Hello, All.

OK, this truck is part of everything.
83 Ranger
88 Fuel Tank and Pump, sending unit, all in the tank (Which I love, nothing on the outside)
95 4.0 Motor and Transmission.

Below is a picture of the Fuel Pump Assembly, which still works great, except the fuel gauge is all over.
At this very moment, I know I have a little over a 1/2 tank but it is showing empty.

I don't want to buy another complete unit and am hoping to get just the sending unit.
But am having no luck in finding this particular unit.

Please have a look at the image below and if possible, send me some links where I might be able to get one.

I am assuming what I will need is circled in red.

88 Ranger Fuel Pump Sending Unit Assembly
Thanks.
Wayne

 

Yes that is the sending unit circled
But issue might not be the sending unit

There is a anti-slosh module or gauge stabilizer circuit on most vehicles gas gauges
It prevents the gauge from swinging up and down every time you go around a corner and the gas in the tank sloshes around so the float goes up and down quickly in waves
If sender was hooked up directly to the gauge it would be "jumpy" every time you stopped quickly or went around a corner, lol

If you pull the cluster out you will see a Yellow/White stripe wire, on a connector, that's directly from the sender in the tank
Put an ohm meter on it and to ground
In 1983 to 1988 Ranger you should see between 10 ohms and 73 ohms
10 ohms is FULL
73 ohms is EMPTY

If so then Rock the truck to get gas in the tank sloshing around, should see ohms change but steadily up and down no jumpyness, if so sender is fine, issue is in the cluster/gauge

 

Very informative, Thank you very much, Ron.

Let me know if I am understanding what you are telling me that needs to be done.
The cluster (Wiring going to the gauge on the dash panel) is this correct?
If so, I will check that out tomorrow before I leave out.

 

Yes, you are testing the in tank sender, and its wire, at the instrument cluster end, which takes two possible problems off the table OR tells you one of these is the problem


Just as a heads up
Sender has two wires at the tank end, the yellow wire that runs to the dash, and a GROUND wire, the ground can be shared with fuel pump ground, or a separate wire, it can be grounded on the frame rail or in the cab, it depends on the wiring harness used

Ground------------sender------------------(yellow wire)-------------------------cluster gauge-------------pulsed 5volt(or 12v)

The gauge shows the resistance(ohms) to ground, 73 to 10 ohms, steady

 

I'm having an issue.
I have the cluster out and I'm trying to check for ohms but it is not doing anything.
Attached are two pictures.
The ohms meter I have set to ohms.
And the cluster with the yellow/white wire pulled.

I've tried checking for ohms with the cluster connected to the panel and the
ignition turned on
Ignition turned off
With the cluster unplugged

And still I get no reading.

I admit that I am not the best when it comes to reading ohms meters. So I am uncertain if I am doing this right.
Please assist.

WeePro Vpro850L

 

Touch the meter's 2 probe tips together, meter display should show 0 ohms, straight connection, thats all ohms are, a connection

The yellow/white wire runs to the sender in the gas tank, and the sender is also grounded to the frame/body

Yellow/white wire--------------------------sender-----------------------------ground

There is no + or - with ohms, just FYI, so red or black probe color doesn't matter, in fact you shouldn't test OHMs on a wire with voltage on it

Put 1 meter probe on a good ground in the cab, bare metal or clean screw/bolt head
Put other probe on yellow/white wire
pre-1989 Fords use 73-10 Ohms, 73ohms EMPTY, 10 ohms FULL
So you should see ohms between 10 and 73
If so rock the truck so gas in the tank sloshes around and float goes up and down and ohms should also go up and down, if so wires, sender and float are OK

If the meter stays on 1(default number) then there is no connection, so either yellow wire is disconnected or ground wire on sender is disconnected, or sender is broken, no connection

If display changes and shows a number and its NOT between 10 and 73, usually higher, then you have a corroded connection, corrosion causes higher resistance/higher ohms, and in a pre-1989 Ford that means gauge stays on EMPTY, 73 or higher OHMs is EMPTY as far as the gauge is concerned

 

OK, I'll try all that tomorrow.
From what I did try, the number never moved from 1.
I will also lift the bed tomorrow and check the tank as well.

I filled the truck up the other day, as it showed empty.
However, it only took 6 gallons, letting me know it was 1/2 full.
Now, it is back on empty again, after about 150 miles, which would be around 1/2 full.
When I turn the ignition but don't start, the needle rises just around the empty line.

What would explain it only showing the default of 1 on the meter and not trying to show anything else?

 

Touch probes together to make sure meter and its settings are working, display changes to 0, should do this every time you use any meter in OHMs setting, I chased my tail a few times when meter probe wasn't push in all the way, lol

 

Ohms reading
0.06
Rocked the truck and it stayed, no change.

To add to this.
The gas gauge reads empty.
But not bottomed out on the gauge.

I know there is about a 1/2 tank

Video I just made of testing the Pump itself.

I ran a wire from the cluster to the tank.
Still does the same thing.
There is nearly a 1/2 tank of gas, and that is physically looking in the tank.
But the gauge will only read up to the
Empty line.


Update
Found a better ground.
Showed 0.07 ohms
Moved the truck and it would jump up to .37
And back down to .07

 

Sorry forgot to say to put the OHM Meter on the 200 setting
It was on 20,000 and you are try to read ohms 10 to 73

 

It seems it might be the fuel gauge, so I've ordered one from Amazon.
I will post back once I get it in.

 

Set it to 20.checked it and it showed .63
I rocked the truck and it jumped around. you stated that 73 means empty.gas is about 2" below the center weld on the tank. So around a little under 1/2 a tank. What would this mean?

 

the . in 0.63 is throwing me off

In 200 scale it should show 63, no "."

Its not a linear sender, it has a float on the end of an arm, so from full to 3/4 it will move slower as gas is used up
Same for 1/4 to EMPTY
1/4 to 3/4 usually drops faster
OR
Maybe its the opposite can't remember, lol

but 0.63 wouldn't be right on 200 ohm scale

 

Installed a new fuel gauge.
Will post back if this resolves the issue.
Once I connected it, it went straight to 3/4 of a tank which would be about accurate.
I think what I might do, is also run the original gauge as well, and see what the difference is between the two.

 

The new Fuel Gauge does the same thing as the original.
All over the place, and if I rock the truck while driving, the needle goes everywhere.
So, it looks like it may be the gas leveler itself.

Any ideas on where to get the sending unit for this model?
I've found some on Amazon, but none match the angle of the bend of the arm. The ones I've seen are bent in the other direction.
Any assistance on this would be great.
Thanks.
Wayne

 

Ford changed the senders in the tank in 1989, the newer one uses different OHMS so not compatible at all with older gauges

1988 and earlier senders are hard to find new

If the level reads correct when vehicle is sitting and just swings around when moving or "rocking" the truck then sender is most likely OK, the anti-slosh module in the dash is bad

The sender in the tank has a float and when driving, or rocking, the gasoline WILL slosh around in the tank so the float WILL go up and down causing the senders OHMs to go up and down
Thats just the way it is on ALL vehicles

So most/all car makers use an "anti-slosh" module, usually on the back of the instrument cluster
It stabilizes the OHMs from sender as an "average" so gauge doesn't go up and down when driving around corners or stopping and starting
Picture of one here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/393697036003

It could be your sender has a few "dead spots" and it can be cleaned/repaired, read here: https://www.fordification.com/tech/f...ding-units.htm

 

The fuel gauge is straight wired to the tank, bypassing everything in the cluster.
Both gauges read EMPTY when there is 1/2 a tank or less.

I give the cleaning a shot, thanks for the link.

 

When you have the sender out plug it back in and move its arm/float to different positions while watching the gauge, especially below 1/2

The way the 1988 and earlier senders and gauges work is OHMs to ground
73 Ohms when EMPTY
10 Ohms when FULL

A shorted wire to ground would be 0 Ohms so always over FULL
A disconnected wire would be a million/gazillion Ohms, lol, so always EMPTY
As the float arm goes down the sender may have worn or dirty wire at 1/2 way point so Ohms go above 73 and gauge drops to Empty, because poor or no connection