2002 Honda Civic Gas Gauge Erratic

HONDA CIVIC
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SANDEEPKUMAR
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  • 1 POST
I own a 2002 Honda civic LX; now its gas gauge has started giving problems. It seems to have a mind of its own; sometimes shows gas is full and after couple of minutes half. what could be going wrong here? Is it a costly repair?
Apr 2, 2006 at 5:09 PM
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BRUCE HUNT
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 3,754 POSTS
In the repair manuals for the car, not the owner's manual they cover a test of the sensor/sender unit. It is highly possible that you have a shorting wire. Get the manual and test it. I think all you need is a volt/amp meter. But it sounds like either a faulty sensor/sender or a short. The final possibility is the gauge itself.

Costs - I can't address that. Shorts are difficult to find (especially when the weather is cold like it is up here).
Apr 2, 2006 at 6:31 PM
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Suggested Repair

Test the fuel level sensor/sender with a volt/amp meter using the repair manual procedure. Also check for a shorted wire, and consider a faulty gauge if the sender and wiring test good.

Conversation Summary

The owner of a 2002 Honda Civic LX reports an erratic gas gauge that can show full and then half within minutes, and asks whether the repair is costly. The expert says the repair manual covers a sender/sensor test that can be done with a volt/amp meter. Likely causes are a faulty sensor/sender, a shorted wire, or the gauge itself. Cost was not estimated, and shorts can be hard to locate.

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