Please help....Fuel Gauge
Originally posted by LexAnt
here's a lil update to my situation.... this'll be a brain teaser for you guys
when i start the car up, the needle will slowly go down all the way to E... then after driving for a while, mainly above 20mph, the needle will start to creep up all the way to F. However, this happens even when i'm not on a full tank. At this point, the needle just stays at F, never moving up or down. Then after i shut off the car and just leave it for a while, the cycle begins all again.
I also checked the needles... took off the needle to see how the three prongs/connectors reacted, same habit, it'll go down to E.
Brain Teaser start................. now!
here's a lil update to my situation.... this'll be a brain teaser for you guys
when i start the car up, the needle will slowly go down all the way to E... then after driving for a while, mainly above 20mph, the needle will start to creep up all the way to F. However, this happens even when i'm not on a full tank. At this point, the needle just stays at F, never moving up or down. Then after i shut off the car and just leave it for a while, the cycle begins all again.
I also checked the needles... took off the needle to see how the three prongs/connectors reacted, same habit, it'll go down to E.
Brain Teaser start................. now!
The needle moves all the way around, but is never acurate. It shows me full when I've got 1/2 a tank left 
I also checked the needles... took off the needle to see how the three prongs/connectors reacted, same habit, it'll go down to E.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 1,599
Likes: 65
From: WA
i know when i took the needle off and put it back in on my gauge it did the same thing - stay on E
i swithched it around and it worked ok afterwards
what do you think Bryan, could that be it? or is it just power for the needle's light?
i swithched it around and it worked ok afterwards
what do you think Bryan, could that be it? or is it just power for the needle's light?
Last edited by vredniykot; Sep 18, 2004 at 01:09 AM.
yea i'm with ^
after switchin the polarity on the temp needle, the temp needle read one line too low... so i switched it with the fuel needle after seein that the temp needle was causin the motor to read low. lo and behold, the temp gauge with fuel needle reads exactly what it's suppose to be at. However, the temp needle on fuel gauge is a different answer. The needle actually goes to the spot it should be (ie when i have half a tank it's at half a tank) but the problem is, it'll only go there after about 15minutes of driving so basically it'll work when driving on the freeway. but the moment i turn on the ignition (with or without starting the car) the needle will begin to drop all the way to E. It'll be like that until i hop onto the freeway for 15min and then it'll go up to the reading it's suppose to be at..... i'm guessin a connection? but i have no idea reallie..... any other possible explanations?
after switchin the polarity on the temp needle, the temp needle read one line too low... so i switched it with the fuel needle after seein that the temp needle was causin the motor to read low. lo and behold, the temp gauge with fuel needle reads exactly what it's suppose to be at. However, the temp needle on fuel gauge is a different answer. The needle actually goes to the spot it should be (ie when i have half a tank it's at half a tank) but the problem is, it'll only go there after about 15minutes of driving so basically it'll work when driving on the freeway. but the moment i turn on the ignition (with or without starting the car) the needle will begin to drop all the way to E. It'll be like that until i hop onto the freeway for 15min and then it'll go up to the reading it's suppose to be at..... i'm guessin a connection? but i have no idea reallie..... any other possible explanations?
Originally posted by LexAnt
yea i'm with ^
after switchin the polarity on the temp needle, the temp needle read one line too low... so i switched it with the fuel needle after seein that the temp needle was causin the motor to read low. lo and behold, the temp gauge with fuel needle reads exactly what it's suppose to be at. However, the temp needle on fuel gauge is a different answer. The needle actually goes to the spot it should be (ie when i have half a tank it's at half a tank) but the problem is, it'll only go there after about 15minutes of driving so basically it'll work when driving on the freeway. but the moment i turn on the ignition (with or without starting the car) the needle will begin to drop all the way to E. It'll be like that until i hop onto the freeway for 15min and then it'll go up to the reading it's suppose to be at..... i'm guessin a connection? but i have no idea reallie..... any other possible explanations?
yea i'm with ^
after switchin the polarity on the temp needle, the temp needle read one line too low... so i switched it with the fuel needle after seein that the temp needle was causin the motor to read low. lo and behold, the temp gauge with fuel needle reads exactly what it's suppose to be at. However, the temp needle on fuel gauge is a different answer. The needle actually goes to the spot it should be (ie when i have half a tank it's at half a tank) but the problem is, it'll only go there after about 15minutes of driving so basically it'll work when driving on the freeway. but the moment i turn on the ignition (with or without starting the car) the needle will begin to drop all the way to E. It'll be like that until i hop onto the freeway for 15min and then it'll go up to the reading it's suppose to be at..... i'm guessin a connection? but i have no idea reallie..... any other possible explanations?
Originally posted by LexAnt
It'll be like that until i hop onto the freeway for 15min and then it'll go up to the reading it's suppose to be at..... i'm guessin a connection? but i have no idea reallie..... any other possible explanations?
It'll be like that until i hop onto the freeway for 15min and then it'll go up to the reading it's suppose to be at..... i'm guessin a connection? but i have no idea reallie..... any other possible explanations?
Originally posted by O. L. T.
In such cases the needle is usually off center on the contacts causing a weight shift, sometimes re-mating the needle with the three contacts causes this to correct itself.
In such cases the needle is usually off center on the contacts causing a weight shift, sometimes re-mating the needle with the three contacts causes this to correct itself.
Most of the times it doesn't. I need to send you my cluster 
Last edited by 0l33l; Sep 19, 2004 at 09:03 PM.
remating as in takin off the needle and putting it back on? if so i've tried that about 5 times already...if not could you explain how to do it? cuz it sure is kinda scary driving from school to home (sj to sf and vice versa) with the needle on E and not know how much gas is really there til about 15min on the freeway.
Originally posted by LexAnt
remating as in takin off the needle and putting it back on? if so i've tried that about 5 times already...if not could you explain how to do it? cuz it sure is kinda scary driving from school to home (sj to sf and vice versa) with the needle on E and not know how much gas is really there til about 15min on the freeway.
remating as in takin off the needle and putting it back on? if so i've tried that about 5 times already...if not could you explain how to do it? cuz it sure is kinda scary driving from school to home (sj to sf and vice versa) with the needle on E and not know how much gas is really there til about 15min on the freeway.
Originally posted by 0l33l
I think that the manual said that the needle will not move when you turn the car off. Of course I could be wrong
I think that the manual said that the needle will not move when you turn the car off. Of course I could be wrong
i'm just sooo stumped right now i feel like banging my head on a wall or table.
wooo fixed it..... dunno bout how your's all started but i just checked the connections on mines... noticed the motor wasn't fully in towards the center of the cluster so i pushed it in after unscrewin those screws on the back... double checked made sure there wasn't any gap between the motor part and the display part... then when i plugged it back in, i made sure to hear a clip from all three harnesses.... and it works!
Just replaced the fuel sensor with a new 100% Genuine Toyota part. Looks like it did the trick 
My mechanic charged me $127 for it and another $20 for install. Went to the gas station next door and filled up fully and I got the gauge to go from 0 to 110%.
My mechanic charged me $127 for it and another $20 for install. Went to the gas station next door and filled up fully and I got the gauge to go from 0 to 110%.
Originally posted by mikeloc24
So the one Tony sent you wasn't working or what? Because I thought you changed that part initially. Just curious.
So the one Tony sent you wasn't working or what? Because I thought you changed that part initially. Just curious.
My mechanic changed it and the only thing that worked was the light for when I need to refill. So my mechanic ordered the new part and now it seems to work. Before I filled up the needle was fully down, and after I filled up, after about 4 min of driving, the needle went fully up.... so I guess it was the fuel sensor.
Sorry to bring back an old thread but I am trying to fix this inaccurate fuel gauge problem on my 93 SC300.
Does anyone know if the "fuel sensor" that solved 0l33l's gauge issue also referred to as the "fuel sending unit" (the sensor located in the gas tank itself)?
Based on the gauge behavior he and others described in this thread I am pretty sure my car has the same condition.
Does anyone know if the "fuel sensor" that solved 0l33l's gauge issue also referred to as the "fuel sending unit" (the sensor located in the gas tank itself)?
Based on the gauge behavior he and others described in this thread I am pretty sure my car has the same condition.