Gas needle showing below empty all the time.

dcn · Post by **dcn** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 8:09 am

Friends and I rented an Expedition this weekend for a road trip, (Review: it's a gas guzzling, crappily interiored, roomy truck that's fun if 5 people are chipping in gas money), and I left the Tercel in my Dad's capable hands because the driver's door trim was coming un-stuck. When we came back and I picked it up at my parents house, I noticed the gas was on E. The light wasn't on though, and a fill up didn't budge the needle.

I read on here it's the sending unit quitting that causes this, how hard are they to replace? The tank doesn't have to come oot does it?

DA

ctishman · Post by **ctishman** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 8:22 am

It's about $100-$150 to replace, and yes, the tank has to come out to do it.

dcn · Post by **dcn** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 8:26 am

Shite. All I need to do is get the part and we can do it, since it appears the part is in the tank. We might already have one, at least I hope we do.

Does the fact that the low fuel light still works mean there's some built in backup system? Did they do that on purpose? Kinda cool if so.

coltarms · Post by **coltarms** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 10:05 am

Is there a reason why the tank has to come out to do it? I seem to have access to my sending unit just by pulling the carpeting (and spare tire) out of the back.
I would also recommend that you check the electrical connections at the top of the sending unit as something may have wiggled loose or become corroded. I was able to do this pretty easily, didn't fix my issue though.

Ogedei · Post by **Ogedei** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 12:57 pm

I too had heard you can get to the sending unit from under the carpet and I had heard it on this site, no time to look up the post but it is here.

Another thing to try would be to buy some Techron and see if it is the float sticking and the techron may stop the float from sticking. I has done wonders with my Pathfinder's fuel gauge.

Typrus · Post by **Typrus** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 2:11 pm

Try running acetone in the tank in recommended proportions. Its helped my guages accuracy a few times. Unless is just dead.
In that case...
To access the sending unit, pull up the carpet from the rear cargo area. To the right (facing forward) of the spare should be a thing covered with a black rubber strip with a wire coming out of it. GENTLY pull up the rubber protector, and you will see I believe it was 3 screws retaining a plate. Remove these and you will see further down to 3 or 4 more screws. Pull these. Now VERY VERY GENTLY wiggle the unit until it comes loose. Now pull it GENTLY AND SLOWLY upwards until you feel some resistance. This will be the float device. Look at the unit to see which direction it faces. REMEMBER THIS! Now, manuever it until you are able to free it. You are now holding one fuel level sending unit in your hand.

I've done this operation about 8 times. Transferring senders from one car to another. No sender I could find worked better than the other (shrug). A new one would likely be great though.