Fuel Gauge went from quater full to dead empty with 5 miles left?
11/21/11, 12:19 AM
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Fuel Gauge went from quater full to dead empty with 5 miles left?
So the other night I was sitting in my car, with the car on, talking to some of my friends. I look at the odometer to check how many miles I have on the car then I see it saying that I have 57 miles to empty (Which is wierd because it usually starts with 50). Anyway, I didnt think anything of it because it was around a quater full which is uaually when I get the chime to fill up (It didnt chime this time tho). Then 10 mins later I hear the chime so I look at my cluster and the fuel gauge is light up red the needle is dead bottom and it says I only have 3 miles till empty. I shut the car off then turned it back on about another 10 mins later and it says 5 miles left this time.
So I went to the gas station to fill up. I turned the car off but kept the battery on to see what the gauge would do. Sure enough, it jumped from dead bottom back up to a quater full. Usually it cost me in the 40's to fill up but this time it was $37. I heard this problem with the sensor on one side of the fuel tank going bad but wouldnt that make it drop at half empty and not at a quater? And if it just went bad at that very moment shouldnt it have jumped up to half full when I filled up and not back to a quater?
Has this happened to anyone else? Im a bit confused about this. And luckly I was close by a gas station at the time too. It ruined my night because I was gonna hang out with some sexy girls lol, not to mention the gas station attendant spilt gas all over the side of my car (NJ laws so I cant fill up myself). So I had to wash down around the gas cap at 3 in the morning. Im gonna run it to quater empty again and see what happens. Hopefully it wont happen again.
I really dont want to go to the dealership just yet but if it happens again I will. I have a few other problems ill have them check out while its there anyway. I was dumb and forgot check how many gallons it took to fill up too.
So I went to the gas station to fill up. I turned the car off but kept the battery on to see what the gauge would do. Sure enough, it jumped from dead bottom back up to a quater full. Usually it cost me in the 40's to fill up but this time it was $37. I heard this problem with the sensor on one side of the fuel tank going bad but wouldnt that make it drop at half empty and not at a quater? And if it just went bad at that very moment shouldnt it have jumped up to half full when I filled up and not back to a quater?
Has this happened to anyone else? Im a bit confused about this. And luckly I was close by a gas station at the time too. It ruined my night because I was gonna hang out with some sexy girls lol, not to mention the gas station attendant spilt gas all over the side of my car (NJ laws so I cant fill up myself). So I had to wash down around the gas cap at 3 in the morning. Im gonna run it to quater empty again and see what happens. Hopefully it wont happen again.
I really dont want to go to the dealership just yet but if it happens again I will. I have a few other problems ill have them check out while its there anyway. I was dumb and forgot check how many gallons it took to fill up too.
11/21/11, 07:58 AM
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This is an ongoing issue with my car. I had this problem right after I got it delivered and there turned out that there is a TSB on the problem. A batch of fuel pumps were defective in that only one side was picking up fuel from one side of the saddle tank. The problem comes from the "computer" comparing fuel from the left and right sensor and eventually when there comes such a wide imbalance of fuel it thinks the tank is infact empty.
I had the pump replaced. This didn't solve it. Then had the level senders and fuel pump changed again to fix the problem, which I thought it did until driving late through SC it went from just over 1/4 to empty with 0 fuel remaining!!
On my return home the dealer after talking to Ford Tech decided that they should replace the whole instrument cluster as this has shown to be a problem on a few SHO's. Cluster changed and again thought problem fixed, but no it started to do the same thing again last week, so it's back to the dealers when I get home from my trip.
The problem is although it will take only about 8 gallons from the 0 no fuel warning you have no guarantee that you can draw fuel from the effected half of the saddle tank. Go get it looked at especially as there is a TSB and you won't be out of pocket.
I had the pump replaced. This didn't solve it. Then had the level senders and fuel pump changed again to fix the problem, which I thought it did until driving late through SC it went from just over 1/4 to empty with 0 fuel remaining!!
On my return home the dealer after talking to Ford Tech decided that they should replace the whole instrument cluster as this has shown to be a problem on a few SHO's. Cluster changed and again thought problem fixed, but no it started to do the same thing again last week, so it's back to the dealers when I get home from my trip.
The problem is although it will take only about 8 gallons from the 0 no fuel warning you have no guarantee that you can draw fuel from the effected half of the saddle tank. Go get it looked at especially as there is a TSB and you won't be out of pocket.
Last edited by MustangGTPilot; 11/21/11 at 08:02 AM.
11/21/11, 10:31 AM
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Ill be sending it in ASAP. I knew there was a tsb out for it but I thought it only happened at the half full mark. So I hoped this was just a fluke or something.. **** that its not.
11/23/11, 11:28 AM
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So the other night I was sitting in my car, with the car on, talking to some of my friends. I look at the odometer to check how many miles I have on the car then I see it saying that I have 57 miles to empty (Which is wierd because it usually starts with 50). Anyway, I didnt think anything of it because it was around a quater full which is uaually when I get the chime to fill up (It didnt chime this time tho). Then 10 mins later I hear the chime so I look at my cluster and the fuel gauge is light up red the needle is dead bottom and it says I only have 3 miles till empty. I shut the car off then turned it back on about another 10 mins later and it says 5 miles left this time.
I’d like to get this escalated for you. Karnage541, please make an appointment with your Ford dealer as soon as possible. Then, both you and MustangGTPilot, PM me with your VINs, dealer, mileage, and contact info so I can help.
Deysha
11/23/11, 06:37 PM
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Thanks Deysha I will do next week when I get back from work overseas.
11/27/11, 05:20 AM
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I've noticed that mine will go from 1/4 to empty rather quick, then when it has the fuel light on i will go to fill up and it will take about 12 gal, its a 16 gallon tank so i figure something isn't quite right. it should take at least 14 you'd think
anyway if you hold setup and reset when you start your car, you will go into "engineering mode" which will let you look at what a few sensors are seeing as well as other things. use setup to scroll through the options, the fuel sensors are in there. I noticed one of mine is always reading much higher than the other.
just curious if yours is the same way or not, but that might be something you show the service writer and mechanic when you go in so they have a better idea of whats going on
anyway if you hold setup and reset when you start your car, you will go into "engineering mode" which will let you look at what a few sensors are seeing as well as other things. use setup to scroll through the options, the fuel sensors are in there. I noticed one of mine is always reading much higher than the other.
just curious if yours is the same way or not, but that might be something you show the service writer and mechanic when you go in so they have a better idea of whats going on
11/27/11, 07:01 AM
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I've noticed that mine will go from 1/4 to empty rather quick, then when it has the fuel light on i will go to fill up and it will take about 12 gal, its a 16 gallon tank so i figure something isn't quite right. it should take at least 14 you'd think
anyway if you hold setup and reset when you start your car, you will go into "engineering mode" which will let you look at what a few sensors are seeing as well as other things. use setup to scroll through the options, the fuel sensors are in there. I noticed one of mine is always reading much higher than the other.
just curious if yours is the same way or not, but that might be something you show the service writer and mechanic when you go in so they have a better idea of whats going on
anyway if you hold setup and reset when you start your car, you will go into "engineering mode" which will let you look at what a few sensors are seeing as well as other things. use setup to scroll through the options, the fuel sensors are in there. I noticed one of mine is always reading much higher than the other.
just curious if yours is the same way or not, but that might be something you show the service writer and mechanic when you go in so they have a better idea of whats going on
11/27/11, 07:42 AM
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11/27/11, 08:13 AM
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Change the fluid in your tranny before taking it in and drive on it for a couple hundred and see if it goes away.
11/27/11, 09:02 AM
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11/27/11, 09:29 AM
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11/27/11, 08:41 PM
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i figure i'll print any tsb that has to do with the transmission and clutch and tell them if they pull the trans then perform the flywheel tsb
11/28/11, 07:45 AM
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Deysha
11/28/11, 03:21 PM
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11/28/11, 08:16 PM
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Well I let the tank run down to a quater empty again and seems like everything is fine. I had horrible gas mileage on the last tank of gas (132 when it said to fill up) and this time I was at 187 which is what it normally is before the 50 miles to empty thing chimes on. So seems like a fluke or something. Ill keep an eye on it but for now ill stay away from the dealership. Hate taking my car to those places.
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