Dancing Fuel Guage... [Text View] - VehiCROSS.info Forums

Navigator

01/09/2005, 03:11 PM

Fuel guage randomly rocks from half empty to full and all point in between. The fuel needle will not keep still. Has anyone experienced this issue, and if so, how did you deal with it?

I suspect it's the sending unit, could be something simple. Harvesting your thoughts...

Heraclid

01/09/2005, 04:08 PM

Don't have an answer for you, but I have a similar situation here lately, too. It will read a tad low and then go back to the proper level (this is on level ground). This past week it sat around a quarter of a tank as I drove to and from work for a couple days and didn't drop. There was certainly more in the tank than it was saying but I didn't worry much. I just assumed I'd get a low fuel warning light if it was still reading at a quarter-tank and I was actually on fumes. Eventually it did start to drop again and I filled 'er up.

EDIT: see here:
http://vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=558&highlight=sending+unit

newthings

01/09/2005, 06:29 PM

Mine too.
Dealer will replace sender on warrentee. I think the part cost is about $120.00
Roy

AnalogVX

01/10/2005, 07:26 AM

Dances about 1/4 tank at a time no matter how full.
Maybe just nature of the beast?

Triathlete

01/10/2005, 08:14 AM

I have the same problem...it is worse while in 4LO! :freek:

Kenny

09/07/2005, 10:18 AM

Well, my needle just started to dance, and if this is permanent it's going to drives me nuts.

Has anyone figured out the root of this? Should go an order a new sender unit?

Thanks.

MSHardeman

09/07/2005, 01:18 PM

My gauge dances around too, but having just recently gotten the VX I thought that it was normal. Mine only dances after I fill the truck up until about 3/4 of a tank then it stabilizes.
Is this a common problem, or do we all need to have our sending units replaced?

mbeach

09/07/2005, 06:02 PM

Mine does it, and the wife's has just started. I think it's a pretty common problem.
I just get gas every 250 miles and learn to 'tune out' the guage.

Ldub

09/07/2005, 08:00 PM

My gauge is just like me...it don't dance, but if it ever starts, I'm using the "BEACH" method & some black tape !

Tornado

11/06/2005, 05:27 PM

Mine also dances around! :mad:

Heraclid

11/06/2005, 09:02 PM

Not too long ago, I had looked at the maintenance CD and was just about to attempt a fix when mine just started working fine again. I recently replaced the fuel filter again, but that was after the gauge readings had already self-corrected.

WormGod

11/07/2005, 07:31 AM

Ya, especially when you take some turns. I live in the backwoods and getting to the highway I have to trek through the Frederick County version of Pikes Peak. I watch my gas gauge as I go through there and it has 2 settings throughout.... 1/4 tank - 3/4 tank, haha. Clearly, it looks as though we have a crappy old school floater sensor in the tank that likes to slosh around. The more your VX moves side to side (turns) the more that senor is gonna get seasick.

Kenny

11/07/2005, 11:59 AM

Is it really a float? I couldn't make it out from the workshop manual.
If it is, shouldn't it be easier to fix than buying a new fuel sensor?

WormGod

11/08/2005, 07:21 AM

"as it looks" from the way it does a tug-of-war on the gauge, I would put my money on a floater. I wish it were more accurate, I do know that. I hate seeing an empty tank when I actually have about 1/4 left, or better yet, seeing 1/4 tank, when you are on WALK.

Navigator

12/05/2005, 12:43 PM

.... and like the Energizer Bunny, the needle still dances. Unusual, but as far as problems go, minor anoyance is all. BTW, Wilkins ISUZU on Ritchie HWY has excellent customer service, they appologized up and down for not being able to fix it and gave me a brand new Subaru as a loaner while they fiddled with it to no avail.

mjd709

03/20/2006, 09:44 AM

Well...I just joined the Dancing Fuel Gauge club this weekend. Anyone been living with this for a long time?

xdfarrx

03/20/2006, 10:00 PM

Could someone inform me of where this thing is. I recall Tone telling me it is under the tank...?

volume311

03/21/2006, 05:38 PM

Mine dances allover the place on my rodeo sport and a CEL P0463 comes up. I spotted on a link somewhere that the fuel sending unit is part of the fuel pump and thus is covered by the 100k drivetrain warranty, and the new unit they replace it with is redesigned. Something about the little plastic teeth on it wear out and star slipping.

Ldub

03/21/2006, 06:17 PM

Could someone inform me of where this thing is. I recall Tone telling me it is under the tank...?

According to the pics in the workshop cd from Tone, looks like it's on the front/right (facing forward) of the tank about 1/3 in from right & 1/3 down from top. Also, it looks like we share gas tanks w/ an Hombre.?
Ldub

xdfarrx

03/27/2006, 10:35 PM

L dub
Do we have to drop the tank. I think Tone also said this needed to be done. Out of curiousity is this the Mode Swith Sensor?
thanks
Dfarr

SilverBullet75

03/27/2006, 11:45 PM

All,

I used to have the same problem... but I used 2 fuel injector cleaner bottles per tank for a couple tank-fulls and now the gauge works great again!
It's been over a year since the problem was fixed.
---JIM---

Ldub

03/28/2006, 04:55 AM

L dub
Do we have to drop the tank. I think Tone also said this needed to be done. Out of curiousity is this the Mode Swith Sensor?
thanks
Dfarr

D,
Yeah, looks like the tank has to be dropped. There is a good writeup of how to do this @ PlanetIsuzu.com. Although it's being done on a Rodeo, I doubt that the proceedure is much different.
Ldub

WILLY

07/01/2006, 08:13 PM

Mine Just Plain Dont Work, It Did A Little When I First Got It But It Started Not Working More Often And I Could Bang The Dash With My Fist And It Would Work.now It Just Stays At Empty,sometimes When I Fill It Up It Reads A Full Tank But Not 4 Long Then It Goes Back To E,i Just Use The Trip Odometer Every 250 Miles I Fill Him Up.yeah I Said Him, My Vx Is Not A Female Lmao.at 90,000 Miles I Git 18 Mpg's All The Time Yeah. :)

HotFlyer

07/02/2006, 04:45 AM

Upon filling up, my fuel guage reads "F", but after 10 miles it drops to 1/2 and stays there for the next 150 miles before moving towards "E". I've been doing the 200 mile fill up.

Last week, for no reason, it started working FINE. ?????????????????????????????

Don't understand!!

Howard (0761)

WILLY

07/03/2006, 03:01 AM

ITS JUST JUNK LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE MAN MADE EVERYTHING IS BUILT TO FAIL SO THEY CAN KEEP CASHING IN ON ALL US SUCKERS. :mad:

Ldub

07/03/2006, 11:28 AM

ITS JUST JUNK LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE MAN MADE EVERYTHING IS BUILT TO FAIL SO THEY CAN KEEP CASHING IN ON ALL US SUCKERS. :mad:

So...given that logic, if I could find a sending unit made by a fish or small woodland critter it would last forever ??? :p :confused: :p

WILLY

07/03/2006, 12:42 PM

ITS POSSIBLE LMFAO :rolleyes:

biju

01/10/2007, 08:57 PM

...they appologized up and down for not being able to fix it and gave me a brand new Subaru as a loaner while they fiddled with it to no avail.

The gauge on my Proton danced from day one. Finally took her in today to get it fixed. They replaced the sender unit (float mechanism) in the tank. $200 later, gauge still dances. My mechanic is also stumped. Only thing they could suggest at this point was replacing the dash gauge itself and see if that works. Before they do that, I thought I'd check here to see if anybody else has done this - and, did it work?

Thanks.

-biju.

WILLY

01/11/2007, 01:44 AM

thedutchguy

01/11/2007, 02:09 AM

Mine dances too. But since I don't have electric schematics perhaps someone who does can tell me if there is a voltage stabilisor in this circuit?
Maybe intergrated in the dash?

thedutchguy

01/15/2007, 08:29 AM

I'm still waiting.....................................bump.

Kenny

01/22/2007, 05:48 PM

:p Ya know i forgot to post my fix for mine,i took off my gauge cluster cause i figured that was where the prob.was considering it would work a little when i would hit the dash and i found a little screw on the back of the board right behind the fuel gauge and it was not completely screwed in so i screwed it in and it has worked great ever since.kinda weird how it was not all the way in cause it was not loose when i screwed it in,it was actually kinda stiff,probably just never got screwed all the way in at the factory,maybe someone had a 420 break and had a moment of short term memory loss. :_thinking

I took my dash apart (happening too frequently these days with all the tinkering I do :rolleyes: ) and pulled the fuel gauge apart and tightened all the screws - no change to my dancing gauge. It appears to be a copper coil with 3 resistors around it... I'll take some pics next time it's apart if some one wants them.

WILLY

01/23/2007, 01:25 PM

Yeah I didn, take the gauge itself apart all i did was pull the panel off and on the backside of the panel u can see circuit board and there was a tiny screw that screws into the board behind the fuel gauge and i snugged it down and fixed my prob. :)

tysamigo

04/18/2007, 09:31 AM

My new VX is also dancing its needle around. I wanted to know if anyone had found the solution? It is bugging me to no end :)

I'm hoping after all this time someone can chime in with what the problem and solution really is.

Thanks

WILLY

04/18/2007, 11:17 AM

It can be several things but luckly for me it was just the screw on the board right behind the gauge,i just screwed it in the rest of the way and it started working and has continued to work since.

CoastieCosta567

04/18/2007, 02:24 PM

mine does it when i turn only, but this is my 3rd isuzu and i have notice that of them that start getting higher mileage, start doing that, all of mine did before, and i bet my VX will start doing to.

Jolly Roger VX'er

12/12/2007, 04:40 PM

It can be several things but luckly for me it was just the screw on the board right behind the gauge,i just screwed it in the rest of the way and it started working and has continued to work since.

I tried this but it didn't fix mine. I read a previous post where someone used injector cleaner in a couple of tanks of gas...didn't hold much hope that this would work but tried it anyways...after 2 tanks with Lucas fuel system treatment the darned gauge seems to be working pretty good...go figure?

WILLY

12/12/2007, 08:19 PM

good to here! hopefully it keeps working for ya.

nocturnalVX

12/13/2007, 12:02 PM

Mine has never had this trouble (knock on wood), and I know quite a few VXers that don't have the dancing fuel gauge either. Must be a "chronic" VX problem like windows, CD changer, etc. that only some have.

VXIRONwoMAN

12/13/2007, 04:19 PM

My Proton's gauge doesn't dance... BUT the Ironman! That fuel gauge could salsa, merengue, cha-cha, flamenco, tango, foxtrot, jitter bug, you name it!!! It was a dancing machine! I got used to it though. I never tried to fix it. If I was on a flat road, no problem. If I was going over some crazy bumps, and hills and stuff, I couldn't tell if I was empty or full. The "I am out of gas in a few minutes" light would come on when I needed gas so I figured I was ok. :bwgy:

tom4bren

12/14/2007, 10:12 AM

Mine dances too but I only notice it when 1/2 tank or below. It's about time for some injector cleaner anyway. Hopefully that'll help.

On every other vehicle I've owned, the first 1/4 tank of gas lasted alot longer than the last 1/4. The VX appears opposite. It comes off full very quickly but the last 1/2 tanks seems to last forever. I guess it's all tied together.

Jolly Roger VX'er

12/15/2007, 06:10 PM

On every other vehicle I've owned, the first 1/4 tank of gas lasted alot longer than the last 1/4. The VX appears opposite. It comes off full very quickly but the last 1/2 tanks seems to last forever. I guess it's all tied together.

I hear that! I think the VX is dyslexic! Personally I wish it were the opposite as it just "seems" nicer that way!...My Ram goes a long ways on both the first quarter and last quarter but sheesh the middle half goes lickety-split...lol.