fuel gage question

[nbrennan]

Has anyone had a problem with the fuel gage not working properly? I have a 99 XJ with about 94K miles. Sometimes the gage does not rise when the engine started; it stays on empty. Other times it takes awhile to display the correct amount of fuel left once the Jeep is started. I have also noticed the gage drops quickly. Granted I do have a heavy foot and do a good mix of city and highway driving. But it just seems the gage gets to empty really faster than the fuel emptys out.

[satan]

Your instrument cluster is electronic (yeah - seems like everything is) so the needles are driven from the computer and not directly from the senders - this seems to make nosy or loose senders a bit more problematic (I'm assuming that the lower current will surface smaller errors) ...

... anyway - to help isolate the issue, try running the instrument cluster diagnostic: press and hold the trip odometer reset button then turn the key to "ON" and the panel will run its diagnostic.

Then check connectors on the pigtail harness for the sender/pump/filter cartridge located on the top of the tank (clean corrosion and possible add some connector lube/contact grease)...


The tank shape and the sender's arm lenght do conspire for a rapidly moving needle (that and the typical milage of the 4.0L), but erratic behavior is not typical. If you can eliminate fule sloshing as a cause for your errors, then it'll be worth looking itno - just so you don't go insane. (I believe that there was a service bulletin about the pickup as well, but for a slightly earlier year...)

[nbrennan]

Satan,
Thanks for the info. I was hoping you or someone like you would reply to this thread. You seem to know your Jeeps. Granted everyone here is extremely helpful and knowledgeable. But you are even more detailed than others at times. I'll check into it and let you know how it turns out.

thanks again.