fuel gage ...is it behaving crazy with all of 99 4runner'owners ?

[maan]

My fuel gage is a real crazy thing once full when i fill up then moves ok as i drive untill it reads 1/4 of a tank then goes back to 1/2 reading then again to the 1/4 then emty untill i lost it ..it is showing below empty with flashing light ,,the low level fuel light ..anybody is going thru that ? bullsh..? one more question it takes me normal time to fill up but the last gallon or two takes me so long to pumpt it untill it fills up ?just keep shuting the pump off like it is full but it is not .. any idea why is that ?
some how i knew toyota has problem with that and it s 4runner on a recall in the states but here in canada it is not as far as i know

[Brian R.]

The fuel gauge problem is atypical of this model. I have not heard of anyone else with this complaint. The fuel tank behavior is normal. This has happened to me on three of the last 5 cars I've owned. In the case of the 4runner, I have been told that the tank has a lot of reserve below when the light comes on (I haven't had to test this explanation) and that it holds 18 gal to the point where the fuel nozzle shuts off. The last gallon or so is not meant to be put in.

You can take the 4Runner explanation with a grain of salt, for it is all hearsay. But the behavior is normal for this vehicle.

[jakebrake67]

My '99 Runner's guage is possesed also. It read incorrectly the day I brought it home new. It read absolute "E" on the guage and would still have 4 gallons in the tank. The dealership initially told me this was "normal", but later I found the TSB and they replaced the float. The problem went away for a year or so, but then it came back. My tank is back to reading "E" with 4 gallons left and it varies all over the place during normal operation. I have opted to use the trip odometer to keep track of how many miles I have run on a tankful.

[Brian R.]

These sound like different problems. The imprecise gas gauge is a very strange problem. The TSB should address this problem. The gauge showing empty with 3 gal left in the tank is normal for this vehicle.

[4Runner03]

Best thing to do is just fill up with a 1/4 of a tank left. On most cars it is recommended to keep the tank partially full and not run it down to redlight. The fuel pump is kept cool by the fuel and if there is very little fuel in the tank, it just adds unneeded heat and will shorten the life of the pump.

[hitman065]

I have been having a simular problem with my fuel gage on my 99 4runner. It will show empty with blinking light, right after I fill up. Will show topped off full when its almost empty. Sometimes it will show a half tank for 3 days. Anyone know what it takes to get this fixed?

[Kiria]

I bought my 99 4runner a week ago and since then my fuel gage does same thing ,shows half tank when its almost empty, shows full when its 1/3 full ....

[fourwd1]

On the 80's vehicles erratic readings is common once they are 10+ years old. The windings on the sending unit corrode, causing dead spots and erratic readings. Eventually the winding opens and the sender is dead. Don't know if this is the same cause on the 90's vehicles.

[maan]

i think i is a loose or corroded connection ..everytime i hook up to a traler (good ground) it works , when it is snowing the road full of salt it works good the after gets cleaned rom uner the same mess again but i still do not know where is the bad connection or the rust