Fuel gauge all over the place

Maver1ck · **Posted:** Sun Aug 10, 2014 2:02 am

My 2005 KJ Limited CRD FUEL GAUGE is not working properly (76K miles). The wife :dizzy:

was on a road trip and filled it completely full with "off road diesel". To which she told me after getting home the "water in fuel" CEL came on. I ran out and got some Diesel 911, changed the fuel/water filter but that didn't clear the CEL. Now the fuel gauge will not work, then read 1/4 or 1/2 then jump to full and then drop to nothing. Seems to drop to empty and then move when turning or breaking hard. Which leads me to think it has to do with something broken in the fuel tank, or maybe the bad tank of fuel. I was wondering if anyone else had this problem/suggestions before I have to drop the tank and explore. Thanks for any help in this matter.

racertracer · **Posted:** Sun Aug 10, 2014 5:08 am

Reset the system by detaching the battery cable for 10 minutes.

See if that doesn't work. I would dump the whole can of 911.

DOC4444 · **Posted:** Sun Aug 10, 2014 8:48 am

If the gauge worked normally before you changed the fuel filter, it is most likely something you inadvertently did. You need to get a scanner that works with the KJ CRD. ( Most do not.) The Innova 3030 does and is cheap. Most of the other Innovas do NOT. And, there are differences between '05 and '06 in terms of which aftermarket scanners will work. Also, most KJs have had a flash (update) to facilitate the use of non-OEM scan tools, but not all.

We should be able to help once we know the codes. Cannot imagine a way bad fuel could cause the fuel gauge to immediately malfunction. Unfortunately, you will now have that dye they put in off road diesel in your system forever.

DOC

dgeist · **Posted:** Sun Aug 10, 2014 9:32 am

Depending on how MUCH water was in that fuel, it could have corroded the float arm on the sending unit to the point where it won't move properly with the level anymore. It's not trivial to pull the tank out to check something like that, but it's also not super-hard (as long as it's close to empty). Once that's out, it's a simple variable resistance circuit you could check with any voltmeter and simply moving the arm manually through its range.

Dan

diesel_guy86 · **Posted:** Sun Aug 10, 2014 9:37 am

No you wont, I switch back and forth all the time. A couple gallons is all that's needed to flush the system. If your worried about it, drain your tank into some transparent containers and let it sit in the sun. The dye they use isn't UV resistant so it quickly bleaches out to normal color.

dgeist · **Posted:** Sun Aug 10, 2014 9:53 am

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ For offroad use only :wink:

Maver1ck · **Posted:** Sun Aug 10, 2014 11:25 am

Thanks for the reply's. Forgot to mention I have a code reader Actron CP9125 OBD II Pocketscaner: The codes are p0102, p0299, and p1140. i always run the ehm and off road mod so the p0102 is probably normal. I took the battery terminal off for at least 10 mins and only the p0299 cleared. I then tried to manually clear the codes on the reader and got the same 2 codes 0120, and 1140. I'm now on my second fuel/water filter from Napa and bleed all the air out. Now the check oil light just came on and the A/C just quite blowing cold air. Blower still blows, just no cold air at all. Only good news is I can now blame the wife and just ordered the "Weeks Intake elbow kit" so I can tell her I needed to get this mod to fix her mistake. LOL

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Sun Aug 10, 2014 11:27 am

dgeist wrote:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ For offroad use only :wink:

FYI: There is no difference between off road diesel fuel and the higher priced diesel fuel sold at the pumps other than the color additive. I have had this discussion with a local large name brand bulk area distributor friend of mine and he informed me of this information. He said several years ago the off road had a higher sulfur content, but that is no longer the case anymore, they simply use the same fuel for either. That is also why the off road diesel fuel is priced almost as high in price as the for road use fuel at the pump.... :roll:

I know of some who use off road diesel all the time with absolutely no ill effects. They buy it in bulk for tractor and equipment use.... :wink:

There are ways to convert the color to green. Have to be careful what is posted, big brother is watching!!!! :grim:

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Sun Aug 10, 2014 11:48 am

Maver1ck wrote:

Thanks for the reply's. Forgot to mention I have a code reader Actron CP9125 OBD II Pocketscaner: The codes are p0102, p0299, and p1140. i always run the ehm and off road mod so the p0102 is probably normal. I took the battery terminal off for at least 10 mins and only the p0299 cleared. I then tried to manually clear the codes on the reader and got the same 2 codes 0120, and 1140. I'm now on my second fuel/water filter from Napa and bleed all the air out. Now the check oil light just came on and the A/C just quite blowing cold air. Blower still blows, just no cold air at all. Only good news is I can now blame the wife and just ordered the "Weeks Intake elbow kit" so I can tell her I needed to get this mod to fix her mistake. LOL

0 P1140 Jeep
Possible causes
- Faulty Vacuum Reservoir Solenoid
- Vacuum Reservoir Solenoid harness is open or shorted
- Vacuum Reservoir Solenoid circuit poor electrical connection

With all the issues you are encountering, you may possible have a faulty wiring harness problem??? :roll:

diesel_guy86 · **Posted:** Sun Aug 10, 2014 1:03 pm

Agree, sounds like a bad ground to me. *Usually* a short to ground will pop a fuse. My guess would be something around the dash area, one member had problems with his cruise control acting strange. He tried new switches and all sorts of stuff, ended up changing his radio and that cured the problem.

DOC4444 · **Posted:** Sun Aug 10, 2014 1:04 pm

I do not understand. Your sig shows you have a GDE tune. Why would you run the ORM with that? It results in the CEL always being on. However, you reported in your post that the CEL came on after the WIF warning came on. ??????

While '06s seem to be the ones more prone to wiring harness issues, one of the problem areas is right by where the fuel filter is. That is why I originally speculated that you had inadverantly caused the problem while working in that area.

DOC

CGman · **Posted:** Sun Aug 10, 2014 7:05 pm

How about your battery?

Maver1ck · **Posted:** Sun Aug 10, 2014 7:27 pm

I have a brand new 4 month old AGM Super Start Platinum Installed in April. I did have a grounding issue when I got back from Japan. My CRD was in storage for 4 years, it was started every month while I was gone, however the old red top Optima went bad. So when I hooked up this new battery it would crank over and not start. My sisters husband fixed it by grounding the ECM to the frame. (sanding the mounting bolt and paint) That solved the problem then and she started up enabling me to drive from Michigan to my new assignment here at Eglin AFB in Florida. I will check the area around the fuel/water filter also.
Do you reconnect the MAF after the tune? If so I was not aware of that. Thanks guys for the suggestions. I have a long road trip back home in Nov to visit family and deer hunt. I would love to have all the gremlins worked out by then.

Yeti · **Posted:** Wed Aug 13, 2014 12:49 pm

connect the MAF , with a tune like GDE do not need to unplug

weeks101 · **Joined:** Mon Jul 30, 2012 3:29 pm **Posts:** 747

Maver1ck wrote:

Only good news is I can now blame the wife and just ordered the "Weeks Intake elbow kit" so I can tell her I needed to get this mod to fix her mistake. LOL

Just saw this, haha, nice!

Maver1ck · **Posted:** Sat Nov 08, 2014 1:08 am

At last we have solved the mystery on "MY" Jeep. We put a new oil sending unit in a few weeks ago and it ran fine. Recently it shorted out the 5 volt reference of the FCM. So I recommend if anyone is having a similar problem (Water in fuel, fuel level sender, oil pressure, AC High Pressure/Low pressure). Check for 5 volt sensor supply out of the FCM pin #16 (brown and light green wire). If it reads anything less than 5v start at the: 5v Brown/light green line on the A/C pressure Transducer
FCM (Gateway module)controls, remove the connectors at the following locations; the fuel level sensor, low oil pressure light, A/C pressure sensor, generator/alternator field control, and Water In Fuel Sensor. Hope this helps someone else as I have spent way to much time chasing gremlins on my Jeep.
:BANANA:

Fuel gauge all over the place

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