Fuel Gauge

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2018 Lincoln MKC. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The fuel gauge is a virtual gauge. The IPC sends a reference voltage to the fuel level sender(s). As the fuel level changes, a float actuates the variable resistor fuel level sender, raising or lowering the fuel level signal voltage. The IPC monitors the changes in voltage from the sender(s) and commands the fuel gauge with a corresponding movement of the pointer.

The IPC uses 4 different operating modes to calculate the fuel level:

Anti-slosh (default mode)
Key OFF fueling
Key ON fueling
Recovery

After a fuel fill up, the time for the fuel gauge to move from empty (E) to full (F) ranges from 2 seconds to 40 minutes depending on which operating mode the fuel gauge is in.

The default fuel gauge mode is called the anti-slosh mode. To prevent fuel gauge changes from fuel slosh (gauge instability due to changes in fuel sensor readings caused by fuel moving around in the tank), the fuel gauge takes approximately 40 minutes to go from empty (E) to full (F).

The key OFF fueling mode (2 seconds to read empty [E] to full [F]) requires the following 3 conditions be met:

The ignition must be in the OFF mode when refueling the vehicle.
At least 6% of the vehicle's fuel capacity must be added to the fuel tank.
The IPC must receive a valid ignition ON fuel sensor reading within one second of the ignition being put into the RUN mode. The key ON sample readings are considered valid if the fuel sensor reading is between 10 ohms ± 2 ohms and 180 ohms ± 4 ohms.

If these conditions are not met, the fuel gauge stays in the anti-slosh mode, which results in a slow to read full (F) event.

The key ON fueling mode (approximately 60 seconds to read empty [E] to full [F]) requires the following conditions to be met:

The transmission is in PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N).
The ignition is in the RUN mode.
At least 6% of the vehicle's fuel capacity must be added to the fuel tank.

In key ON fueling mode, a 30-second timer activates after the transmission is put into the PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) position. When the 30-second time has elapsed and at least 9% of the vehicle's fuel capacity has been added, the fuel gauge response time is 60 seconds to read from empty (E) to full (F). When the transmission is shifted out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N), the fuel gauge strategy reverts to the anti-slosh mode. The key ON fueling mode prevents slow to read full events from happening if the customer refuels the vehicle with the ignition in the RUN mode.

Recovery mode is incorporated into the IPC strategy to recover from a missing fuel level input after a refueling event. Missing fuel level inputs result from intermittent opens in the fuel sensor or its circuits. Recovery mode (empty [E] to full [F] approximately 17 minutes) is initiated when the following 2 conditions are met:

The IPC is in the anti-slosh (default) mode.
The actual fuel level in the tank is approximately 5% different from what is being displayed by the fuel gauge.