Electronic Fuel Gage - Erratic Operation

Article No.
92-21-5

October 7, 1992



FUEL GAUGE - ELECTRONIC - IRREGULAR OPERATION OR DISPLAY - VEHICLES BUILT PRIOR TO 03/01/92



FORD:
1992 CROWN VICTORIA

LINCOLN-MERCURY:
1992 GRAND MARQUIS



ISSUE:
Irregular operation of the Electronic Instrument Cluster fuel gauge may be caused by differences in the ground signals at the fuel gauge and fuel sender. Differences may occur because the instrument cluster ground is not common with the fuel sender ground and may exhibit the following conditions:

^ Irregular fuel level display

^ Top and bottom bars illuminate on the fuel gauge with "CO" displayed on the message center.

^ Irregular "DTE" (Distance To Empty) indications on the message center

ACTION:
Remove the fuel sender ground from splice S201. Relocate the fuel sender ground directly to ground G400 below the trunk latch striker. Refer to the following procedure for service details.


SERVICE PROCEDURE

1. Open the trunk and remove spare tire.

2. Pull trunk carpet rearward from the trunk shelf directly below the spare tire storage location.





3. Locate the fuel sender wire harness in the trunk (refer to Figure 1). The fuel sender harness consists of a yellow wire, a pink/black wire, a thick black wire and a thin black wire.





4. Remove the tape from the harness and cut the THIN black wire. Leave enough wire on the fuel sender side to splice the new ground to the wire (refer to Figure 2).

NOTE:
DO NOT CUT THE THICK BLACK WIRE. IF THE THICK BLACK WIRE IS CUT, THE FUEL PUMP WILL NOT WORK.



5. Seal the harness side of the thin black wire with tape and secure it to the harness with tape.



6. Splice 12 feet of 18 AWG black wire to the fuel sender ground using a butt splice (refer to Figure 2).

7. Remove the rear trunk sill trim, by removing the six screws that attach it to the trunk sill.

8. Remove the two upper cargo tie-downs.

9. Remove the two left upper trunk carpet plastic push pin rivets and pull the carpet to the side for access.





10. Run the wire along the existing rear lighting harness along the left side of the trunk to the existing ground (G400) located immediately below the trunk latch striker at the rear-center of the trunk (refer to Figure 3).

11. Install an eyelet on the end of the new ground wire and connect to ground as shown in Figure 3.

12. Replace the wiring harness, install carpet and spare tire to their original positions.

13. Verify proper operation of fuel system.

OTHER APPLICABLE ARTICLES:
NONE

WARRANTY STATUS:
Eligible Under Bumper To Bumper Warranty Coverage

OPERATION DESCRIPTION TIME
922105A Relocate Fuel Sender 0.8 Hr.
Ground

DEALER CODING
BASIC PART NO. CONDITION CODE
14401 X1

OASIS CODES:
204000, 204100