Gas gauge problem

[dcurtis]

The other day I was driving my car and realized that my gas guage was showing to be about a 1/4 tank over full, the problem is there is only about an 1/8th of a tank of gas in it? When I first look at the guage with the key off the needle is right at the full mark, when I turn the key on the guage goes about an 1/8th or 1/4 passed the full, so the guage is still working, it is just way off? What could be wrong with it, would it be the guage or maybe the sending unit? I am stumped as this has never happened to me before? Any help will be gladly absorbed.

 

[93 LX]

sending unit seems to me...

 

[dcurtis]

About how much is a sending unit, are they hard to replace?

 

[93 LX]

they are in the tank and around 100 bucks from late model resto...

 

[facemelter71]

I just went through this with my car.I went to the junkyard and pulled a sender from a 94 mustang.Stuck the new used sender in my tank and it works great.As long as you pull a sender from an 89 or newer car,your in business.The 88 and older cars have a diff' ohm sender,so it must be from an 89 or newer.Let me know if you have any issues.

 

[dcurtis]

So my prob is most likely the sending unit, any tips for an easier removal, any special tools needed? And from a junkyard will it have to be an 8 cyl car or will they all work? Thanks

 

[facemelter71]

Junkyard tools reguire the use of a 13mm socket and 8" extension.And 5/16 socket for the fill tube holder.Flathead screwdriver,hammer.Thats about it.ANY 89 and newer mustang up to 95 will work.They all have the same sending unit ohm's.I can go this weekend to the U pull and pay and see if there is another one there,if there is,you want me to get it for you?Ill just charge you for the part,its 10 bucks for the sender.And ill grab the wiring for it also,wait i have two wiring harness's in my car now,ill throw that it there two for ya.If you want me to get it let me know,ill be out there anyway gettin some other parts.YOu can e-mail me.
[email protected] And if anyone needs some specific part i can get from the junkyard let me know,il be happy to grab them for you.

 

[dcurtis]

Thanks for the offer but, the junk yard about 10 miles down the road from me just got a white hatchback in last week, I'll prolly go pull it from there, may end up buying the whole car depending on the price and damage, I looked at the passenger side of it from about 50 feet away and from what I saw the car looked to not even be in a wreck? Driver side may have been hit though, I just didn't have time to go check it out.