Fuel Gauge Bad - '99 Forester - Help

[AJay]

Need help/info. I have a 1999 Forester AWD with Automatic
transmission. Two days ago the fuel gauge started reading very
erratic. I just filled the tank and it's bouncing everywhere between
full and almost empty.

Question: Can the sending unit(s) be replaced or does the pump have to
be replaced also. Has anyone else had this problem and what is my
best course of action?

Thanks for any help.

A.J.

 

[Guest]

Need help/info. I have a 1999 Forester AWD with Automatic
transmission. Two days ago the fuel gauge started reading very
erratic. I just filled the tank and it's bouncing everywhere between
full and almost empty.

Question: Can the sending unit(s) be replaced or does the pump have to
be replaced also. Has anyone else had this problem and what is my
best course of action?

Thanks for any help.

A.J.

1st try some fuel-injector cleaner. There are some that specifically
say they clean dirty fuel-guage senders.


Dave

 

[Bob Noble]

Fuel gages rarely go bad, nor do the senders.
Check the fuse. If it gets a bad seat or corrosion on the contacts, it could
cause this problem. So can any other connection in the wire to the sender in
the tank, so check any connections, even the ones on the gage in the
instrument panel.

The fuel sender and the pump are two different items. The pump has nothing
to do with the gage being erratic. The fuel sender is in the gas tank and
the tank usually has to be dropped to get to it, so, it is a chore, but like
I said, it rarely goes bad. It can be replaced
A shaky fuse or just a bad fuse seat is a likely cause.
The tank sending unit is relatively easy to check if you can get to the wire
that goes to the sending unit near the tank someplace.
Just short the end of the wire to ground, that goes to the fuel gage and the
gage should read full all the time. If it doesn't, there is something wrong
besides the sending unit.
Anyway, whether you can check these things or not, yes the fuel sending unit
can be replaced.

 

[AJay]

Need help/info. I have a 1999 Forester AWD with Automatic
transmission. Two days ago the fuel gauge started reading very
erratic. I just filled the tank and it's bouncing everywhere between
full and almost empty.

Question: Can the sending unit(s) be replaced or does the pump have to
be replaced also. Has anyone else had this problem and what is my
best course of action?

Thanks for any help.

A.J.

Thanks Bob Nobel and Dave for your prompt responses.

 

[Dan]

Need help/info. I have a 1999 Forester AWD with Automatic
transmission.  Two days ago the fuel gauge started reading very
erratic. I just filled the tank and it's bouncing everywhere between
full and almost empty.

Question: Can the sending unit(s) be replaced or does the pump have to
be replaced also.  Has anyone else had this problem and what is my
best course of action?

Thanks for any help.

A.J.

I had problems with my 94 Legacy fuel gage and started poking around
behind the instrument panel with test light. I'm thinking that I
toasted the illumination controller . Be carefull about grounding out
stuff behind instrument cluster, if you get there from here. Good luck.

 

[Robert]

1st try some fuel-injector cleaner. There are some that specifically
say they clean dirty fuel-guage senders.

Dave

I agree with Dave. I used to have that problem on my '95 Legacy. If
I bought Chevron gas, my gage would work. When I bought cheap gas it
would be erratic. Now I buy good gas. A month ago, I filled my '67
VW with E85. The gage hadn't worked in years. I didn't know what E85
was. My car ran like crap but it cleaned the sending unit. Now my VW
gage works great.

 

[AJay]

I agree with Dave. I used to have that problem on my '95 Legacy. If
I bought Chevron gas, my gage would work. When I bought cheap gas it
would be erratic. Now I buy good gas. A month ago, I filled my '67
VW with E85. The gage hadn't worked in years. I didn't know what E85
was. My car ran like crap but it cleaned the sending unit. Now my VW
gage works great.

I used the best injector cleaner I could find (STP $4.98 12 oz.) Added
a bottle two tank fills in a row. Gauge works like new.

Thanks for the injector suggestion.

A.J.