Fuel Gauge

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2012 RAM Pickup and 2012 RAM Cab & Chassis. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The fuel gauge gives an indication to the vehicle operator of the level of fuel in the fuel tank. This gauge is controlled by the instrument cluster circuit board based upon cluster programming and a bus message received by the cluster. This bus message is based upon a hard-wired input received by the Total Integrated Power Module (TIPM) from the fuel level sending unit on the fuel pump module, located in the fuel tank.

The fuel gauge is a stepper motor design unit that receives battery current on the instrument cluster electronic circuit board through the fused ignition switch output (run-start) circuit whenever the ignition switch is in the ON or START positions. The cluster is programmed to move the gauge needle back to the low end of the scale after the ignition switch is turned to the OFF position. The CCN electronic circuitry controls the gauge needle position and provides the following features:

Fuel Level Sending Unit Input - The TIPM provides a constant current source to the fuel level sending unit and monitors a return input on a fuel level sense circuit. The resistance through the fuel level sending unit increases as the fuel level falls and decreases as the fuel level rises causing changes in the fuel level sense input voltage. The TIPM sends the fuel level voltage to the cluster over the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus. The cluster programming applies an algorithm to calculate the proper fuel gauge needle position based upon the fuel level bus input, then moves the gauge needle to the proper relative position on the gauge scale. This algorithm is used to dampen gauge needle movement against the negative effect that fuel sloshing within the fuel tank can have on accurate inputs from the fuel tank sending unit to the cluster.
Less Than 10 Percent Tank Full Input - Each time the fuel level sense input to the cluster indicates the fuel tank is about 10 percent full or less for 10 consecutive seconds and the vehicle speed is zero, or for 60 consecutive seconds and the vehicle speed is greater than zero, the gauge needle is moved to about the one-sixteenth graduation on the gauge scale, the low fuel indicator is illuminated, and a single chime tone is sounded. The low fuel indicator remains illuminated until the fuel level sense input is greater than about 15 percent full for 10 consecutive seconds and the vehicle speed is zero, or for 60 consecutive seconds and the vehicle speed is greater than zero, or until the ignition switch is turned to the OFF position, whichever occurs first. The chime tone feature will only repeat during the same ignition cycle if the low fuel indicator is cycled OFF and then ON again by the appropriate inputs from the fuel level sending unit.
Less Than Empty Stop Input - Each time the cluster receives a fuel level sense input that indicates the fuel level in the fuel tank is less than the EMPTY gauge needle stop position, the gauge needle is moved to the low end of the gauge scale and the low fuel indicator is illuminated immediately. This input would indicate that the fuel level sense input to the cluster is a short circuit.
More Than Full Stop Input - Each time the cluster receives a fuel level sense input that indicates the fuel level in the fuel tank is more than the FULL gauge needle stop position, the gauge needle is moved to the low end of the gauge scale and the low fuel indicator is illuminated immediately. This input would indicate that the fuel level sense input to the cluster is an open circuit.

The instrument cluster, also known as the Cab Compartment Node (CCN) continually monitors the fuel tank sending unit to determine the level of fuel in the fuel tank. The CCN then sends the proper electronic fuel level message to other electronic modules in the vehicle over the Controller Area Network (CAN) data bus. For further diagnosis of the fuel gauge or the instrument cluster circuitry that controls the gauge, refer to DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING .