I have a 1989 XF ute and the fuel gauge only goes on full which is good if it really was full.I have fitted a new sender in the tank but it still wont work,i dont think the gauge is faulty because when it is switched on and off it moves right to left okay has any one got a clue?
It is proberly in the wiring but were do i start/

Hi briggo,
The fuel gauge in my '95 XG ute went awol with its readings,and unfortunately,when I rang three local Ford dealers,they all said,:ONR,"obsolete not replaced".
After pulling the the dash out and removing the gauge unit,it appears one of the coils in the meter movement was open circuited.I managed to scrounge one from a local wreckers,and all is well now,but I will be re-winding the old gauge unit coils to have a spare one.
I too,changed the sender unit,but to no avail.You may have to take the gauge to an instrument shop to have it tested against the original VDO settings,which they should have.

Wrongway Smith.

P.S. It's a pity these "modern" cars weren't built for longevity like my 2
vintage cars,both products of the General,one is a 1928 Chev truck,
the other is a 1929 Oldsmobile Sedan.Both very simple,not much to
go out of wack.The fuel "gauge" in the truck is just a bit of stick to
dip in the tank under the seat,and the Olds uses a King-Seeley
hydrostatic liquid gauge.Both have no electrics to burn out,very simple.

Thanks very much for your reply Wrongway i will have to take the dash out although this looks like a major job.I only wish i could shove a stick down it but it is not possiable on the XF it is hard enough to get the petrol down its shute,a anti petrol stealing device.
Anyway mate thanks for the help i will get back to you when i fix it.

a mate has recantly just bought a 89' xf ute his problem is that the bastard fuel gauge rarely works... its left me and him on the side of the road twice now as we think theres plenty of fuel... the needle stays on empty except when the tanks full.. could the sender be stuffed?? or is it behind the cluster