Fuel Gauge isn't steady

[jasonm621]

My fuel gauge wouldn't fluctuate but would work intermittently. Finally just quit working and the past year the fuel needle has been pegged on the "F" The low Fuel light works just fine though so im assuming its the gauge that has crapped out on mine as well. I use the ODO method and can accurately predict when the fuel light will come on (within 20 miles). Especially in the summer months when there isnt as much ethanol in the fuel and the idiot 2WD drivers hitting the snowy hills clogging up the city streets for the 4WD people who really should be on the road... I would like to know a way to diagnose the situation instead of throwing $200 at the situation for both parts. Especially since it isnt really an issue that bothers me...

[hughesdt]

I too have a dancing fuel gauge. And like others it quit working on the full side, but the low fuel lamp continued to work. And of course mileage method is always in use. I finally replaced the sender with the high hopes that it would fix the dancing fuel gauge with no joy either.

Jason, I'm sure that you are correct, your dash gauge is bad. I had the temp gauge do the same thing. I found out that they where sold as a pair and back ordered. So I took it apart, unwound the magnet wire, found the break and wound it all back together. Worked! Since then I have seen a lot of Rodeos with the same or similar gauges, I'm sure the fuel gauge from a junk yard Rodeo will work.

VXNewb, Do you have a picture of the back side of the fuel gauge that might show an added resistor, or more likely a capacitor? Wondering if it is a mechanical dampening that wears out, or if another component was actually added.

[vxnewb]

VXNewb, Do you have a picture of the back side of the fuel gauge that might show an added resistor, or more likely a capacitor? Wondering if it is a mechanical dampening that wears out, or if another component was actually added.

sure

[hughesdt]

Very nice, now I have a reason to pull my dash apart and change my Power lamp and compare my gauges against your pictures.

THANKS!

[vxnewb]

I thought about trying to find some caps and resitors that were the same, and solder them in then reflow the board, but now that its working fine I really dont want to take the new one out to test lol. If someone wants my old one, id be more than happy to send it out....

[Baldwin]

i had this problem. replaced the fuel guage and it's been great for 10+ years now.

[longiotti]

if the fuel gauge moving everywhere is a resister issue then you should be able to solder in a new resister. I wander if it is the one that connects each side of the fuel gauge poles?

[vxnewb]

if the fuel gauge moving everywhere is a resister issue then you should be able to solder in a new resister. I wander if it is the one that connects each side of the fuel gauge poles?

Sending my old one out to Dan (hughesdt) today. I believe he is going to attempt to fix it. I'm sure he will keep us posted!

[eternal21]

n/a

[hughesdt]

Sorry I didn't get back any sooner. The 3 that I looked at all look identical. Have seen the one in a rodeo as well, and can't tell the difference. So far I can't figure out why one will dance and the next will not???

[bartmanS4]

Are you sure the troubles are in the gauge display and not the float/sending unit? I ask this because I would always suspect a mechanical assembly before an electrical one. After I swapped my ECU my fuel gauge was reading incorrectly, it stayed at full for a while and never went all the way to empty more like 1/8. I ended up pulling the fuel float assembly out of the donor car and once installed the gauge read correctly. The float simply moves the wipers on a variable resistor as it goes through its travel. Very possible the resistor is dirty, corroded, or broken.

[tom4bren]

A consistent incorrect reading will probably be your sending unit. The dancin' needle thang is probably electrical. There should be an RC circuit to dampen the signal to reduce abrupt changes in the reading. The RC circuit could be at the sending unit or at the guage.

[hughesdt]

I thought that it was an electrical dampening that was different from the OP new gauge compared to the one in my VX. That is why I asked to see pictures of his and got his old gauge to try and modify it. But I couldn't see any difference in the 3 that I have looked at, 4 if you count the Rodeo in the scrap yard.

It does have an electrolytic capacitor in that circuit and I assume that it is there for dampening, but they are all the same.

[eternal21]

n/a

[tom4bren]

I thought that it was an electrical dampening that was different from the OP new gauge compared to the one in my VX. That is why I asked to see pictures of his and got his old gauge to try and modify it. But I couldn't see any difference in the 3 that I have looked at, 4 if you count the Rodeo in the scrap yard.

It does have an electrolytic capacitor in that circuit and I assume that it is there for dampening, but they are all the same.

It doesn't suprise me that the guages are all the same. I have no clue as to why our guages are having a problem with the dampening circuit & the others aren't. I'm pretty sure that either the electrolytic capacitor or a resistor are bad (either could be bad without showing any visible clues).