Fuel Gauge Issues

stoutdog · **Posted:** Wed Sep 21, 2011 1:31 pm

My last two fill-ups, the fuel gauge has been a little squirrelly. On this last tank, I watched the gauge go from 1/4 to flat-dead empty in about 30 miles, drove around on it for another 30 miles, and still only managed to get 16.5 gallons into the tank. At that point, the gauge only went to two ticks below full (when prior to these last two tanks it would take ~80-120 miles just to move off full). So obviously this is annoying and problematic...

I've heard this might be a hiccup related to the GDE linear fuel gauge change and that it might eventually work itself out, but am unsure. It only just started happening and I've had the tune since the very beginning. Any thoughts?

papaindigo · **Posted:** Wed Sep 21, 2011 2:08 pm

As I mentioned when we chatted I've had several experiences of odd gauge readings right after a full fill-up. Not often but sometimes it drops from full+ to a tick or 2 below full in about 30 miles but then the problem goes away and it jumps back up to the full+ mark.

The only thing I can think of is I have not had this happen since I changed out the original 2005 red top battery in December 2010. Makes me wonder if your 2006 red top might be headed for the great battery dump in the sky. Might be worth a battery load test.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Wed Sep 21, 2011 5:14 pm

I'd say its time to carry some diesel with you just in case.

racertracer · **Posted:** Wed Sep 21, 2011 8:09 pm

DOn't throw away your exisitng red tops.

I replaced my red top with a Sears P4 when it no longer had the power that the CRD needed to keep the ECU error free, so I decided to see if it would work OK in a friends 1999 RAV4 16 months ago...... till this day it is still working just fine.

My fuel guage acted up on occassion but it hasn't happened in a while.

Greasey Bob · **Joined:** Tue Dec 14, 2010 3:34 am **Posts:** 228

I fill my wifes grease tank on the back with 20 gallons of nice vegetable oil every 3 days. The diesel gauge in the dash is a little spastic but I usually fill the diesel tank when it gets to around 1/2 tank which is usually 1700-1900 miles. Sometimes a little above takes 10 gallons of diesel and sometime a little below 1/2 takes 15 gallons of diesel. But usually it stays on full for weeks.
One of my wifes favorate things about having a grease Jeep is never having to go to the gas station. I understand that electric car owners say the same thing.

racertracer · **Posted:** Thu Sep 22, 2011 2:05 am

Disconnect the battery for a few minutes, allow a reboot of the system and see what happens.

stoutdog · **Posted:** Thu Sep 22, 2011 11:21 am

racertracer wrote:

Disconnect the battery for a few minutes, allow a reboot of the system and see what happens.

Thanks, I'll give that a try when I'm back in town... if that doesn't work, I'll go for a load test.

stoutdog · **Posted:** Tue Oct 18, 2011 12:32 am

Well, I finally had a chance to look into this issue a little more (been traveling for the last month). I ran an instrument panel test and the gauge passed, so the actual indicator is working fine. I also replaced the battery, as it was an original and getting to that point anyways... Still, however, no luck.

I am 100% sure that I'm filling the tank up fully each time (and I've used three different pumps so far, from three different stations, with the same result... so I know its not a pump going early).

Any other thoughts?

Siardi · **Posted:** Tue Oct 18, 2011 6:32 pm

I don't know how the actual mechanism that measures the level in the tank works on this car, but, years ago I had similar problems with a chevy van, I never really cared for the inaccuracy other that it was pretty annoying having to keep track of millage every fill up no to run out of gas. Years later the fuel pump had to be replaced, on that car there was a float attached to the in tank pump, when I replaced it I noticed deterioration on the mechanism that related the float position to the dashboard, replaced pump with float included, never had the problem again.

Maybe there's something similar in this car, I know there's no pump, but the float arm and whatever else is there....

Just a thought.

Billwill · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 4:38 am

There is no pump but there is a float mechanism in the tank.
You get to the tank by lifting up the rear carpeting in the load area....you first have to drill out the rivets on the two rearmost stowage hooks. With the carpet flipped up you will see the access panel to the tank.
Best to work in this area with an empty tank....you can see the mechanism in the tank....may be binding on something.
Also check the cables going to the fuel tank for any damage and bad connections.

stoutdog · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 6:15 pm

Billwill wrote:

There is no pump but there is a float mechanism in the tank.
You get to the tank by lifting up the rear carpeting in the load area....you first have to drill out the rivets on the two rearmost stowage hooks. With the carpet flipped up you will see the access panel to the tank.
Best to work in this area with an empty tank....you can see the mechanism in the tank....may be binding on something.
Also check the cables going to the fuel tank for any damage and bad connections.

Hrm, thanks, I'll definitely look into this... certainly was one of my thoughts, though I didn't realize there is a panel back there and thought you had to actually drop the tank instead.

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 6:24 pm

Billwill wrote:

There is no pump but there is a float mechanism in the tank.
You get to the tank by lifting up the rear carpeting in the load area....you first have to drill out the rivets on the two rearmost stowage hooks. With the carpet flipped up you will see the access panel to the tank.
Best to work in this area with an empty tank....you can see the mechanism in the tank....may be binding on something.
Also check the cables going to the fuel tank for any damage and bad connections.

Sorry but the access panels under the carper are not there on 05 and 06 CRD's :juggle:

I'm not sure when they were discontinued.

But the connector on the top of the tank is a real possibility for being the culpret :furious:

stoutdog · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 7:12 pm

Joe Romas wrote:

Sorry but the access panels under the carper are not there on 05 and 06 CRD's :juggle:

I'm not sure when they were discontinued.

But the connector on the top of the tank is a real possibility for being the culpret :furious:

Fantastic, so I would have to drop the tank. That sounds like a barrel of fun... :banghead:

Well, I was planning on installing a lift pump in the near future, so... I guess I could try to kill two birds with one stone, if the weather ever decides to drop below inferno here.

stoutdog · **Posted:** Sun Nov 27, 2011 2:54 pm

Just as a wrap up, in case anyone finds this topic in search. My fuel gauge magically went back to normal this week, after about 3 tanks of fuel and 1k miles of driving. I did purchase a new battery at some point during the last tank, so that may have helped in the end, but who knows.

It's just nice to not have the low fuel light come on with 7 gallons left anymore...

:JEEPIN:

Fuel Gauge Issues

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