Fuel sender problemo
 

I found a few threads where an unreliable/failing fuel sender was mentioned -- is there a TSB or recall for this or what?

I don't see one listed here -- anyone know if there's something offical from Nissan? Are dealers generally aware of this problem?

Mine is starting to act a bit wonky ... I only use Chevron and less than 7K on the car :icon14: :icon14: :icon14: :icon14: :icon14:

So I take it that would be a "no" :icon17:

Okay, I'll pose this question a bit differently:

I know there is a recall the fuel sender on other Nissan vehicles -- has anyone who has gone to the dealership for their Z found that they take care of it without any BS, or do they claim the loose nut behnind the wheel is the problem? :icon17:

Just want to know how likely it is they will do nothing but waste my time and send me on my way without replacing anything...

Mine was working pretty well except that the last light on the row of lights that indicated that the tank was all the way full was not lighting up.

I filled it all the way up and it still was not lighting up. A day later it started working properly.

Hope this is not the start of something worse.

This is exactly what's happening with me :shakes head:

I'm going to try filling up at a different pump and running techron, which won't hurt, but I think we've both got a bad sender :owned:

Mine has never been accurate, I hate it!

Quality Nissan parts :tup:

Fvckers...

Mine was doing the same thing, i called the dealership and they replaced the sending unit and recalibrated it, but now the last 1/4 tank goes fast, according to the meter atleast. I'm going to see if the can reclaibrated it when i have the car in for the next oil change.
Oh and my '07 Frontier did the same thing, they swapped it out no questions.

Okay -- that's cool. Hopefully they are as on top of this issue in the US...

Thank you :tiphat:

I just had my sending units relaced as I was having the same issue with my gauge not lighting all the way when I would fill up. I have only used Chevron gas which has the Techron additive but I had the same issue with my G35. I even us e the Techron Fuel System with Techron at each oil change to help prevent it from happenign again, but there is no guarantee. Simply have the dealer replace them. There doesnt need to be a TSB for them to do so. If it's not working its not working, period.

The last 1/4 tank seems to go really fast on mine...I wonder how they re-calibrate it?

I'm not to sure, but i know before i had it changed that last 1/4 was good for about 200kms/(120miles?)

they blame it on driver error

You might see god before you get Nissan to cover these little things. Let's just say customer service is not their strong point.

Only time I've had the LED not lighting up problem is AFTER using Techron. About five tanks after that, the problem went away. Maybe coincidence but I'm never putting Techron in that tank again.

Hmm...seems like using Chevron with Techron is a common thread for those with the "not lighting up all of the way" issue.


I will avoid Chevron. I primarily use Hess, they always have the cheapest 93 octane near me.

i used Shell in both car and truck...and both had that problem, the truck was good for about a year, the car a few weeks.

A weird update... mysteriously my fuel guage is working normally again :icon08:

I was finally getting around to going to the dealer too...

That said, I have a feeling it will stop working properly again soon enough :icon14:

Fuel Light Fix... :P 20 Step Process
 

Fuel Fix Steps -

1) Pull up to gas station pump
2) Turn off car
3) Open Door
4) Get Out of Car
5) Close Door or Leave Open (Personal Preference)
6) Go to the Z's Gas Lid/Cover and Push Gently - Remove Gas Cap and place in holder
7) "Speak Sweet Nothings to your Z"
8) Tell it you want nothing but the best and show it LUV
9) Caress the body lines....
10 Select Cash/Credit and Fuel "Premium"
11) Remove gas nozzel and insert gently while caressing your Z
12) Turn nozzel 1/25 to the left ;)
13) Either leave nozzel on AUTO or if you prefer do it MANUAL :P
*** Keep conversation of Sweetness to your Z while you wait ***
14) After full the gas pump should auto stop
15) Remove nozzel - Make sure you are still talking sweet nothings and caressing your Z
16) Replace nozzel to pump get your receipt
17) Replace gas cap and turn and click click click and click to insure good seal
18) Close gas lid/cover - Caress your Z
19) Tell your Z its perfect ;) no issues and make sure you tell it "Please turn on all your lights on the fuel gauge"
20) Get in your Z and turn it on............

THIS Workz for ME :P ......... no fuel light issue here ;)

With mine the light bar is fine. It's the miles per tank that is not accurate. It will go from 26 miles to 0 with no between.

Minor update: Curiously, after switching to Sunnoco, the fuel sender is now working perfectly again :confused:

What's odd is that someone on here claimed that using Chevron gas and techron fuel cleaner caused the problem whereas it eventually went away with several tank fulls of another brand gas.

So... don't know if this is coincidence, or if for some weird reason our fuel senders are sensitive to something in certain fuels, one of which is Chevron.

A 1/4 tank should be good for about 100 miles of easy driving. Mine goes from a 1/4 to empty with no miles showing, just 3 dashes and a fuel pump showing in about 30 miles.

I told the service writer about this, he said they are all like that? WTF. I love my Z but it needs to have a couple of things straightened out. Nissan should have a TSB on the fuel gauge.

Did I say working perfectly with Sunoco?

Motherfucking, **** sucking, jism drinking son of a horseshit eating **** lapping bitch! It's ******* not working again :icon14: :icon14: :icon14:

I couldn't help but notice the "10% ethanol sticker" on the pump... are we now getting a summer blend that is possibly screwing with the sender?

**** you, Nissan and your substandard parts :shakes head:

Grahhh... guess I'll try ******* Shell or something.

Now back to normal... I think it must have to do with the oxygenation in the fuel... grumble :shakes head:

Is that one dot really that big of a deal to you? The display is digital, for all we know, the % full is rounded down, so even though it is saying it is at 99.9% (interpreted), it rounds down, and reports 19/20 lights (or however many there are).

Yes, the ECU averages out the readings from the sender unit over a period of 5 minutes or so. You can watch the value change in small increments over time watching it on a real time OBDII reader.

I have this same issue with mine. Filled it up to the top to store it for the winter and noticed the last light wasnt lighting up. Im hoping once i take it out, ill drive it to empty and fill it back up and that will fix it...

Bottom line: Brand new $35K car should NOT have this ******* problem.

THAT is why it bothers me :shakes head:

i agree i want answers and i want a 100 percent working car. **** u nissan fix my light

Wow.

You know how many cars I've owned with fuel sender problems before this one?

One: A 1979 Pontiac Firebird. I paid 2 grand for it back in the early 1990's.

Nissan can eat a ****.

Doesn't the 350 actually have two sending units because of a "hump" in the gas tank? I'm not sure about the 370.

I believe we have 2 as well.

Which makes having this issue even more pathetic :icon14:

I still maintain it's just a problem with how the data is being output, and the fuel sender's themselves don't have a problem. I guess I could hook up to the OBDII port to verify this, but I don't really care too much. I just enjoy watching you guys suffer. :rofl2:

made me my appointment for monday next week ill see wat they say and wat they do.

The computer buffers the data it receives from the sender and averages over a period of time. You can sit there parked and watch the value creep up slightly with an OBDII monitor. The sender just outputs a voltage, and in some cases I guess that voltage doesn't quite swing the expected full range for one reason or another, whether mechanical or electrical. The CAN bus connection and the computer part seem fine.

I was referring more to the actual display. Do we know at what % (or voltage) the display goes from full to 1 dot unlit and vice versa?

Only the actual sensor uses voltage, once it hits the sender part it is on CAN bus so now it is just a value. The display is also connected directly to CAN bus and is just reading the percentage value given by the sender. I would guess that the display gives a full reading at anything above 95% full. If you want the next time I fill up I'll bring my OBDII reader and see what percentage it shows for me in a working car.

It would be interesting at least. I would agree that about 95% or higher should show up as "full", but maybe it needs to be at > 99% instead. It'd be stupid, but not too surprising.

so just got my car back from the stealership and they change the whole guage cluster and guess wat the last led still dont work so they want me to bring it back in. i told them about how ppl say its the fuel sender but they wanted to change the whole cluster first. well will see wat they say when i bring it in today again. i dont mind its all under warrenty but only thing sux is i gotta get a rental car and pay for insurance so i lose 9 dollars a day

Well obviously they aren't very bright and don't know how to diagnose a problem. In this case all they have to do is fill the tank or have you bring it in completely full, (several gallon change is ideal) and plug the computer into the OBDII port and look at the reported fuel level percentage. If it shows full, it was a bad LED in the gauge cluster, if it shows less than full it is the sender.