2000 Taurus fuel guage fixed

I posted here some time back to get ideas why the fuel gauge on my 2000 flex fuel Taurus gas gauge was reading correctly sometimes and sometimes was going to below empty and causing the low fuel light to come on. After testing connections and, in frustration, replacing the fuel gauge with a new one I finally found the problem. Behind the radio and climate control panel, located with one screw on a brace to the right of the steering column, there is a device called a fuel gauge module. It has a metal bracket and is encapsulated in plastic with a 5 wire electrical connector connected to it. It works in conjunction with the flex fuel sensor (underhood) and the fuel gauge. The factory service cd shows it in the wiring diagram but there isn't much elaboration about it. I thought before I go to all the work of dropping the gas tank and replacing the fuel pump/guage sender I would try replacing this. If I remember correctly there is special equipment to test it, that I don't have. So for about $30 and 20 minutes I replaced it and haven't had a problem the gauge at all. Talking to the dealer I got it from, he told me that they did have a history of replacing these sensors at their dealership. I hope this post would help any that might be having the same problem.

Reply to
dmtaurus
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Thanks for the Update.

Reply to
351CJ

let the tank go completely empty while the engine is running until the engine stops. Then pour in the lowest octane fuel you can find. Start car and your fuel gauge will operate as normal again

Reply to
David O'Grady

Re: 2000 Taurus fuel guage fixed Group: alt.autos.ford Date: Mon, Sep 12, 2005, 12:58pm (EDT-3) From: snipped-for-privacy@msn.com (David=A0O'Grady)

let the tank go completely empty while the engine is running until the engine stops. Then pour in the lowest octane fuel you can find. Start car and your fuel gauge will operate as normal again.

Reply to
Eric Toline

I can't see how letting the gas run, ect., would work. That would only starve the pump and be hard in it.

One characteristic I did note as this problem continued on over the approximately three month period, the gauge functioned as it should when the interior and exterior temperatures were relatively low, say in the 60 deg and lower range. As soon as the temps starting going up then the problem showed up. Now, the problem could have been caused by a bad connection, intermittent connection, or losing ground somewhere along the way. But, I VOM checked connections from FF sensor to gauge cluster to wiring back to the fuel level/fuel pump connector. So being all that was "good' the things to suspect were the fuel level sensor or the gauge sensor or FF sensor. Easiest and cheapest thing to replace was the fuel gauge sensor. And it made more sense to replace it since it had a history of failure. If I remember right the factory wiring schematic shows connections running from the sensor to the gauge and to the FF sensor and back to the tank mounted fuel level sensor.

Ya' know, encapsulated electronic parts can be a funny thing. "Cold" and bad solder joints can be there but they can't be fixed or seen if there is hot plastic poured all over them during manufacture. And improperly manufactured IC's, transistors, ect., can breakdown when temps start getting a little warm. I suspect that was what was happening.

Hey, at any rate, it's still working good!

Eric Tol>

Reply to
dmtaurus

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