Fuel gauge always empty (1 Viewer)

[Sergei]

Hello all land cruiser owners. Mud forum had helped me numerous of times, this time however, im stuck with this problem and solution is nowhere to be found. And yes I have searched through over thousand posts for the solution to this ordeal with no luck.

Here is how it all started:
I bought a 2001 lc with over 260k miles on tor the most part all good but needed love and care.
After all service items completed i started on some cosmetics, so i replaced standard bulbs with LED in gauges dash, rear ac controls, center console buttons etc.
I noticed that the fuel gauge then got stuck at always full. I then learned that LED is not recommended on all of the gears indicator bulbs, so i replaced them back to standard.
To ensure it fixes the issue, i replaced all of the service indicators (on bottom of gauge panel) with standard bulbs.
After gauge panel was reinstalled, fuel gauge got stuck in empty position.
I must add that low fuel bulb does not come on ever, even though bulb is good.

Since all this i tjought i have a bad fuel sender and replaced it with new. Befire installing, i tested it with 5v input according to body electrical chapter of repair manual and it checked out fine.

To further test, while i had sender out of tank, i connected harness and moved the floater while looking on dash and the response was nothing.

Please, please help! This drives me crazy!
If only low fuel bulb was operable....

Thanl you all in advance!

 

[Julian Stead]

The connections on the instrument cluster are very sensitive to positioning, make sure they are seated correctly. I am not a fan of these connectors.

 

[od4x4]

This may not be helpful to your situation...

Every time I get into the Land Cruiser ( which is my wife's daily driver) the gas gauge reads empty. For many years I was convinced that the sending unit must be bad, but a quick trip to the gas station always perks it back up! ... now I realize my wife just prefers me to fill her tank for her on the weekends... or at least that is my assumption as I still don't have the balls to actually ask her to her face...

Possibly more helpful...

I had to remove the gauge cluster this summer to add a switch. When I reinstalled many lights did not work. I messed with connectors and everything started working again but my point is that Julian is correct that the connectors can be tricky little buggers. I think I have some bulbs that need to be replaced right now but have not had the time to pull the dash apart... maybe just more connectors need fussing with

 

[John Young]

Focusing on the transmission position indicator lights for a moment (the P D N etc. in the instrument cluster), both of my early 100 series LC's don't light up the 'D'. I looked at the instrument cluster removal instructions and it seemed insanely labor-intensive. I've wondered if it might be position switch on the transmission rather than a dead bulb. Any opinions before I start tearing things apart?

 

[Julian Stead]

No, it is dead bulbs. Leave the D light alone though if I was you, it gives of to much glare and becomes annoying at night. I fixed mine and then removed it again.

 

[John Young]

No, it is dead bulbs. Leave the D light alone though if I was you, it gives of to much glare and becomes annoying at night. I fixed mine and then removed it again.

Thank you Julian. I already was not too motivated to pull the cluster. You've demotivated me further.

 

[Sergei]

Thank you for all your replies.

The D light is standard bulb in my cluster as it is now. Still fuel gauge is dead. Fuel sender is brand new and it checked through multimiter tests according to repair manual.

Low fuel bulb is standard as well and is in good condition, tested with multimeter as well.

Its a mistery waiting to be resolved....

 

[Trunk Monkey]

I bet it's your cluster, esp. where you've pulled it. Reseat it.

 

[Sergei]

Im trying to do so.
And while im at it, just incase testing c15 connector of the cluster(the rightmost plug when looking froward with cluster removed). The manual stating that pin 1 is ground, pin 6 should be signal from fuel sender between .5v when full and 4.5v when empty.

My harness does not show any input from fuel sender. It is basically 0v all the time.

Im thinking now there is a problem somewhere in between cluster and fuel sender.

Anyone know if there is some kind of relay or fuse that may have blown out?

Fuses on driver side kick panel are all good though.

 

[Spike555]

No, it is dead bulbs. Leave the D light alone though if I was you, it gives of to much glare and becomes annoying at night. I fixed mine and then removed it again.

Dim your dash lights with the dimmer swtich, that will also dim the indicators, like the gear indicator, cruise, etc. and it will make it easier for you to see when you drive, you want your dash lights as dim as possible when driving at night.
This greatly improves your nighttime visibility.

 

[Julian Stead]

Dim your dash lights with the dimmer swtich, that will also dim the indicators, like the gear indicator, cruise, etc. and it will make it easier for you to see when you drive, you want your dash lights as dim as possible when driving at night.
This greatly improves your nighttime visibility.

I wish it did, but it doesn't dim the gear selector lights, D just stays bright.

 

[PookieRayRay]

Put gas in it?

 

[Spike555]

I wish it did, but it doesn't dim the gear selector lights, D just stays bright.

On mine it does. Sorry that I assumed it did on yours too.