Hey guys, a few days ago I noticed during a trip to a friends house that my car used 1/2 tank of gas(according to the gauge) for a 2 hour total drive. since then it has not been as bad but the needle on the gas gauge will move around a little bit, for example if the gauge says 1/4 it will fluctuate above and below 1/4. It will continue as the fuel gets lower and lower according to the gauge. Also I noticed if i shut the car off and then restart the car later on the needle will drop significantly sometimes, upwards of almost 1/8 of a tank. Not always. I looked under the car and I cant see any fuel leaking out of the tank, no leaks that I could see. And short of intentionally running out of gas to see if the gauge is accurate in the cold weather Im not sure how else to check. Ive read about pulling the cluster fuse and the pump fuse and trying to start the car and then putting the fuses back in to clear the gauge but I havent tried it yet. Im wondering if its the sending unit(fuel level sensor). I also have heard there is another sensor? The car runs and drives perfectly fine. No loss of power, no check engine light. If you guys can think of anything else or confirm that its the sending unit, Im just not completely sure thats what it is. Thanks

 

Do a search for "fuel sending unit" - my bet is yours is flaky. Either the resistor panel is dirty, the sender's harness connections are dirty/corroded, or the wire on the body of the sender, running under the float arm, is frayed.