Gas Gauge Will Not Go Up To Full

There is a worn spot on the Sending Unit. This happens when the tank is kept at a certain level for a LONG time. If you're like me, you have kept the tank full since owning the car, and it has worn down at the point where you usually stop and fill it.

I'd bet, if you run it a little lower, the rest of the range is OK. This thing can be a real pain to replace; some of them are merely opening the trunk and removing a cover, and some require dropping the tank...

Can you verify that the tank is actually full? It could be the filler check valve or the fuel level gauge. The check valve might have gotten flooded when you pumped a little more in that time. Not sure how long it takes to clear.

John516 wrote:

Hi, to get to the sender, just pop the back seat up, you will see a metal plate,pry up with screw driver watch the glue, or black tac, you will see the wire plug, don't force it off it has a lock, you will see it, same on the line, it should have a little yellow clip on the fuel line easy on it, as breaking it wiill put you out of a ride untill Toy can get you one, 8 mm socket, remove the bolts, making sure not to damage the rubber gasket, remove sender and pump, being you should have your new one from Toy, don't use aftermarket, wast of money, you should see how to remove old one and replace new one. This job pays .6 at Toy, with out daignostic time. You go to parts counter, buy part, go to service desk, tell them you would like it installed, if you do it yourself release tank pressure 1st. Clean gasket well, I like to use silicon to make sure I get a clean seal or you could get a po440, po441 and po446, depending on how big the leak is, evap codes, check eng light. Oh, where you live they may charge more. This is easy if you like working on Toy's.

All this effort and ezpense just because the needle on the fuel gauge stops "just below the full line" ? ....and this is a ten year old automobile, right? sounds like putting on a full body cast because you've cut your chin shaving.

So what if it DOES flood the carbon canister...as long as one lives in a jurisdiction that doesn't mandate regular inspections.

This might be a long shot but when you fill up your tank, while the cap is still open rock your car up and down as if you want to wake the people sleeping inside the car, hopefully this will get the air out of your tank if that is the problem. Do this the first time your pump clicks and then refil.

If the canister fails vapor pressure tests only MIL will come on. It won't cause the computer to go open loop I don't think. But if it affects tank venting then you'll have pressure/vacuum related problems.

sharx35 wrote: