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ID this squeak and unrelated car problem

jonk
So, despite having the new mustang I have tenaciously held on to my 93 tempo as a second car and she's thrown me a new round of problems.

1. The gas gauge needle flickers up and down, way past full, but never down past the actual amount whenever you hit a bump. I'm thinking it has to be a short in the wiring or a sensor problem, being as it never goes past the actual level when it dips down; i.e. if 1/2 full the needle will flicker from 1/2 to way past full. Thoughts on this one?

2. A new squeak. At low speeds, going over bumps and such I hear a sound from under the floorboards sounding just like bed springs. When driving it sounds like it is coming from the floor, but when I get out and rock the car it sounds like it is comign from the spring/strut area. The ball joints and tie rod ends are about 1.5 years old so it probably isn't them. CV joints? Cracked spring or strut mount? What say you?

Now that I have a new car, I won't do anything to the old one I can't do myself, such as wiring if it involves dropping a gas tank to get to some sensor or float, but if I can track down the squeak I can probably manage that.
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Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • David Nunn
    With SOME cars, the fuel sending unit and electric fuel pump is a module, all one part, and very expensive. Also, if one part of it is going bad, it is all going bad. Thus, if your fuel gauge readings are erratic, you may be looking at replacing the fuel pump/sending unit module soon.

    It happened just that way with me and my Chevrolet. If I had known then what I know now, I would have replaced the module as soon as the gauge began fluctuating. It would have saved a rather pricey tow bill.
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  • jonk
    Btt- still need info.
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  • aramisvi
    i live this everyday.

    ok, as for the gas gauge, it would be your fuel tank sending unit. as nunn said, it is part of the fuel pump module and cannot be replaced separately. so you're gonna have to change the whole thing.

    the squeek could come from several parts, coil spring could be worn out, blown shock, fatigue in the frame, or just a broken spring in the seat. if it were your control arm bushings, ball joints, or tie rod ends you'd hear more of a click or popping sound than a squeek. to better locate the cause, where is the squeek coming from: front, back, driver, passenger, mouse?
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  • jonk
    Squeak is definitely from the front and it does it if when parked I jostle the car up and down. Mainly on the driver's side. I don't think on the passenger's side, but you can still hear it across the car.

    I would assume the fuel tank sending unit is in the tank or mounted on top and would require tank removal?
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  • aramisvi
    jonk,

    yes. to replace your fuel pump assembly you will have to drop the tank.

    if your squeek is coming mainly from the drivers front, check your shocks. if one is bad, replace both. if it were the rear of the car, it'd be you leaf springs, but those are much harder to wear out under normal driving conditions (unless you routinely drive of a cliff, those should be ok).

    more than likely, it sounds like your shocks have blown the seals and you've lost the gas charge. replace both sides and the squeek should go away. also, grease your fittings. that'll help out too.
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  • jonk
    Just had the fittings greased, but if the strut is blown, why isn't the suspension sagging? It still passes the 'bounce' test.

    In any case I might ignore it until I can determine if the fuel pump is really dying. Would a fuel pressure test show anything?

    There is the problem with cars of this age. The engine still runs like the proverbial top, but everything else is falling apart.
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  • shoff14
    could the squeak becoming from your exhaust? A little metal on metal contact from a lose hanger bolt or two.
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  • aramisvi
    jonk,

    a fuel pressure test wouldn't show the faulty sending unit. it would just gauge the pressure used by the pump to getthe fuel to the engine. the pump itself sounds to be ok. the sending unit is what tells you the amount of fuel in the tank, like a ballcock in the toilet tank.

    as for the strut, not necessarily. i have seen blown shocks still hold the weight at rest and bounce too, but they bounce too much. a charged shock should bounce very little the return to true. a blown one will bounce a couple more times before returning. plus, when you perform the bounce test, listen for a little whine or whistle sound coming from the wheel well. to physically check, look for a clear yellowish oil seeping from the piston. if it has rained recently, you may not see any.
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  • AZ9J
    Could be the strut mount (between the strut and body). Have run in to quite a few of these making a squeaking noise.

    Agree with aramisvi on the sending unit in the tank
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  • jonk
    Well lets ask this: if the pump itself is working, I honestly don't give a damn if the gauge works. I know that the car will get 375 miles or so on a tank and if I always top off every 300 miles, no issue. Will the faulty sending unit effect the running of the car?

    I think the squeak might be the mount. I stuck my head under the car. No oil leaking on the strut, the car bounces exactly once before returning to rest. I will get a mechanic to listen to it and give his best opinion before ripping out the assembly, but I have read up on what is needed to change a strut mount and think I can manage it. It is, after all, a second car.

    What I can't manage is the fuel sending unit; if that kills my fuel pump, given that the car is worth $750 or so, then that's the end of the car.
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