98' 4runner - last couple of times after getting gas my "low fuel" light\indicator goes on and off (intermittently but mostly stays on) for about 50 miles or so and then it goes out and stays out (until presumably I went low on gas).

It acts like and I would think a loose connection but that does not explain why it goes out and stays out after about 50 miles and does not return until I get gas again. Could a bad gas cap cause this?

I have tried filling up and only getting some gas but it does it each time.

 

maybe the sensor in the tank is going bad....

 

Thanks for the reply - so I have a sensor for the low fuel light and it is separate from the fuel gauge sender?

I never let my tank get low & the light is annoying is there a fuse for the light that I can simply pull instead of replacing a sensor?

 

The sensor is a part of the fuel sending unit. you could try pulling the connector at the tank and spraying some contact cleaner on the contacts - might just have a little dirt on them.

To disable it, you would need to remove the bulb. There is not a dedicated fuse for the low level light.

 

there is what is called the combination meter

it runs most of the indicators

there are two signals coming from the tank. one is the fuel level which is a variable resistor, the other is low fuel, which is either low or not.

your problem is almost certainly inside the fuel tank, on the low fuel switch,
which is part of the fuel sender as a whole.

new fuel sender. done.

 

Well this morning the light was on & off. I took off the gas cap and put it back on till it clicked in place and the light has not come back on since (about 50 miles).

I know some cars will set off the CEL if the cap is not on tight enough but I never heard of a low fuel warning.

I don't know if that still indicates a fuel sender? But it seems to me I happened to have three lazy gas attendants in a row (here in NJ we cannot pump our own gas).

 

If the light was flashing the system is sensing an error of some sort. If it just comes on and off sometimes, I couldn't say.

If the gauge is inaccurate, I have some tips on my web site.