fuel guage out of sync

[azgearpro]

FOr the last couple of months my fuel guage h=is going crazy. If the level drops below half a tank the needle drops to emty and the low fuel light comes on. Please help I dont know nothing about fuel guages.

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96,2WD 3/4t ext. cab-DC,just added dtt torque convertor with valve body,tst #6 plate ready to add #5,full pillar guages,5th wheel setup
wanting to add 2-3 lift, and rig style volosity stacks.

 

[B.G. Smith]

Sounds like the sending unit in the tank is going (gone) bad.

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White 99 3500, QC, 3:55, auto. most options except leather, Line-X bed liner, fiberglass running boards Rancho 9000s, bug shield and window vents, black vented 5th wheel tailgate, 100 gal. aux. fuel tank.

 

[Dennis Garrett]

Mine just started acting up at 115k. I'd fill it & reset the trip meter. At almost exactly 300 miles & reading 1/2, it would suddenly drop to about 1/4, and bounce between there & 1/2. After about 250 more miles, the fuel level would catch up with the gauge, and be accurate again from 1/8 on down. I usually don't worry about fuel until I run off about 600 miles. I can squeeze 700 out of a full tank. & still have some left.

 

[lizzyhermit]

hey fellow desert rat, I just had my fuel leveling unit (in the tank) replaced last Thursday (48k miles) for the very same thing.

extende warranty covered all but the deductible.

 

[zzman]

I haven't had that problem yet, but how many gallons does this tank hold? My book says it is a 35 gallon tank. I filled up when it was right at 1/4 and it took 25 gal. When it was just on the red line of "E", it took 28 gal not a drop more.
I'm not sure where it is off #ad
, only 3 gals from 1/4 to E. and where is the rest of the 35 gal when at E? Does it still have 7 gals left? I don't want to run out of fuel, so is my gauge about to start acting up too? Did you guys experiance these things? Mine has been this way since I got the truck in [may 2000].
Thanks ahead of time, Ron

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97 3500 dually, ext. cab p/u,5sp,2wd,3:54,245/75R16,
straight pipe,105k mi. star wheel loose,plate slid forward, I like it
Ron

 

[illflem]

Dodge,in it's infinite wisdom,made the gauge to read empty with 7-10 gallons in the tank so us dumb turds don't run out of fuel. I once drove 130 miles to the first open place with diesel,this was after the gauge was on E and had quit moving downward,fillup took 33. 6 gallons.

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95' 25004X4,AT,Driftwood,Banks Stinger,Warn fender flairs and running boards(work truck)
95 3500,5 speed 3:54,BD E-brake,Driftwood,Banks&Psycotty,34,000 GCVW apple and tractor hauler(works harder truck)

 

[zzman]

COOL, I won't worry about running out then.
I hardly ever wait til it is that low.
35 gals - 5-7 gals @ 20 mpg still gives me close to 500 miles before fill up or empty [per gauge]

thanks illflem

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97 3500 dually, ext. cab p/u,5sp,2wd,3:54,245/75R16,
straight pipe,105k mi. star wheel loose,plate slid forward, I like it
Ron

 

[RamRunnerRob]

az,
This is a common problem w/ our Rams. Just about everyone that I know who has an older (94-98) truck, has experienced this problem at one time or another.

One would think that DC (or one of us) could find a mfgr that could build a dependable replacement unit for our trucks.

I, like Dennis Garrett, reset my trip odometer every time I fill up, and run 600 miles (unloaded) or 300 (pulling a 14K+ Fiver) and fill up again. .

Has anyone found a REAL tank unit that will hold up???

Rob. .

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'94 2500SLT, LB, 3. 54, Automatic, TransGo Shift Kit, DunRite Convertor, TST HD Clutch Pak, TST #5 Fuel Plate, TST AFC Spring Kit, 16 sq. cm turbine housing, PacBrake, AutoLoc, EGT Gage, Mag-Hytec Diff Cover & transmission Pan, DeeZee Chrome Full Length Running Boards, Northwest Custom Rear Flaps, Vent Shades,. Pull 35' HitchHiker Premier WideBody 5th Whl (13,850+ lbs). 155,768 miles as of 1-6-01 Full Time RV'ers, Portsmouth, Ohio is "home".

 

[SNOS FUN]

Just another Ram owner with a screwy fuel gauge.
When I'm half full the gauge is showing 1/4 tank. Like the others, I got plenty of fuel left when the light comes on.
Just to let you know we're all with ya-

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Jim Bartsch

97,2500,CC,long box,4x4,5-speed,3. 54,64000 miles,265's,ISSPRO guages(pyro-boost)pillar mount,15. 3btdc, Lund X-steps coming,tonneau cover coming,cam plate next, where does it end?

Winter fun 99 Polaris 700 RMK heavily modified, Wifes sled 00 Pol 550 Trail
Summer fun 94 ZX-6 Ninja, 93 Suzuki RM 125

 

[azgearpro]

WOW, I guess Im not the only one with this problem, now I dont fel so bad. I might just have to get to the drawing board and design a better one. It sounds like there is a market for it.

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96,2WD 3/4t ext. cab-DC,just added DTT torque convertor with valve body,tst #6 plate ready to add #5,full pillar guages,5th wheel setup
wanting to add 2-3 lift, and rig style volosity stacks.

 

[Dennis Garrett]

When my truck was new, I parked it over a ditch, & dropped the tank,(easy) & pulled the sending unit out, and found the float was bottomed out on it's travel about 3" off the bottom of the tank. It's just a stainless wire, so I bent it down so it bottomed about 1" off the bottom, & put it back in. Now when the light comes on, I can put about 32 gal in. When the light comes on, I feel I can still manage about 50 miles. When new, it was like the others, about 8 gal left when reading "E"

 

[Guest00]

Originally posted by azgearpro:
FOr the last couple of months my fuel guage h=is going crazy. If the level drops below half a tank the needle drops to emty and the low fuel light comes on. Please help I dont know nothing about fuel guages.

Get a new sending unit. Extremly common failure. My first one lasted a whopping 16k miles. D Fritz has a thread on his site on how to repair/ bullet proof the sending unit and detailed install.


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2K, 2500,Laramie,Quad,4x4,3:54LSD,auto,reese 15k 5th slider, EISLEY BULL BAR,WESTIN NERFS, TA's,9000's, DD2's,Bully Dog Boost & elbow, ISSPRO pyro & boost, Turbo Lifesaver, JARDINE 4", DTT VB,TC and COOLER, PAC BRAKE, MAG HYTECH TP& DC, onboard.
pullee #1 26' Arctic Fox 5th
#2 22' car hauler w/ 76 Pinto 392cid or 68 Cyclone GT Cobra Jet FB
NRA-LIFE,VFW-LIFE,SASS

 

[rich m]

here's a link to a BOMBing that I did, and seems to work now (one week/one tankful) so far... http://www.ecpe.vt.edu/~dfritz/technical/electrical/fuel_sender-diy.htm

here's another: http://www.chesco.com/%7Erosenberry/diesel/Dodgesender.htm

I did the "less-involved" one that doesn't require lathe-machining... Here's a link to what the first "rendition" looked like.
http://www.photocountry.com/viewalbum. asp?UserId=2390&AlbumId=4036&PageNum=1

unfortunately, I didn't realize that the nice, short screw-length wasn't just finesse, it's a necessity. the pump and guage-sender are in an assembly that's generally cylindrical and nearly the same diameter as the tank-hole. that big ol' bolt was way too long to get into the tank, so i had to clip the spring down to about 1&1/2 loops of coil, and get a shorter screw, it wound up looking a lot more like the other guy's photo. .

only problem that may have stemmed from this is that I might have damaged the weather-proof electrical connection at the top of the tank... a little silicone rubber and a couple of zip-ties should keep it from coming unplugged, though... rm

 

[T.Shaffer]

I had the sending unit replaced under warranty in my '97 2500 4x4 about 2 years ago. At that time the technician told me that the original units and the replacement units are the same, that part of the assembly deteriorates due to the contact with the diesel fuel and, finally, that Dodge does not appear to be looking for a permanent fix. Now it's starting to act up again and, like the other folks, I'm just going to keep an eye on my miles and re-fuel when I know I need to, now when the gauge says so.

I have a 24 valve in my 7 month old motor home; I'll keep an eye on it and if it lasts more than 2 years I'll find out how it's different than the ones in our Dodge tanks.

I wonder if Dodge is modeling their fuel sending units after the fuel gauges on propane tanks? They are NEVER right.

I still love this truck!

 

[illflem]

Five years and 125k on my 2500 with no problems,could it be because of red fuel?