Gas gauge not working properly?!

[91_CorollaWagon]

Ok, the car has not run for 8 months, up until recently when I took posession of it and started driving it. I notice that the gas gauge takes a LONG time to come up to the correct position, and even after i fill up the tank, it NEVER goes to full (even though the pump clickes off.) It always just stops at little over 3 quarters, but the main point is that the gauge takes a long time to go back to its recent position from when the car is off. I cantgo back in the car and check the level because the gauge takes a long time to go up to the position. Is it because the car has not run in a long time, and the gague is a little sticky, and it will loosen up over time, or is the gague not working properly? keep in mind that the car has just a little over 32,000 miles. Thanks for your help!


John

[freakinbox]

mine takes a long time to go up after I fill up, and you can put another 2 or 3 dollars in after the click

[TBayToyotaBoy]

Yeah, the mileage on the car isn't so important--I wonder if the car sat with less than a full tank of gas, though. If there was any moisture in the tank, that caused your problem. The float-type device which registers the fuel level can "stick", thereby causing the guage to stop reading 'Full'. If any corrosion formed on the float arm, it's getting stuck at the 3/4 level even though the fuel is higher than that.

Given what a huge PITA it is to work on the sending unit/fuel pump assembly in the tank (on which the float is located), I'd just grin and bear it. As long as you know that the tank is full, and as long as the guage is reading correctly at lower levels, you're okay.

[kamesama980]

most cars average gas tank readings average over the last few minutes, so they dont bob and weave with bumps in the road or acceleration. as for not filling up, my 86 camry and my 88 cressida both do (well the camry past-tense) that, if the pump handle is on the highest setting, it backs up right away. on the lowest it gets to about a gallon short of full. manually top off the last but as slow as i can manage and its fine. just watch that you dont overflow the tank. then it takes a mile or 2 driving before the gauge finally hits full.

[REN69]

I bet its the fuel reader... or whatever its called.. the floater thingy.

[retiredat44]

The fuel sending units are about $40.00 new, from an online source, might look up the link later.. mine needs replaced to obut my wife says she can live without it working right..

eBay never seems to have the one for a 1989 Toyota Corolla SR5 !

[Flashmn]

The floats get saturated with gasoline, they begin to weigh more and they dont float as well = fuel level never gets to full.

[freakinbox]

and actually up and down hill my fuel gauge moves right away! there's no oh that was a few min ago...

[91_CorollaWagon]

yeah, it's still doing it...and the car was sitting with a half tank...ipp update next fill up.


John