Fuel gauge stuck on full

Tiny
KEITHF02
  • MEMBER
  • 1971 FORD MUSTANG
  • 5.7L
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 79,000 MILES
I have the car listed above Mach1 Mustang. When I turn the key to the on position the fuel gauge reads full when the car has no gas in the tank. When I turn the key off it goes back to empty.
Saturday, February 8th, 2020 AT 2:37 PM

4 Replies

Tiny
KASEKENNY
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,907 POSTS
You float is stuck. These older cars just have float arm with a sensor that sends a voltage to the fuel gauge. The higher the fuel the higher the arm which lowers the resistance in the circuit. This sends more voltage to the gauge which puts the needle higher on the gauge. The lower the arm, the more resistance which lowers the needle on the gauge.

More than likely you just need to replace the sender in the tank if the reading is the only thing wrong. If the car starts and runs fine then it is just stuck and needs replaced.
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Saturday, February 8th, 2020 AT 5:26 PM
Tiny
KEITHF02
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
The sender in the tank is virtually new. If the float is stuck in the full position any idea on how to fix that?
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Sunday, February 9th, 2020 AT 6:12 AM
Tiny
KASEKENNY
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,907 POSTS
If that is the case, we will want to physically check the float to see if it is in fact stuck. If it is then I would have it replaced because it will just keep doing it. There is a chance that if you "unstick" it that it won't do it again, but I wouldn't want to take that chance and have to drop the tank again.

If it is new then it should still have a warranty and they will take care of it.

Unfortunately there is no other way to fix it for sure.
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Sunday, February 9th, 2020 AT 4:13 PM
Tiny
KEITHF02
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Fortunately I don’t have to drop the tank because the float mechanism is on the side of the tank. This is the first one that I have seen that is not on the top of the tank.
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Sunday, February 9th, 2020 AT 5:35 PM

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