I've asked before but I really haven't gotten a straight answer and I've searched but I still can't really find what I am looking for.

My gas gauge is off and I don't know when it's an accurate reading. I'm not sure how to diagnose the problem on wether its the cluster or the fuel sender unit.

I'm getting my license soon and I'm just trying to take care of everything so I don't face the problems I've had in the past so any help is appreciated..

 

I do not know much about the problem but when you say "off" do you mean it just doesn't work or it works but gives a false reading? Can you give an example if it is the latter?

 

Theres a million threads on this, u gotta search. 95% chance its the cluster.
b4 u ask where to buy ima tell you go to ebay.
b4 u ask what about brand new ima tell you its $600 from the dealer.
I got a few clusters on ebay from $20-$80 and a 55k mile cluster worked perfect also a 39k mile cluster worked and 231k cluster is working perfect, i had a 196k cluster no good, a 125k cluster no good also a 155k cluster no good. So u gotta take ur chances

 

17727

 

Why the hell won't this guy just go away? And why is posting his drivel about an oil change adding 1000 hp on a thread about a broken fuel gauge?

 

^^^ Wtf are you talking about plane crash you noob GTFO. Op could be either sending unit or cluster im not sure how to diag. I have seen gauge problems when people put sending unit in wrong.

 

There is a test of sorts built into the instrument cluster that makes the gauges sit at a certain point. It is in the EL section of the 2002 FSM on page 122. If the needles point as indicated in the FSM, then the sending unit is the problem.

 

^Above. There is a test procedure in the FSM. Time to dig through it.

 

my car did this same thing but it wasnt terrible. it stopped when i changed my fuel pump. i believe the float causes the problem. i made sure to move mine by hand up and down a few times.

the fload moves very very slowly normally, stuff accumulates i think and messes it up, moving it helps break it free maybe.

it also could be the pump assembly, my wires were burnt a bit.. if yours is worse, this would be the cause.

the the back seat out and take a look, should take 20 mins

oh i also changed the filter so keep that in mind as well

 

Thanks
Can you go away lol

 

What I said is valuable info, minus the typos, I was rushin

 

Lmfao!! You must know planecrash005. Proper response right there.

 

bumping this thread up, as I have recently been a victim of this problem as well....

Does anyone have the FSM available for this procedure?

I found this procedure through another thread, but sadly it didn't work for me.

HOW TO ALTERNATE DIAGNOSIS MODE

1. Turn ignition switch to ON and change odo/trip meter to “TRIP”.
2. Turn ignition switch to OFF.
3. Turn ignition switch to ON when pushing odo/trip meter switch.

4. Release odo/trip meter switch 1 second after ignition switch is
turned ON.
5. Push odo/trip meter switch more than three times within 7
seconds.

6. All odo/trip meter segments should be turned on. Gauges should all go to center position.

Any insight would be extremely helpful.

 

http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/maxima/

 

Thx redbelhell!

When they refer to the ODO/Trip Switch, is that the Trip button on the steering wheel or the reset switch on the cluster itself?

 

Never done it myself. I'd try but my Max is in about 400 pieces right now.

I'd wager that you use the steering wheel button in the first step to put it in trip mode and then the button on the cluster after that to toggle diagnostics.

 

can anyone else chime in here with the correct steps for diagnosing if the gauge cluster is the problem?

 

I'm not sure how much more information you're expecting. Nobody is going to come to your house and do it for you.

 

Thx buddy your advice worked. All I was after was which buttons to press within the procedure.

 

So I figured I would continue to post here since this was the most useful and current thread out of my search. This will hopefully help people in the near future.



Sorry for the small picture. But these are my gauges after doing the test. Does this mean that my gas gauge is faulty or could the Fuel Sending Unit/Floater be defective or stuck. I know some threads said the filters and units can get pretty nasty.

The FSM did clearly state that all gauges should be reading the same way, IE half way point. My Maxima is just under 90k. Seems kind of messed up that the gauge cluster would be faulty at that mileage.

I just want clarification on what some people have expierenced with this common issue. I don't want to buy a new cluster if in fact it could be the Fuel Sending Unit/Floater stick. Not to mention getting someone to recalibrate a new cluster isn't exactly cheap. Thx guys!

 

When doing the self test from the FSM, the sending units are ignored. So if the gauge does not display as the FSM says, the gauge has a problem.

It's unfortunate that the gauge failed on a car with <90K, but it is what it is.

You could go to the junk yard and get a cluster and swap the gas gauge.

 

Thank you for the advice, Dennis. I've never taken these clusters apart before. Are the gas gauges able to swap out individually, or do you need to replace the whole cluster?

 

Better/easier to replace the whole thing and swap the mileage chip, IMO

 

Same Exact result on my 2002 with 136k miles. My guage is all over the place. Will show full then an hour it is at the bottom along with the low fuel light. I'm planning to swap the cluster with another..will post the result soon. Curious to know the outcome with your case.

 

2002 clusters cannot swap out individual gauges.

2002 clusters mileage chips are not able to be soldered out and swapped. I ruined 3 clusters doing this. They are surface mounted chips.

 

The issue is the cluster. Today I swapped in another cluster and it showed the correct fuel reading. However, I got the same result from the fuel gauge needle as the old cluster using the Nissan diagnostic testing. I believe the image is wrong in the Nissan diagnostic manual.

 

The issue is always the cluster, theres a very simple way to test the cluster fuel gauge.

You see if the floater puts out 5 ohms its supposedly a full tank and 80 ohms is supposedly an empty tank, so all you have to do to find out which is the problem is remove the bottom part of back seats and unplug the fuel sending unit then test terminals 2 and 5, if you know the tank is almost empty and it shows ex: 20 ohms you know the fuel sending unit is bad, if you want to prove your cluster is bad then buy a resistor close to say 80 ohm i think i found a 74ohm? And plug that resistor into the wiring going to the car from the fuel sending unit terminals 2 and 5, and turn ur car ignition half way on to watch your fuel gauge, it should show empty, if it doesnt then your cluster is bad and you proved it.

 

Of course you know Nissan will never approve of this. It's not complicated and/or difficult enough!

 

Im having the same problem but mines is my fuel pump its dead. Soon as it comes in im replacing it since the shop I went to replaced my sending unit already.

 

And here we are, at the start of 2026 with my 2002 Nissan A33 ST-R Maxima at 243,000km somewhere in Australia.

This test has proved invaluable, and will start looking the fuel pump or sender signals next.

Love these forums -<3