose pliers work well) from the 8-pin connector that has those three wires in it (and the rest going to the pump/sender), and use a small screwdriver or pick to lift up the plastic locking tang on the terminals and pull them out. Then re-install them in the 8-pin connector that comes with your fuel pump (in the correct order, obviously), then reinstall the red retainer/locking wedge. This is the super easy, correct way to do it.
The way that it was actually done: Cut the three wires. Splice them together with regular non-waterproof butt connectors.
Seeing the butt connectors is how I knew the pump/sender was replaced. Seeing one of the wires out of the butt connector with a bunch of green powder on the end of it is how I knew they are not the waterproof kind, and that an incompetent did this work, and why I was getting a code for fuel tank pressure sensor voltage low.
I replaced them with the heat-shrink butt connectors crimped with a good crimper (Klein Tools 1005), shrunk them down, hasn't been a problem since.
It's a whole lot easier to use the pump to drain the tank before disassembly by jumping the relay. Also, you get a lot more room by supporting this vehicle at the frame instead of the rear (let the rear hang down), use a prybar to hold the exhaust out of the way. The other harness goes to the tank vent, which is a MAJOR PITA to get to and disconnect. I usually strip the wire loom and pop the pins out of the main connector.
For those who may be confused about the continuity test, just know that every meter has a different thresh hold of what it considers "continuity". The meter used uses 100 ohms, my meter happens to have 20 ohms. This is a bad way to test the sending unit. Using plain resistance is better and look at the resistance change from min to max and compare it to the manufactures specification.
hey buddy love your videos. depending on configuration I either ground or add power to the sending unit wire to check. anything newer with a bcm or cluster module I'll just do a Guage sweep. or a simple smack with a hammer will often tweak the Guage to verify a bad unit.
From what I've seen the full size fords are somewhat prone to the float getting hung up. One time on my old 1990 I smacked the fuel tank and I heard the float drop, all fixed. The new ones are probably a bit different but I've heard of the same thing happening.
Bryan. A hack? That's actually the first thing a lot of us pros go for on an issue like this. That fact its giving a reading means the signal is bad. If it was an issue with the wiring and what not it would not jump like it did. Experience is the most valuable tool you can own.
I recently changed a fuel pump in an 01 Silverado and I feel for you on the gas smell. I found that if you wash with soap and water, which doesn't get rid of the gas smell, then wash with some vinegar for about 30 seconds and wash again with soap and water the gas smell will be gone.
I have a 2003 grand marquis I changed the whole unit but when I fill her up the digital line don’t go up
me tooo. did you solve this?
You can remove most of the gas from the tank by connecting a hose to the fuel pressure test port at the engine and running this hose into a gas can. Energize the fuel pump at the fuel pump relay to run the pump. Be sure to jump the correct pins at the relay. Do not let the pump run dry.
chances are the contacts on the variable resistor were just worn some and when you messed with it, it moved them closer to make good contact and make it work properly again, ive done that before on my own car, works great!
Hey eric, hope you read this.
Next time ( if it's an electric fuel pump ) attach a hose to the fuel line where, and open up the relay of the fuel pump and turn the pump on. would have saved some gas ;) plus it's not all over the floor .
Put in place of the sender, change the resistance as the sender would from full to empty resistance range usually 0 to 90 or 0 to 180 depending on model.watch fuel level pid reaction to resistance change.dont pay attention to fuel gauge because some have anti slosh strategies were they won't report sudden fuel level changes due to fuel sloshing around fuel tank.if pid reacts to resistance changes in correct manner then its the sending unit.if not then disconnect IC and measure circuit resista
I ran into this type of issues before and what I notice is that when that happens later down the line you will end up having to change the sending unit. The first thing I check before removing the unit is the power cable make sure is getting power and then check the ground wire too. Most of the times some lube and wigle fix the problem when it is a ground problem. If not I change the unit any ways since there is a good chance that it will go bad later on.
Hi Eric I really think you could to with a Lift /Hoist or even a Pit to work under car. some of these modern day Fuel gauges work through the engine PCM, that's pretty hard to diagnose..Fred.
Forever is right. I love these cars, but not much as changed. I drive an '86 Grand Marquis and had to recently swap out fuel tanks (rust). The wiring harness ran straight up into the trunk with no disconnect.
It was a bad connection at the connector. DEOXIT D5, use this. When you unplugged the connector you semi cleaned the contacts.
Hi Eric well in my opinion for what it's worth, when a fuel gauge reads full all the time, it's not normally the sender unit, it could be, but I would have suspected the lead from gauge to back of car grounding out, or fault behind dash, with the wire pulled off the back the gauge should go down to zero, if you ground it out the gauge usually goes to full...that's with most gauges not every single one Fred.
True, if the value is also erratic, you know the problem isn't on the dashboard or other instrumentation, half the diagnosis is done.
There's an easier way to deal with the gas issue; attach a standard parts store siphon pump to the fuel line coming out of the tank, and siphon away any residual fuel into a container. I've found that this method works well, even with electric fuel pumps.
thank you mike from the office show!
Eric, re the full tank and draining it sufficiently to remove the sender - why o why didnt you disconnect the fuel line at the rail , bridge the fuel pump relay, and pump the fuel out into clean containers for reuse?
After a job like that Id say today would be a good day to stay away from fire Eric.
When I worked in a police department as a fleet mechanic if you ever have a fuel pump sending issues on a box you start it and let it run till its out of gas add a gallon or 2 back reprime put on lift and a lot less gas shower
What about checking the OBDII data to check the gauge? Hook up a scanner and see if you get a "Full" reading. Unless of course the computer is not involved in the system. But the "Low Fuel" light on the dash would indicate that it is.
Hi Eric i use a old electric fuel pump, connect the suction side to the pipe on the tank you disconnected and put the outlet side into a clean fuel container connect the pump up to 12 volts how ever you want just to get the pump working disable the cars fuel pump, while you are pumping fuel out turn the ignition on and watch the fuel gauge if it don't move after pumping 3-4 gallon give the sender a bump with a hammer. I don't like checking sweep with digital meters use an analogue one.
Hey, Eric! I have a 2009 Ford Taurus. The gas gauge will read half full right after my wife filled it up with $39 of gas! We'll turn it off. Turn the car back on later and the gauge will read higher than half but not full. We may turn it back on and it will go to full. Th gas gauge varies on the readings. What may be the issue with this please? The gas gauge WORKS, to some degree. We would just like for it to always show the correct reading!!! Thank you VERY much!
1 ) Hi Eric, as you've mentioned most of the time the problem is the sending unit. In my diagnosis with problems like this, I WANT to know which direction to go. Do I go into the gauge cluster or the tank. On most cars, there is a connector or two before it gets to the sending unit. On a recent repair with a Ford Ranger, there are two connectors under the hood that will feed to the sending unit. I opened a connector and hooked a pot with similar resistance as the sending unit. Turn the key cont)
Love the Panther platform. In the "top 10 cars that don't die".
Lmfao!!! 3:44 "Looks like we have here, a not so quick connect for the fuel line"
First thing I do when it comes to electrical problem in areas like that, exposed to everything, is disconnect everything, a good electrical cleaner, a small bronze brush, clean everything before even remove a bolt, I guess around 50% of the cases the problem get solved and in a very fast manner.
You think it could of been a ground problem and with you removing it and putting it back it made a good connection. keep up the good work.
Check the wiring to the temperature gauge and the connection at the gauge. Test with OHM meter. For 1981 to 1990, coolant sensor, 13,500 (OHMS) @ 20 degrees F. Subsequent values: 7,500(Ohms)@40F, 3,400@70, 1,800@100, 450@160 and 185(Ohms)@210F
That can still cause a spark in the middle of all those petrol fumes,
Real clever this man.
I didn't like it either. I didn't anticipate the tank being that full. I think it would have went better if the tank was not so full.
For better access to pump assymbly you can put jack stands on frame so the rear diff isn't in the way as much
That's a good idea but the problem with that is that if the tank is full then it will show full any ways so you wouldn't know if it is fixed. Your method will work if you know have less than a full tank.
A much safer approach is have the customer fill the the tank, reset the trip meter, and bring it in when it's known to be near empty.
Or, If the fuel pump is still working, it's not difficult to use it for a pump out. There are numerous other ways as well.
All that fuel raining everywhere was very dangerous, even a minuscule static spark from clothing, a dropped tool, drop light switch or whatever... or the vapors finding some distant ignition source would have been lethal.
I also use the pump itself to drain the gas in clean containers. Most modern vehicles have anti siphoning equipment installed so from above is not always possible. And its a waste of good and expensive gas
BEFORE TAKING THE SENDING UNIT OUT I WOULD HAVE TAPED ON THE UNIT HOUSEING WITH SOMETHING THEN CHECKED THE FUEL GAGE TO SEE IF IT WORKED......SAVE A LOT OF WORK, I HAD THIS HAPPEN TO MY MAZDA AND IT WORKED FOR ME.
well I just learned the proper term for this situation from a Mazda training class. PFM. Pure "F" ing Magic
Eric! Keep some large coffee filters in your shop! These work perfectly for straining gas!
Its ALL right its OK not to know everything no matter who you are Eric no one does
As a ford dealer tech.i use the Ids scan tool to active command the IC fuel gauge to 0 25 50 75 or 100% to determine if IC has the ability to control gauge.then I check fuel level voltage and percent correlate to each other.then ill got to sending unit and measure resistance at the connector component side.if that resistance islet with in min max range then its bad.if its ok I use a IC input signal module witch is basically switches and dials that change resistance across two wires that you
WE had the same problem out of a 02 Viper. But changing the fuel pump in one of those is a breeze. Wish all cars were like that. Also done this on a 00 S10, that wasn't fun!
A very good and easy method to test the fuel level sensor, would be to do a voltage drop test across the sensor. I will be posting videos on how to do this in a of couple days
Scan tool is the best tool to start the testing, with enhanced EVAP on all modern cars fuel level is monitored by the ECM for EVAP testing, most will only test when fuel level is over 20% and less than 80% if the scan tool shows fuel level is at 4% or gallons to empty and gauge is at fulll I would go for the gauge if it shows 0% you go for testing the sending unit. FYI fuel level is monitored by the ECM and that info is sent to the IPC- instrument panel cluster- aka gauges via ECM
eric you could place a rheostat in the circuit at the connector going to the sending unit. with the rheostat in circuit you can can the whole wiring and the gauge to see if it moves. if it does the only other thing it can be is the sending unit. it be easier than taking the sending unit. just a thought. your feedback on the comment would be great. thanks for the videos great info
thanks for posting this, 2006 marquis owner!
When I had a problem with the fuel gauge on my Porsche 944 I looked for a a harness connector and disconnected it at that place. If the gauge is pegged at specific location all the time i may be a ground or short problem. I then measured the sending unit for resistance. It checked out good. I then took a variable resistor from 0-250 ohms and put in values according to repair manual and checked the gauge by connecting the resistor to the wiring harness. In my case, it was the gauge.
This is really easy to get to on BMW 3 series, you pop out the back seat cushion and its right there.
Yes, any analog meter will show drop-outs a lot better than a DVOM. Even using the analog bar graph on digital meters doesn't make it that much easier.
Let's say your fuel gauge it's reading empty all the time. it used fluctuate back and forth first and now reads empty all the time.
Sending unit is good so what would be your next step? Before checking or assuming is the gauge itself .
Thank you for ur videos I learned a lot from watching them. I'm a newbie. ☺
Great instructional video with excellent video quality.
Hey nice vid, First one I watched. I am looking forward to watching more of these. And to the comment I am responding too. I think That is what makes this entertaining. From watching this you seem more like me who just try different ways instead of some hot shot mechanic telling me how to do my job. So thanks. Its enjoyable to watch people attempt the same results in different ways. I think I will learn from watching you. What to do or what not to do lol. Have a good one.
Drop the tank? Replace gasket/o-ring on flange of unit? The tone of a DMM set to OHM = closed circut = "full" or *empty *make warning light/chime come on dash guage when "nearly empty". Kinda hokey and dangerous on this one, Eric.
I know you didn't do it for long, just to get the axles up on stands, but in my Ford Certified tech classes we are repeatedly told NOT to lift from the differential case as it can cause some flexing from the weight of the car and pressure on the case at the points where the rear axles lock and seal to the differential case. Just what I've been taught, what are your thoughts on this?
My 95 integra sedan when I put gas in it light the low fuel drawing on the dash but not so bright, more like shadowed. What could it be?
My way to drain....
Take fuel line under hood, extend it temporarily to reach a large gas container, turn on/cycle the key so the pump drains the tank for you.
With a known Issue like this where the arm is known to stick, It wouldn't hurt to drive the car about 150miles or wait until your commute makes those miles (if the tank is known to be full this should eat about 1/4 of the tank on most cars) then shake the car left/right or up/down. It's a bit easier than removing the sending unit. IMO
I'm thinking I got lucky with my XJ when it's pump failed.... Twice. Both times, the tank was around a quarter tank. :) My Sonoma on the other hand.... Well... I'm glad the pump is on top, not the side!
I remember having an old Buick Skylark when I was a kid and the fuel gauge was messed up. It was in the tank itself and the only way I could tell if there was fuel in it was to stop quickly and I could hear the float bang back and forth - It wasn't always accurate as I ran out of fuel a few times but I was poor and couldn't afford to fix it.
Mostly like Reading full is always ground issue,, Im sure that's what you adjusted by moving it around,, I do sugest you get a Mity Vac there $60 bucks and you can drain the tank with is, pumps like a bike pump, there great when the tanks full. Love Mine.
Harbor Freight has a hand pump that i used to empty my motorcycle tank when i had to take it off. You should try that next time ;D
maybe someone already said this, but some scan tools will allow you to sweep the fuel gauge verifying that if it were getting a good signal then it would work alright
On my volvo 740 I fixed my gas gauge with a dab of solder behind the dashboard. Some fixed are simple!
Hi Eric. Appreciate the video. Excellent, as usual. Got a question: 1997 Merc Tracer/Ford Escort wagon (2.0 motor) has stuck fuel gauge at 1/2 tank. Gauge never moves, even on startup/shutdown. Bad gauge, or sending unit? Keep up the great vids. :-)
Thanks eric a have learn alot from watching your video. I have honda civic with same problem. My question is when testing the sending unit there is little circuit board that goes across floater is that where you put one of the lead and for honda what is ohm reading thanks once again.