Fuel gauge not reading correctly

Boffman98Jeep

New member
Anybody ever have issues with there fuel gauge flopping down past empty even though gas is at least over half tank? Then when I fill it, it does not go all the way to full line?? I have a 98 wrangler sahara.
 

i think fuel gauges reading wrong are part of jeep life. tons of people have gauge problems but since yours is a fairly newer jeep, it might be pretty easy to fix as its probably just a loose wire or something like that
 
I have a Y2k, my buddy has a Y2K1. Mine will read empty of a full tank but then I just turn it off and back on again and it reads correct. His is permanently stuck on empty since he bounced the whole jeep about 6 inches in the air.

I know of no other fix except replacing the whole $400-$500 fuel pump/filter/float assembly.

I just don't really trust my fuel gauge anyway since it goes from full to 3/4 in 30-50 miles, then another 100 miles from 3/4 to 1/2, then another 80 or so from 1/2 to 1/4. I just drive to 180-200 miles and fill it.

What I read, we are not alone.
 
Can you take a picture of the fuel gauge when its reading below the empty mark?. The needle on the cluster should only go down so far, past the needle stop would mean that the gauge is faulty or the needle is loose. Place one finger on the odometer button while cycling the key on and off 2 times ending with the key on the run position, engine off. The cluster should begin a self test and perform a self calibration. Watch the fuel needle, it should do a full sweep to the full level and back down to empty when its done. If it doesn't reach the full level, the gauge or the needle is faulty.
 
"i think fuel gauges reading wrong are part of jeep life. tons of people have gauge problems"

Absolutely agree it's something to live with - esp. as the Jeep gets older as gauge reading become more and more of a SWAG.

Easy solution - carry a gas can or a Triple A card and a cell phone.
 
It seems that its the sending unit, I have a similar problem. The self calibration shows the needle is working fine and in the right position, but at random times it just doesn't read the correct level in the tank.

Has any one replaced their sending unit and fixed this problem? O.E.M, replacement unit or did they go aftermarket? And is one more reliable than the other here?
 

i put new tank and sending unit in mine, 89 yj, both aftermarket gauge comes off full fast stays on half forever then goes to empty, but it always works, parts came from morris 4x4, so aftermarket.
however in my 13 years of body shop experience anything electrical is way better if you use o.e.m
 
I have the same problem only when I fill it up the needle only goes to 3 quarters of a tank so I took it in and they told me I hade to replace the computer so I'm just going to leave it does any one know how many gallons the tank in a tj holds?
 

Hey guys,

I have an 05 with a trouble code of "gas sending unit intermittant". From my digging around here's what I've learned... The sending unit is monitored by the ECM. The ECM sends the level information to the cluster computer. The cluster computer puts the gauge needle where it thinks it should be. The driver sees that the Jeep is low on gas and puts more in (this last step happens VERY frequently :lol: ) .
I have looked around and have not found an aftermarket sender yet. The dealer can get a sender for about 75 bucks. The whole pump-sender-filter-regulator(I think) unit is 244 bucks, supposedly, from the dealer. I'm ordering one today. With 110K on the pump it might be good to change it.
My engine light is on (because of the sender error) and the gauge sometimes works but as soon as the ECM decides it doesn't like the signal it shuts the gauge off (needle below E) and puts on the "low fuel light". What ever happened to the simple old fashioned gauges we had before???
-John
 
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