[SlowProject]

I park on the street at work. (leaning towards the curb)
The gas gauge drops almost to E when I have just under a 1/4 tank. My gas light is on when I get in the car to leave, about a minute after I pull off of the gas needle registers correct (just under a 1/4 tank), but the light doesn't go out unless I turn the car off and restart.

Is it normal for the light to stay on?
Though I wouldn't try it, it leads me to believe if the gas light is on and I fill up the tank with the car running it would stay illuminated with a full tank until restart.

With my 96 the check gauges light would go out by itself.

 

[SlowProject]

Any ideas?

 

[kwkslvr96]

gas light problem

maybe there is a float that is sticking, I know in my Thunderbird the light only comes on when I'm an eigth of tank on empty! Just idea to through out there at you. Or it could also be a sensor maybe!

 

[PCD]

Once that light goes on it stays on. I suspect that it is not a circuit that checks for shifts in where the fuel is located. The whole idea of that light is to let you know to buy more fuel.

 

[AbSeNtEE]

with my 94 4.6 my guage does the same thing yours does (reads slightly low at first, then goes back up), except the light goes out when the needle moves off the red box at E

 

[SlowProject]

Once that light goes on it stays on. I suspect that it is not a circuit that checks for shifts in where the fuel is located. The whole idea of that light is to let you know to buy more fuel.

Thanks for the info.
I guess I just need to keep more gas in the car

 

[conversion02]

When my light comes on, it doesn't always stay on. As the gauge floats ('cuase it's a POS), the light will go off and come back on later (a gallon or more).

 

[95_SilverBird]

If you like to live dangerously... keep driving until the red check gauges light comes on. (Not good for fuel pump though)

 

[nitrotn97]

Why wouldn't you try your idea? Sounds pretty good to me. Leave the car running and see if the light stays on. On every t-bird I've owned (94, 2-97s), if I add fuel while the light is on and the car is running, my light goes out. I would think, don't know for sure, that you have a sending unit problem. I'm sure womeone will come up with an answer for you.

 

[SlowProject]

If you like to live dangerously... keep driving until the red check gauges light comes on. (Not good for fuel pump though)

I figured I would get flamed asking that question, but if all I am doing is going to and from work I only put about 15 miles on the car per day. (and I only get about 15 MPG) Not to mention if the light comes on because of the way the fuel is positioned in the tank and I really still have almost a 1/4 tank I really still have enough gas to get to and from work for another 4 days give or take. (not that I would go to the extreme)

The real reason I am asking is because I just bought the car in November and have an extended warranty for 3 months, so if there is actually something faulty (not a characteristic of the model year) I would rather let someone else fix it before my time runs out.
It looks like I am going to buy another 3 months of the warranty because I am having a hard time meeting up with a friend of mine who works at a ford dealership. I want him to give the car (especially the suspension) a once over to make sure all the noise I hear isn't something I can have them cover under the warranty.

With it being a dd I can't take a chance taking something apart and not being able to get it back together. I don't really trust myself in that department, it takes me 3x as long as someone who actually knows what they are doing, mostly because I end up doing the job multiple times to make sure I did it right.