BenStoked

iTrader: (7)

I was driving my car yesterday, and i had just a little over 1/2 a tank. i get on the freeway, and notice my gas gauge has dipped to almost 1/4. I almost freaked! anyway, I try to pay attention to it the best i can(rush hour is not the time to be monitoring gauges), and I notice it's fluctuating between just under 1/2 and just under 1/4. finally I get to where im going, and watch the gauge with the engine running. sure enough, its still moving, altho not as much, just twitching, up and down, just below 1/2 tank(where it should be after the drive).
this has me slightly worried, and was wondering if anyone knew the cause.
is my sending unit dying? is my gauge? is there a semi-common problem that needs to be checked?

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

how fast is it moving? by nature the fuel gauge is a slow-moving gauge... heavy resistance for physical rotation of it. anyhow, it could be the gauge itself... i had a speedometer that would drop to 1/5 of normal speed, or normal speed... never zero. i figure it was a capacitor or resistor that would conk out and back in, because it was always exactly 1/5. so maybe it's the same thing on this. i have 2x 1s-GXE and 2x 1s-SE clusters... but sadly, the temp needle component of one of them is bad, and the other SE cluster is in use.. but i'm sure someone else has one they can send you.

SHIFT_maxboost

iTrader: (13)

mine has been like that for 2 years. i figure it was the sending unit or the floater in the tank. and i say this because it seems to work perfectly until after below 1/2 tank. nissan dealer in st charles, mo qouted me sending unit and fuel pump(one peice) for over $400. i personally watch my trip. i get 410 miles till gas light comes on, which i assume it works fine.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

well if the gauge sorta works but the fuel light definitely works i'd say it's the cluster...

jdmjunky

I had almost the same issue where my gas gauge worked when ever it wanted to.Right then and there i new it was time for the cluster to be replaced.Then my speedo stop working!

Obsession_92-94

Was it fluctuating gradually or rapidly? I would think that if it were the latter, it might be that the sensor was getting a mixed reading. Another thing is how often does this happen? Was this the first time or has it been consistent (like when you are driving on a flat stretch of road or going up and down)? Just a few thoughts so that you might not have to hunt for a new instrument cluster.

CapedCadaver

iTrader: (8)

i've never had a bad fuel gauge, but i've had a bad speedo and a bad temp gauge. only difference with fuel gauge is that it's stiffer so it moves slower. but if the gauge works fine to a point then works weirdly after that i'd at least try swapping the fuel gauge out. i have a spare working fuel/temp.. well the fuel part works but the temp part is broken, but you can still put it in as a test, and if the fuel gauge from me works then you know for a fact what your problem is. so i'll just let whoever needs it use it if they pay shipping. but i had a speedo that would drop to exactly 20% of actual speed, jump back to speed, back to 20%, etc. anyhow the key part was when they said the fuel light appears to work right. so if the fuel light works properly then the sender may be working properly and just the cluster can't display the needle reading properly. that's why i said i think it's the cluster.

BenStoked

iTrader: (7)

meh, I dont need to get another gauge set. somewhere, around my mess of a computer, is my original gauge cluster... it should be okay, still.


obsession: the meter only does it under 1/2 tank, and it bounces pretty quickly. it isnt like dropping a ball bearing on concrete quick, but it will go from 1/2 to e in about the same speed that it would when you fill your tank up from half, and turn the key.
any fluctuation moves with the same speed, and varies depending on its... mood?

as for hills or flat roads, I live in oklahoma. there are no hills here, only rolling planes. sure it goes up-and-down, and I havent proven these movements to coincide with those rolls. (if you have ever lived in okla., you'd understand for sure.)

Obsession_92-94

First, I have driven through a little of Oklahoma and yes, it is very flat, so I guess that that answers the question of hills pretty well. Second, sounds like the problem could be intermittent signals from the fuel gauge to the instrument. Might be a bad connection somewhere. I would bet that it could be slightly corroded contacts which can be cleaned by a pencil eraser.

92MAX92

i had the same problem right after i replaced the fuel pump i had half a tank then i look it was way below E i freaked then it went back up then moved up and down from half i just took out the fuel pump and made sure the floater wasnt getting stuck now its good

JC93SE

"Gas needle jumpin' , that paddle wheel pumpin'. Black water keep flowin' on past just the same."

daftinnovations

im sure its gauge or sending unit in tank. just go to the junk yard. hella 3rd gens in the yard

scorpion35

My fuel hand stays on E it doesnt move at all. I never noticed my gas hand jumping or anything. I started my car up one morning and noticed my gas hand was on E with a full tank of gas. I have a '07 Max any suggestions?

Amerikaner83

iTrader: (17)

Several:

*Don't bump a thread that not only is 4 years old, but a thread that is 4 years old, in a section of the forums that doesn't even pertain to you!

*Go up to the top, where it says "Maxima Forums>Maxima Discussions>...click that, then find where it says "6th generation maxima". Click that. Then read for other problems like yours.

*post thread if after reading and searching you don't find anything.