DIY: Fuel Sender Replacement 2004 (1 Viewer)

[DomSmith]

This truck sold a few months after my attempt at solving the issue so I did not track anything else down. It was quite infrequent and the new owner was made aware of the issue.

Sorry I can’t close the loop on this for you.

Good luck.

 

[bkfj40]

I am about to take on the same issue....but am hesitant to just replace the sender if that is not the issue...

I was thinking about tapping into the sender wires to watch the resistance versus the gauge....

has anyone else had this intermittent issue?

 

[landshark9]

I have it. Subscribing....

 

[dchilds]

Thanks for the write up!

 

[frogers935]

I have this issue too and was going to replace the sender but will check wiring first. My symptoms are :

- Fuel guage reading zero with gas light on when not really empty
- needle not going to full after fill up

Sometimes it resets after ignition on/off. Sometimes after driving awhile it will go back up.

I will update when I make any progress

 

[jerryb]

I'd clean the tract or at least look at it before I put it back in. That and the 3 wires are the only thing that's going to keep it from working. I guess making sure the float is free to travel is also good if you could put it in backwards, that box in the tank isn't big. Measure resistance low middle high. Clean and check again.

the security screen takes multiple inputs to display the distance to empty. Also I think at least one ignition cycle, but mainly wheel speed sensor and float level. Filling it up with engine or key on will take a bit t reset. Key off it should reset on restart.

I don't know what the extra plug is on top of the fuel pump sub assembly on the pre 05/2005, the later ones don't have that.

 

[Joe422]

Sorry to bump an old thread... but has anyone ever successfully fixed their fuel level gauge? My '04 also stays at Zero randomly.. and sometimes works. Cant really find the rhyme or reason for it... Was going to swap the level sender, but found a few threads saying that the replacement didnt fix it.

Anyone have any solid luck on this yet?

 

[dchilds]

Sorry to bump an old thread... but has anyone ever successfully fixed their fuel level gauge? My '04 also stays at Zero randomly.. and sometimes works. Cant really find the rhyme or reason for it... Was going to swap the level sender, but found a few threads saying that the replacement didnt fix it.

Anyone have any solid luck on this yet?

search “stepper motor”

 

[super90]

Did this over the weekend. Fuel gauge would drop really quickly after the first 1/4 or 1/3 of a tank and read near zero. So far so good. Will report back.

Two tips I would add:

- When removing the double seat, I just slid it to the back cargo area of the truck. No need to remove it from the vehicle. Single seat is very easy to move around, so I pulled it out completely

- I cleaned the top of the sending unit with compressed air and a vac, then stuffed rags around the perimeter of the sending unit after I had removed the electrical connections and fuel lines. Then I removed the little screws. This helped prevent them from falling into the abiss.

- I got a new sock for the bottom of the fuel pump pickup. Strangely it did not fit. The opening was too small to go over the tube. Old one was in good nick, so I put it back on. Oh well. Maybe there are different part numbers for this part?

Otherwise, pretty straightforward procedure.

Thanks !

 

[HuntersHikes]

Bump: anyone fix this?

 

[2001LC]

Bump: anyone fix this?

This thread is about fix.

 

[Layonnn]

About 2.5 years ago my fuel gauge started showing empty when I had gas, restarting the truck would sometime fix it. Then the gauge just started showing empty or near empty all the time. Just reset tripometer every time I got gas and filled up before I hit 200 miles.

Saw this thread while looking for something else on here and decided to order a new sending unit (partsouq oem toyota $145 delivered) and see if that fixed the issue.

Install took about 3 hours mostly because I had a lot of dirt on top of the tank and took a lot of time to get that area as clean as possible before removing the sending unit so no dirt could get into the tank. Multi purpose brush, picks, and vacuum got the top very clean.

Upon removal, when lifting the float of the original up and down, the noise it made was not the same as the new replacement. The sort “whiring” noise was minimal, the new replacement was louder and more consistent.

After replacing the fuel gauge is working perfectly. So this fixed my issue completely. Onto the next issues…

 

[WaHoo]

To the OP, many thanks for the detailed instructions, I tackled this today to see if it would fix the wonky gas gauge and range readings...took 2 hours and I had zero hiccups...things look good for now...my problems usually started when the tank hit 3/8 to 1/4...so we will see.

 

[tucker74]

Found this today and the part about the hose clips and wiring plug were helpful. Very similar for an ‘06, guage is working again

 

[Potholes]

Was going to just replace my fuel pump but now I will replace my sending unit as well. Great write up! Would like to change out the yellow clips, fuel tubing connecting the fuel pump and o ring but I cant seem to find part numbers for any of those things. @2001LC Do you know what parts to order?

 

[Aracobuilt]

Great writeup! I need to replace my fuel sending unit soon.

 

[daohaus]

I’ll be saving this for when i go to do mine.

I experienced the fuel range not resetting itself after a fill up once. Hasn’t happened again thankfully

 

[00100HDJ]

Hi all, Im having all of the same issues as previous posts.

Fuel gauge never really works, at completely random times the needle drops and reads zero with fuel light on and then other times it looks as if it is working but it never really gives a real representation of what is in the the tank so I don't even bother trying to trust it.....needless to say I have ran out of Diesel on several occasions lol..5 litres of diesel with me at all times in a jerrycan is essential.

We had originally thought it was an electrical issue because there is a few other very random electrical issues in this 100.

however, my diesel tank is now leaking and I only noticed after the tank was filled right up, a quick inspection on the ramp in my mates garage without removing the tank guard it looks like its coming from above the tank so I guess first thing to do would be to replace the sender unit and pump and gasket ring.

Im having trouble sourcing the sender unit with the pump and float, I guess the float can be used from the old unit but should I be replacing the pump too? I cant for the life of me find the correct pump, its not on the partsouq diagram with the rest of the unit and everything else to do with the tank.

any help at all is much appreciated.

partsouq

 

[tucker74]

This is what I ordered to get my ‘06 gauge fixed: