Notices
86-95 Trucks & 4Runners 2nd/3rd gen pickups, and 1st/2nd gen 4Runners with IFS

Gas gauge reading sporadically or not at all

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 08-03-2012, 11:00 AM
  #21  
Banned
Thread Starter
iTrader: (-1)
 
waskillywabbit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 3
Received 19 Likes on 9 Posts
Lip goes on the outside of the frame but you really need to weld inside too. No way to do it right IMO without dropping gas tank.

Like I said, I'd rather NOT get dead.

:wabbit2:

Last edited by waskillywabbit; 08-03-2012 at 11:14 AM.
Old 08-03-2012, 11:09 AM
  #22  
Registered User
iTrader: (1)
 
OrRunner's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Oregon
Posts: 697
Received 9 Likes on 5 Posts
Oh, now it really makes sense, For some reason, I was thinking the lip went to the outside...DOH then I would be on here asking why my springs don't line up...Man, good thing its friday!! Thanks again!
Old 08-03-2012, 11:13 AM
  #23  
Banned
Thread Starter
iTrader: (-1)
 
waskillywabbit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 3
Received 19 Likes on 9 Posts
Correction. Lip goes on outside but you really need to weld inside too. Regardless...gas...welding...boom...I am allergic to exploding.

:wabbit2:
Old 08-03-2012, 12:03 PM
  #24  
Registered User
 
sbagdon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 52
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by waskillywabbit
Filled up yesterday. Good for about 50 miles and it started being squirrely for another 10 miles. It would register up and down from 3/4 to nothing and back again.

Sounds like a bad sending unit. At least I think it can be pulled with little trouble and swapped.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

:wabbit2:
Sounds that you've ordered a new sending you, yet if you get bored before install, try this...

Run the tank to 1/2, and park on an exterme incline. Bet the gauge will go crazy, as it walks up/down the level sensor shaft, and find the bad spots on the shaft.

We had a van that when parked on a specific driveway, would go from 1/8 to empty (and even loose fuel pressure if too low).
Old 08-03-2012, 12:51 PM
  #25  
Fossilized
Staff
iTrader: (6)
 
dropzone's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: PNW
Posts: 19,771
Received 448 Likes on 293 Posts
Originally Posted by DeathCougar
Sending unit for sure.

The FSM outlines the testing procedure, I can get that for you when I get home if you want.
He should have known where to find the testing procedure
Originally Posted by waskillywabbit
www.ncttora.com/fsm

No special tools needed other than your brain and search
:wabbit2:
Old 08-03-2012, 12:56 PM
  #26  
Banned
Thread Starter
iTrader: (-1)
 
waskillywabbit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 3
Received 19 Likes on 9 Posts
Originally Posted by waskillywabbit
Resistance for testing of sender gauge.
Looking for someone who had a similar experience and discovered what their solution was in fact. I can pull it and test either/both.

:wabbit2:
Originally Posted by dropzone
He should have known where to find the testing procedure

Your reading comprehension is dazzling :fo2:

:wabbit2:
Old 08-03-2012, 01:00 PM
  #27  
Registered User
iTrader: (1)
 
OrRunner's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Oregon
Posts: 697
Received 9 Likes on 5 Posts
Originally Posted by waskillywabbit
Correction. Lip goes on outside but you really need to weld inside too. Regardless...gas...welding...boom...I am allergic to exploding.

:wabbit2:

Correction noted, lip to the outside, but weld the inside also, Thank you sir!
Old 08-03-2012, 01:01 PM
  #28  
Registered User
 
scope103's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: San Francisco East Bay
Posts: 8,252
Likes: 0
Received 820 Likes on 648 Posts
http://www.ncttora.com/fsm/1990-1995...2/troubles.pdf (pages 49 and 50).

The actual gauge is a "hot wire ammeter," so you can't really test it with a "voltage generator." It's measuring, more or less, current through the sender and the gauge combined.

That doesn't mean someone couldn't measure the voltage drop across the gauge at various fill levels. If you had that you could hook up a $4 digital panel gauge and you'd have a digital fuel level gauge. But it won't help much for diagnosing the problem in this thread.
Old 08-03-2012, 01:49 PM
  #29  
Registered User
iTrader: (1)
 
wyoming9's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: I live in New Tripoli Pa out in the woods
Posts: 13,381
Received 99 Likes on 86 Posts
Red face

I don`t want you dead either not just yet any way

It might be interesting getting the lines off the pump bracket.
Old 08-03-2012, 02:29 PM
  #30  
Banned
Thread Starter
iTrader: (-1)
 
waskillywabbit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 3
Received 19 Likes on 9 Posts
Originally Posted by wyoming9
I don't want you dead either not just yet any way

It might be interesting getting the lines off the pump bracket.
Thanks

Already popped off the lines when I lined the tank.

:wabbit2:
Old 08-04-2012, 01:45 AM
  #31  
Registered User
iTrader: (1)
 
wyoming9's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: I live in New Tripoli Pa out in the woods
Posts: 13,381
Received 99 Likes on 86 Posts
Red face

the joys of living out side the great rust belt .

One only needs to watch out that the goats don`t eat the wiring harness!!
Old 08-04-2012, 05:40 AM
  #32  
Banned
Thread Starter
iTrader: (-1)
 
waskillywabbit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 3
Received 19 Likes on 9 Posts
Goats don't have a key to the shop and no shop goaty doors

:wabbit2:
Old 08-11-2012, 03:32 PM
  #33  
Banned
Thread Starter
iTrader: (-1)
 
waskillywabbit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 3
Received 19 Likes on 9 Posts
Swapped in a new Toyota sending unit.



:wabbit2:
Old 08-12-2012, 01:06 AM
  #34  
Registered User
iTrader: (1)
 
wyoming9's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: I live in New Tripoli Pa out in the woods
Posts: 13,381
Received 99 Likes on 86 Posts
Red face

So you got this sorted!!

See this is what happens when you go on to short of a vacation!!

You need another few weeks come back after Labor Day

Last edited by wyoming9; 08-12-2012 at 01:08 AM. Reason: cause I can
Old 08-12-2012, 03:04 AM
  #35  
Registered User
 
93toyota4x4's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I have the exact problem with my truck and I have a good sending unit in my parts truck but the rust doesn't want to let it go. Any ideas how I can get it off without ruining the tank?
Old 08-17-2012, 05:12 AM
  #36  
Banned
Thread Starter
iTrader: (-1)
 
waskillywabbit's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 3
Received 19 Likes on 9 Posts
PB Blaster. Rust kills.

After a week and another fill up today the new sending unit has fixed the gas gauge issue

:wabbit2:
Old 07-23-2014, 08:30 AM
  #37  
Registered User
 
Connor G's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Maine
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
mine did a similar thing. mine would work fine till a quarter tank then hold there for a while. then drop to e for like 10 seconds and then go back to a quarter and stays there to you run out of gas on the road if you dont notice the drop. I replaced the sending unit and it appears to fix the issue.
Old 07-24-2014, 01:56 AM
  #38  
Super Moderator
Staff
iTrader: (1)
 
Terrys87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Anderson Missouri
Posts: 11,788
Likes: 0
Received 21 Likes on 19 Posts
What happens is the wiper on the float assembly eventually rubs the wire which is fine as a human hair until it breaks the wiring. Everytime I have seen it happen, it is always at the bottom of the float which makes sense as it is the part that will get the most rubbing.

May not be able to see it to well but here is an example.
Name:  fueltank16_zps7fae1db9.jpg
Views: 40
Size:  81.5 KB
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
calderp
Engine Swaps
2
08-16-2016 05:15 PM
calderp
Pre 84 Trucks
8
07-27-2015 09:58 AM
Yota.Jay
86-95 Trucks & 4Runners
3
07-23-2015 08:08 PM
Tyler Cunningham
86-95 Trucks & 4Runners
3
07-11-2015 10:18 AM
Poncho0206
95.5-2004 Tacomas & 96-2002 4Runners
3
07-10-2015 06:21 PM



Quick Reply: Gas gauge reading sporadically or not at all



All times are GMT -8. The time now is 07:02 PM.