Fuel Gauge Problem

Hi folks,

I have a 92 4-Runner and have owned it since '95, so I am very familiar with all its quirks. I know that I have at least 2 gallons of gas left when the fuel gauge pointer is right on top of the E. The "empty" light may or may not come on but then it eventually stays on and gets brighter and brighter the closer the tank is to empty (You all already know this). ANd by then the pointer is below the E --the E is entirely vsible. But this time I noticed when the light got rather bright after a time but the pointer stayed over the E and well, you can guess what happened....I run out of gas-- but the pointer was still sitting on top of the E.

MY mechanic (not a dealer) says he has to drain and drop the tank to fix the problem because the sensor is in the tank. What about the guage on the dash? Isn't tht where the problem is since the light DID come on but the pointer stayed stuck over the E? Isn' t the mechanical [dash] gauge the problem or at least part of the problem?

I don't want to pay for the gas sensor [tank] labor if this is just a case of a dash board guage problem. Or if it does involve the tank, I don't still want to have a gauge problem too ( becuase the mechanic didn't address that part of it.) Thank you for any any advice and help.

Its most likely the tank sensor

The gas guage in my vehicle hasn't worked in two years. I fill up the tank, drive 200 miles, then fill up again. I have never run out of gas and it beats paying exhorbitant labor costs on a part that doesn't make the vehicle go.
The problem is the sending unit. It only sends signals to the guage some of the time.

My gauge use to register full when it was full, then after it got to the 3/4 full mark, the gauge would drop down to empty. I pretty much knew that I had at least 200 miles of range. I almost always run it down until fuel light turns on. I eventually purchased the sending unit (in tank sensor) from the dealer. It was a pretty easy fix. I don't like paying for labor when I could do things myself.