Why Is My Gas Gauge Reading Incorrectly?

After watching movies and seeing the iconic running out of gas, stepping out of their car, and walking to push their vehicle to the nearest gas station scenes, most drivers might find themselves eyeing the gas gauge in preparation to avoid this exact scenario. So, of course, If you are asking yourself, "why is my gas gauge reading empty when I just paid for a full tank of gas?". This can be super confusing, but we promise that your gas gauge is, in fact, not reading correctly.

Our gas gauges are super helpful as they let us know when we need to refuel our Orlando Toyotas, so we don't have to calculate the estimation on our own. Here at Toyota of Orlando, we want to help you make your life as convenient as possible. So today we'll discuss why your gas gauge isn't reading correctly and what to do about it. 

How Your Gas Gauge Functions

Your Orlando Toyota is able to receive a gas gauge based on your Car's fuel sending unit measures of the gas in the tank to the fuel gauge in your Car's dashboard. The fuel sending unit comprises a float, a metal rod or arm, and a variable resistor. The float floats on top of the fuel in the tank and connects to the variable resistor by the metal rod. The variable resistor connects to the gas gauge to communicate how much fuel is in the tank. 

There you have it; that's how your gas gauge knows how much gas you have in your tank. So, if your gas gauge isn't reading correctly, it's most likely due to a faulty fuel sending unit. 

Three main issues with gas gauges 

Issue #1 The gas gauge is stuck on full. 

Your gas gauge is reading that your Orlando Toyota gas tank is full, yet you filled it up a week ago and have been driving around quite a bit. Well, be careful because this indicates that your gas gauge isn't reading correctly. It's most likely due to having an issue with your variable resistor. This is something that you should take in to have our expert techs look at more intensely. It could be faulty wiring, an open circuit issue in the resistor, or just a bad gauge.

Issue #2 The gauge is on empty

You might be scratching your forehead, confused when you read empty on your Orlando Toyota's gas gauge, especially since you just refueled yesterday. But, no, your Car's fuel efficiency can't be that bad. Instead, there could be a few issues – either the float has separated from the metal arm and isn't sending any information about fuel level, the variable resistor is faulty and malfunctioning, or the wires in the system have corroded and are no longer sending information.

Issue #3 Gauge swings back and forth between full and empty with no rhyme or reason. 

It seems like your gas gauge has a mind of its own when it swings back and forth between full and empty. These irregular readings are confusing and are usually the result of the float "sticking" in place and then being pushed back into motion by the movement of your Orlando Toyota – or it's just a faulty gauge itself. 

Issues with your Gas Gauge? Take your Car into our service center! 

Our expert techs will have your gas gauge fixed in no time! Call us to schedule an appointment at (407)298-0001 or schedule an appointment online! We're conveniently located just off i-4 near the Millenia Mall at 3575 Vineland Road.