fuel gauge stuck on empty

Gulf SV

Kevin Burns
Fuel gauge is stuck on empty after I fueled up a couple of days ago. It was a pretty miserable night, and I can't remember if I shut the truck down when I fueled. Everything was good before the refueling, and I've run several restarts since then. Anyone have an idea? Thanks.
 

220629

Well-known member
FWIW. I fueled up with the engine running once. It took quite some time for the gauge to actually work itself up to the full mark, but fueling with the engine on didn't cause it to stick at empty. I figured the delay to get to full was related to a dampening circuit. Good luck. vic
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I can't remember if I shut the truck down when I fueled.

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mendonsy

Member
Nothing special about the Sprinter fuel gauge. It is a variable resistor wired between pins 1 and 10 of C1 on the instrument cluster. Maybe a wire is disconnected??
 

Gulf SV

Kevin Burns
Thanks. I'm back home now, so maybe I'll take a look. I figured maybe a float level got stuck since I ran it right to empty. Guess I'll unload and find a bumpy road first, then look into the instrument panel. i did refuel when i got back into town, but the gauge still indicates empty. Oh, how I dislike coincidences.

Edit: I just looked through the service manual, and it appears that this might be a DAD issue. A good place to start...
 
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Gulf SV

Kevin Burns
Well, I was kind of slow getting around to this issue, and I'm still looking for some help before I tear deeply into it. The fuel gauge is tuck on empty and the low fuel light is on. The tank is definitely not empty. I ran a diagnostic with my DAD, and there is no indication of an issue.

Has anyone else experienced this? any thoughts to share before I decide to drop the tank? Many thanks ahead of time to the problem solvers out there.
 

220629

Well-known member
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any thoughts to share before I decide to drop the tank?
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Kevin,
No experience because mines been working fine so far. Here's some info which may help. It's probably worth checking for resistance back to (from?) the sending unit before dropping the tank. Fig. 121 shows an earlier model without fuel pump. Note the comment about open circuit in the wiring. Good luck. vic

Edit: The float could be stuck? What about trying a rubber mallet bumped up onto the bottom of the tank just under the sending unit? The plastic tank will flex and maybe send a wave of fuel up into the float. This is a guess.


141AmbTempSensorFuelGauge.jpg

142FuelGaugeChart.jpg
 
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Colorado_Al

Well-known member
Edit: The float could be stuck? What about trying a rubber mallet bumped up onto the bottom of the tank just under the sending unit? The plastic tank will flex and maybe send a wave of fuel up into the float. This is a guess.
I'm a big fan of "percussive maintenance". If it isn't working, hit it hard with a hammer. If it doesn't work after that, time to take it apart and fix what you just broke, and hope at the same time it fixes what was wrong in the first place. :thumbup:
 

NelsonSprinter

Former Nelson BC Sprinter
My fuel gauge only goes up to 3/4 full with a 95 liters fillup, stays at 3/4 'til 3/4 full then descends slowly like a Sprinter does, to empty when 95 liters are burned up.
I'm puzzled, but it's better than not knowing when it's empty!
 

220629

Well-known member
Heading northbound I-190. Grand Island Bridge which is only one lane each way because the other bridge is down for maintenance. Just about to the top with my 1974 full size Dodge when I sputter to a stop. Traffic backs up behind. Fuel gauge is about 1/3? No restart.

I go back to see if I can get nudged up over the top of the bridge. What I see right behind is a little old lady just peering over the top of her steering wheel with both hands clenched tightly on the wheel. Scratch that plan.

See the on-station tow truck at the bottom start to mobilize. I'm thinking a $100.00 tow and I'm cheap. Open the driver door, push on the van and feel it rock a bit. Reach in, put shifter to neutral and proceed to slowly push that van up over the rise, jump in, roll down, hit the traffic light yellow, cross over and just barely roll to the open gas station pump. Crisis averted. How lucky can you get?

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I'm puzzled, but it's better than not knowing when it's empty!
You can take that to the bank. If only my gauge had stuck full or MT, maybe I would have noticed. :crazy:

I'm a big fan of "percussive maintenance".

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It's a science. This is just part of the hammer inventory I keep in my lower toolbox drawer.

Hammers.jpg

vic
 

Ryan S

New member
sometimes it takes a few miles for my fuel gauge to bounce back all the way to the full level, but it sounds like yours may be electrical
 

Gulf SV

Kevin Burns
Kevin,
No experience because mines been working fine so far. Here's some info which may help. It's probably worth checking for resistance back to (from?) the sending unit before dropping the tank. Fig. 121 shows an earlier model without fuel pump. Note the comment about open circuit in the wiring. Good luck. vic

Edit: The float could be stuck? What about trying a rubber mallet bumped up onto the bottom of the tank just under the sending unit? The plastic tank will flex and maybe send a wave of fuel up into the float. This is a guess.
Thanks for all the help. The service manual is not very clear, but it looks like the pump and sensor are in the top of the tank. "Beat to fit, paint to match" is one of my favorite mottoes, but it didn't seem to work in this instance. There are some trouble shooting steps in the body manual. They are attached.

View attachment fuel sensor 2006-VA-Body.pdf

They don't tell me much since I don't know where the harness connectors are. If I can find them, I may be able to pin point the issue. I'm still thinking the gauge is stuck given the circumstances under which it malfunctioned. Might just need to bite the bullet and visit the Freightliner dealer. Oh, I even hate to say that.
 

mendonsy

Member
According to the wiring diagram (8W-40-3) the only connectors are on the top of the tank and at the instrument cluster.
Vic's diagram says an empty tank reading would be an open circuit so you may be looking for a broken wire.
 

WAYNERODD

Member
Might just need to bite the bullet and visit the Freightliner dealer. Oh, I even hate to say that.
Don't do that Kevin!

I've got DAD & a DRB III over here. We can find that problem. Also I have parts here to fix the level sensor if it's bad.

Call me, Wayne
 

WAYNERODD

Member
Vic's diagram says an empty tank reading would be an open circuit so you may be looking for a broken wire.
I've been here a few times with this issue.

A broken, open or shorted circuit will result in a gauge that bounces from full to empty and back to full. It does take a few seconds for the guage to start doing this.

Sprinter fuel guage system is much smarter than the older systems. You can't just short with wire to test them.
 

220629

Well-known member
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Vic's diagram says an empty tank reading would be an open circuit so you may be looking for a broken wire.
"but the fuel reserve warning will not illuminate."

I believe Kevin said the reserve warning was on. That would be an indication that the wiring may very well be OK. That was one of the reasons I said to bounce the bottom of the tank and see if the float might move if an upward wave of fuel hit it. Probably a long shot, but not hard to try.

Since he offered, I think checking in with Wayne would be the next move.

vic
 

WAYNERODD

Member
I am betting on a fuel sending sensor issue.

They are known to crack. Once that happens fuel leaks in and damages it!
 

Gulf SV

Kevin Burns
According to the wiring diagram (8W-40-3) the only connectors are on the top of the tank and at the instrument cluster.
Vic's diagram says an empty tank reading would be an open circuit so you may be looking for a broken wire.

Vic's diagram also states an open circuit will not illuminate the low fuel triangle, which is my condition.
 

Gulf SV

Kevin Burns
"but the fuel reserve warning will not illuminate."

I believe Kevin said the reserve warning was on. That would be an indication that the wiring may very well be OK. That was one of the reasons I said to bounce the bottom of the tank and see if the float might move if an upward wave of fuel hit it. Probably a long shot, but not hard to try.

Since he offered, I think checking in with Wayne would be the next move.

vic

You are correct, oh wise one. The light is on, but no one's home. I beat on the door, and no one answered. Wayne's World is the next stop.
 

220629

Well-known member
I found that when this problem happend with my Sprinter 2004 truck 2500 it did illuminate.
Wayne,
Did you have an open conductor in the cable/wiring and the low fuel light still illuminated?

I suspect that they have some sort of fixed resistance built into the sending unit which lets the system know the cable conductors are intact. Depending upon the failure mode of the sending unit, that resistance could still be in the circuit? Those are guesses.

But Vic, It was your book that helped me with my problem!
Thanks, but I really want to remind people that it was JD Caples who sent me the books. :cheers:


You are correct, oh wise one.
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Oh, sarcasm... I always appreciate sarcasm. :thumbup: vic
 
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