Ford 7.3L Power Stroke (1999-2003) :: Fuel Gauge Goes To Beyond Full And Stays There
Apr 21, 2016
Two years ago I acquired a very very nice 2001 F350 DRW crew cab. The person I purchased it from put a Remanufactured 7.3 in it and set the truck up to pull wedge trailers. He put 25K miles on it and put it on Craig's list where I found it. It just turned over 300,000 miles.
One of the changes he made was to install a 70 gallon fuel tank in the frame rails below the bed. He told me that when the gauge reads EMPTY there is still 20 gallons in the tank. I remember him telling me that this anomaly is due to using the stock Ford pickup in the larger tank.
I have never filled the tank because so far the truck is used locally. I usually put 10 to 20 gallons in and when it gets to E I do the same fueling.
Then one day I turned the key on and the needle went up and beyond the full indication.
I can get under it and maybe the tank has some name or model number on it.
The truck runs fine, but the gauge concerns me. Eventually the truck will be making round trips from Chicago to our retirement home in Santa Fe, NM. It would be nice to have a working fuel gauge!
I have spoken to the person I purchased the truck from. He installed the tank as part of a complete upgrade that included a re-manufactured 7.3. The fuel tank is a 67 gallon Titan mounted between the frame rails. He believes that the original Ford sending unit was installed. That means it has 300,000 miles on it. I had the truck on a lift yesterday and it is a very tight fit. The garage said the best way to do the repair is to remove the bed. Six bolts, disconnect the tail lights and the 7 pin trailer connector and it is off.
So, my questions now are... Should I stay with a new Ford sending unit or are there better ones to install? Are there any other updates to the fuel delivery system that should or could be done at the time?
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Well besides the pyro breaking friday BEFORE live tuning,and the exhaust leak I gained on the way to Texas(not inpart of the pyro not working). Now the fuel gauge is stuck on full. It looks good,200+ miles and still on full. Could it be the gauge,or possibly just the sending unit? Maybe a fuse?
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I've been having a very erratic fuel gauge issue as of about 2 months ago. My fuel level would register full, when in fact I knew it only had 1/2 a tank or so. Then 5 minutes later it would be pegged on full. Under a 1/2 tank the gauge would read any where from 1/2 to empty from 1 minute to the next. So last week I decided to drop my tank and take a look. I was thinking maybe my fuel sender was broken, maybe a loose wire in the tank, or even that my float had dropped off in to the tank.
After dropping the tank, I removed the PK-Up and sending unit and everything was intact. I placed my ohm meter on the sending unit and it checked out fine. So I took the Pk-up and rolled back up underneath the truck and plugged it back in. I had my son turn the key on and off while I moved the float to different levels in order that it would register. It registered empty, 1/4/, 1/2, 3/4 and full just fine as I moved the float to those levels. If you leave the key in the run position and move the float, it won't register or better said, the in cab gauge will not adjust with the movement.
You have to turn the key off move the float and hold it there, then have your assistant turn the key on and the gauge will show the position that you've moved and held it at. I simply removed the plastic cover from the sending unit, and sprayed it down real good with electrical contact cleaner. I didn't scrub the copper contact area at all.
I was concerned that scrubbing might remove more than I wanted to, and really mess things up. I attached an Ohm meter and checked resistance thru out the float travel. All checked out good and I reinstalled it. So now my fuel gauge is working as it should be. I did make a video while I ohmed the Sender Unit thru it's travel, but for some reason it won't load.
[URL] ....
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fuel gauge does what it wants? It goes down to half way then goes back to full or sometimes even empty. Not a big deal for me because I have gotten used to it. But I would hate to have my wife in here and she thinks it's good and run out.
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My fuel gauge acted pretty weird today. When I left my house today it was just above half a tank. I was sitting in traffic quite a bit and then looked down and it was below the e. I knew it wasn't empty so I kept going. Got to work. Went for lunch and it said full drove about 5 mins to eat and it went down to half a tank. What's going on? I am thinking of the fuel sender or wiring?
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Ok so the fuel gauge says empty and the low fuel light stays on even though the tank is full. I'm assuming its either the gauges or the sending unit. If it is the sending unit where is it located on this car?
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I bought an Autometer 4763 gauge that didn't come with the correct fittings to plumb the sender into one of the extra ports on the back of the bowl. I went to the Ace hardware store right across the street and they didn't have anything (not surprised) and then Napa. They couldn't find a fitting to match either. He found that the plug threads are 7/16 20 tpi and the sender is 1/8" NPT. He suggested getting a 7/16 20tpi bolt, drilling it rifle-style, and then tapping it for a 1/8" NPT. The alternative, and what I ended up doing, was to use brass fittings to tee it off one of the supply lines to the heads. I ended up going that route but wanted to know if I should have looked harder for the right fitting.
Here's a pic of what I have now. I've test fit it, and it seems to work although I will need to insulate the hard lines because they rub due to the offset.
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I've had an ongoing issue with my fuel gauge reading incorrectly, and now I'm trying to fix it! Basically, it will change all over the place while I'm driving (not erratically, but definitely moves occasionally). I recently fixed my overhead display, but the "miles to empty" display doesn't seem to be very consistent. It will read 450 miles to empty, and then the next time I look at it, it will have dropped 100 miles or something (after minimal driving).
So I'm wondering where I need to begin looking to fix this problem. I've replaced the dash cluster using Circuit Board Medics, so I'm fairly confident that's not the issue. I've read that it can be the fuel pump or the fuel tank sender, but how to check if these are actually the problem or how much time it will take. Luckily, I've never run out of fuel and been stranded, but I need to fix this or it's only a matter of time!
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Looking for pics of where/how they mounted their fuel pressure gauge? I'm getting ready to install one.
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1/4 tank just kept cranking. Added some diesel and started right up thought it was bad fuel gauge. Went about a mile and shut down just off. coasted went got more diesel but this time cranked but no start. anti theft light was flashing too.
Towed home started right up after tow... Starting now... Tomorrow was going to change the fuel filter....
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I recently had my fuel gauge stuck on full and at around the same time, my left rear brake light doesn't work. I do have LED brake lights in the rear so I am not sure if that changes anything. I thinking something with a ground or is it possible that these aren't even related.
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I am installing a fuel pressure gauge into my 02 7.3 I went to the thread the sensor into the plug hole on the fuel filter housing and it wasn't threaded, turns out the sensor thread is slightly smaller and a different thread ... The directions say to install it into the filter housing or the lift pump ... So I'm assuming I have to go the lift pump direction of installing it but where the lift pump is or how to install the sensor into it while not throwing a code or causin problems ... A step by step and even pictures.
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I have a 2001 F150 Supercrew (5.4 V8, 2WD,Auto trans) and recently when we fill the gas tank, the fuel tank doesn't go all the way up to the "full" line. Don't know if this matters but: about a year 1/2 ago in a little town (while on vacation), we broke down and the trouble was the fuel pump. The little town did have a small auto-parts store, and luckily had the fuel pump we needed. Unfortunately we didn't have much as far as tools and we wound up tearing/cutting the filler hose and the vent line.
The little auto store did not have the correct rubber filler & vent hoses for my truck and would take a few days get in stock. We changed out the entire fuel pump and sender unit, and were able to modify some rubber hoses for a new filler & vent line hose. Everything worked great for a year 1/2 but in the last few weeks we have noticed that when we fill the tank, the gas gauge does not go all the way up to the "F" line to show full. With the price of gas, it is important to know exactly how much is really in the tank. Also, is there a battery in the ceiling console for the temperature and compass? Ours just stopped working yesterday.
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I have a 97' F-150 4.6 L and I've been having some fuel gauge issues.... I filled up my tank up and I drove it 130 miles and it still said full tank... even when I had 1/2 I would start it and every time I started it it would jump up all the way to full and slowly drop down. Then randomly last night it started working... I noticed as I hit rough patches in the road and bumps it would usually fluctuate, but it would also fluctuate up... It read I have 3/4 tank last night and I go to start it today and its back up to full! I don't understand... Wouldn't a bad sending unit just stop all together?
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2000 v10 f350 single tank...fuel gauge is stuck on full. I'm on the road so I don't have my drawings so I tried some quick troubleshooting. If I remember right 160k or so is full and 20k ohms is empty...so I unplugged the sender from the harness which should be open and the gauge should read empty. With key on its reading full. I then followed the harness and unplugged it near the brake booster...key on it reads full. Just wanted to make sure I'm not doing anything wrong before I rip the dash apart.
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I have a 2000 ford F 250 with V-10 engine with fuel gauge stuck. The problem started in the winter a couple years back on a cold night when I fueled the truck with it running. The fuel gauge never went down. I assume this would indicate a stuck float? I dropped the tank and noticed a loose yellow wire. I can't see that the wire was attached anywhere though? A V-10 is not the engine to be guessing with on fuel...
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I have an 03 f350 4x4 cc long bed and I seem to be having a problem with my fuel gauge. It doesn't show the true amount of what's in the tank and because of that I have run out of fuel a few times.
sometimes when I'm driving the light will come on and the gauge will drop all the way to empty then a little later it will go to almost full even with only putting 10 gals in the tank.
Any fix for this or do I need to replace the sending unit?
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I just got a 03 f250 cc lariat with the 6.0, the truck sat for a month and a half before I picked it up, I got in started and the fuel gauge showed over half and the miles to empty was accurate and the temp was as well, about half way home the gauge dropped below empty and the fuel light turned on, then the miles to empty went up to 455 and the temp showed 67 when it was 92 out. I have read other post with these problems but no one has a solution, people have recommended techron for the fuel sender, but techron is not recommended for diesel...
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I've recently brought her back to life after a couple months of delayed loving due unforeseen reasons. And now the fuel gauge is completely under the E marking! I'm fairly smart and have looked some things up from other forums just trying to get a one on one response of that makes sense. "If were in the military you will understand" please break it down Barney style!! Not saying I'm dumb just want a good understanding
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Ok so the saga is continuing, not sure if its because enigma hates this mod or if I shorted something out when I was cutting the wires and mistakenly touched the ends together (protected terminal ends) some how or the monitor piece is just old and the fact that it has been my previous truck and this truck for a total combined 8+ years causing this conundrum....anyways the gauge seems to work (yay?) but it looks to read only "8"DC V?? but I know the power port (in dash) works as expected....so I am a bit lost here....one of the digits does look to be faded out as if the device perhaps is going bad and needs replacement....
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As I was driving to work yesterday I noticed my fuel gauge going from half tank all the way to full going down the highway. I started looking at the rest and they seem to be in there normal spots. I looked up and watched the outside temp go from 40 degrees to 5. This morning the fuel gauge goes straight to full and the outside temp bounces between 2 degrees and 10. What may be going on to cause this?
The truck is a 2000 F350 crew cab with a 7.3 Power Stroke
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