Questions and Answers

Another Explorer Fuel Gauge Q. Good Day Vince, I have read your answer to a previous post for a fuel gauge that wasn't working. I tried what you told him to do by disconnecting the plug for the pump/sending unit and ground the WH/Y wire to see if the gauge goes to full. Mine did not but if I left the connector unplugged and turned the ignition to the on position the gauge will go to past full.

With that happening I'm guessing that the sending unit in the tank is bad even though I didn't get the results that you said should have. I re-read the question and answer and realized his is a 1994. Does that make a difference? So can you help? Your help has been greatly appreciated with all you have given.

1991 Ford Explorer XLT
4.0 liter

Thanks,
Don

A. Power to the fuel gauge comes from fuse 17 in the fuse box. It then goes through the fuel gauge and back to the sending unit. It goes through the sending unit through a variable resistor (controlled by the float) and then to ground.

Thus when you disconnect the plug at the fuel tank, you open the circuit and the gauge should go to EMPTY. When you ground the circuit, it should go to FULL. This is true on all the sending units I have seen.

Now since it goes to FULL when disconnected, I would question the printed circuit board in the instrument cluster or the Anti-Slosh module in the fuel gauge. I would test the sending unit itself to verify it is indeed bad before replacing it.