Gas Gauge Level Fix

I'm going to resurrect this 2+ yr old post cuz I finally decided to do this. I was a little hesitant to fiddle with anything involving the fuel system. However, once I got in there, wasn't too bad at all. Just the, obvious, fuel smell that stinks up the garage. The write-up pretty much covers everything, except I ran into another hose attached to the pump (passenger side) from the inside of the tank. Getting the pump and the floater out of the passenger side was a little tricky. Had some fuel splashing and dripping all over. I rubbed the contacts with q-tips and throttle body cleaner. Went with 3-4 q-tips until no signs of dirt were on cotton. From start to finish, maybe 1 hours. I'm going to go fill up now and see how things go. Thanks, OP and IS community.

Ataher said:
Last time I did this DIY, I noticed that what I erase is a thin film of crab, I wonder if anyone tried one of those fuel additives that are supposed to clean the injectors, valve seats .... Etc, i would guess that it can take care of this problem without dismantling anything.
Currently I do not have this issue, but I will try it when I do.
Click to expand...

I'm wondering the same. Will additives keep the contacts clean(er)?
 
money042 said:
I'm wondering the same. Will additives keep the contacts clean(er)?
Click to expand...
I did this at least twice and possibly 3 times on my 2003. Worked for a while then started acting up again. I think the wiper contacts just wore out. I just ended up resetting the trip meter every fill. I had used injector cleaner (gas tank type) probably twice a year w/o benefit. At any rate, next time do it a ways down the driveway for safety's sake. No sense losing that car, yourself, AND the house... :/
 
I am a new member after getting a 2004 fx35.
I am filling up when the distance to empty is reading about 30-40 miles. when i fill the tank it is only taking about 16-18 gallons. does that sound normal or does this sound like the same issue that others are experiencing. i would rather not get into the gas tank if i dont have to.
also i was looking at fuel pump assemblies on amazon and saw that there are a hand full of manufacturers. ac delco, bosche, hitachi (i think this is the oem one right?). has anyone tried one of these other fuel pumps? is the float and sender mechanism the same as the oem or can we solve this problem by switching to a different brand?
Thanks
 
It's an 80L tank... So should be slightly over 20 gallons at empty... I've gotten down to fumes and put over 89L in my FX before, so there's definitely a little "play" in that 80L capacity number...
 
NorthwestFX said:
I am a new member after getting a 2004 fx35.
I am filling up when the distance to empty is reading about 30-40 miles. when i fill the tank it is only taking about 16-18 gallons. does that sound normal or does this sound like the same issue that others are experiencing. i would rather not get into the gas tank if i dont have to.
also i was looking at fuel pump assemblies on amazon and saw that there are a hand full of manufacturers. ac delco, bosche, hitachi (i think this is the oem one right?). has anyone tried one of these other fuel pumps? is the float and sender mechanism the same as the oem or can we solve this problem by switching to a different brand?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Bought my 2003 FX35 10/16 and found out within 200 miles that the fuel gauge was not correct......read posts and found this common problem. I replaced both sides, got a good price on OEM for one side but this pump side OEM was expensive. I used an AIRTEX E8540M from a large online retailer and it's been fine. Could have ordered the Hitachi or Bosch from the retailer, but went with this one instead. I think what sold me was their claim of a 'ceramic sender card' in hopes of better longevity.

Wish I would have read this original post and tried before spending ~$300 on both units.........bet this holds up well too. Used the eraser trick on the contacts for slot cars when I was a kid. I'll try it if/when it acts up again.
 
Wanted to thank OP for a thread from 13 years ago lol. Picked up an 04 earlier this year and the gas gauge always only filled up 3/4 of the way. At least the gauge said so. I cleaned both sending unit contact points today and put everything back together. The gas gauge was at 1/4 full but immediately popped up to nearly 3/4 full. Will need to fill up to confirm but I’m pretty sure cleaning the sensors fixed the incorrect readings.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top