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2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Here's a new one to me: Fuel sender intermittent inop

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Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Lift pump question

Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Hard to start

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The fuel sender is less than three months old. I installed it because the old one stopped working one day. Or rather, I ordered a new one because it stopped working, but then I took the old one out and cleaned it and it started working fine but I put the float on backwards so it was reading way off, which I didn't discover until I went to install the new one. Since I was that far along, and the old one was probably the original, I decided to swap it anyway.



So I have a ~2 month old fuel sender that has worked perfectly for over 2000 miles (commuting to work and a weekend trip to Sacramento from Seattle).



All week my low fuel light has been coming on and off because I'm getting low on fuel, then last night it came on solid, so this morning I stopped and put 30 gallons in.



As SOON as I fired the truck up after filling it, the gauge dropped to zero like the sender was unplugged. It bounced up to just above the E mark once, then dropped to zero again and was there the 4 miles to work. When I got to work, I shut it down and cycled the key four times and each time the gauge came up sharply and solidly to different levels, none of which was full. At lunch I went to visit a friend and the gauge went from dead full (where it should be) to unplugged empty (with accompanying low fuel light and annoying chime) no less than six times.





I hadn't drawn any correlation between getting fuel at this station and my old fuel sender going out before, but now I'm wondering if it isn't something in their tank/additive package that is causing loss of continuity in the sender.



There was a film on the old sender I took out, and when I cleaned it off the sender worked perfectly.





Has anyone come across this before?
 
Has anyone come across this before?



Yes. I found the '97 resistor plate has a resistance range completely different from that in my '98.



Clean the old plate and swap it into the new sender. (Yes, you will completely dismantle the new sender; use care and caution. ) Shorten the contactor arm 1-2mm by putting a gentle 'V' in the arm (no sharp bends); this moves the contact point to a good point on the resistor.



I did this on my '98 when I replaced the whole in-tank unit with a '97 a local shop had. The gauge operates perfectly; it hadn't worked properly in at least 10 years.
 
Both my old and new ones work perfectly, aside from yesterday.

Today it hasn't acted up at all.

I'm now wondering if it was a film left on the plate by the biodiesel that my buddy filled it with before giving it back to me. I only drive about 30 miles a day, so running it down to 4 gallons left in the tank put the plate high and dry for over a week.

I'm not sure if there's a difference between 97 and early 98, but apparently there is a different part number between short and long beds (that extra gallon, you know... )
 
Are you fueling at stations with high volume pumps like the ones at truck stops? I've seen a guy literally break his float off from the high volume of fuel being pumped into the tank, I'm sure it could cause other damage as well.
 
[Are you fueling at stations with high volume pumps like the ones at truck stops? I've seen a guy literally break his float off from the high volume of fuel being pumped into the tank, I'm sure it could cause other damage as well. ]

That is something I will keep in mind, never thought about that. Seems like at least a high volume pump could stir up crud in from the bottom of the tank.

Thanks

Mike
 
[Are you fueling at stations with high volume pumps like the ones at truck stops? I've seen a guy literally break his float off from the high volume of fuel being pumped into the tank, I'm sure it could cause other damage as well. ]



That is something I will keep in mind, never thought about that. Seems like at least a high volume pump could stir up crud in from the bottom of the tank.



Thanks



Mike



I refuel at truck stops all the time. Haven't lost a float yet.



As for crud on the bottom of the tank, if you have any it is constantly being stired up just with normal driving. The fuel pickup is on the bottom of the tank anyway.
 
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