Fuel Level Sensor Repair Cost

As you know, one of the most annoying things when owning a car is not having the fuel level sensor working, not knowing the level of diesel/petrol in the tank and always being stressed because you don’t know how much longer you can go. In this article, we are going to talk about how much you need to budget for fixing this problem and other issues regarding the fuel level sensor.

How Much Does a Fuel Level Sensor Repair Cost?

There are some factors that will affect the cost of a fuel sensor repair such as the dealer/mechanic you choose, the vehicle you have, and the place where you are living. Though, you should be prepared to spend anywhere between $270 and $680, including all parts. For the parts, you will have to pay $100 to $450, while the labor costs will be anywhere between $100 and $280, as this is a relatively fast repair. In general, a mechanic will also check the fuel pump because this car part usually has to be removed so he can replace the level sensor.

For example, you can purchase a top-selling fuel sensor for $90 to $370 from AutoZone.

According to the Car Complaints website, some of the most problematic cars when talking about the fuel sensor are GMC Envoy and the 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe. The fuel sensor repair costs for the first model are around $610, while for the second one are almost $165.

You might also like our articles about the cost of fuel injector cleaning, fuel pump replacement, or coolant hose replacement.

Fuel level sensor overview

Also called a fuel indicator sensor or fuel tank sensor, this is the part that indicates the fuel level, used to estimate the amount of fuel in the tank. A distinction is made between passive sensors that operate with an analog sensor integrated into the fuel tank and active sensors, which determine the fuel supply by measuring a voltage-dependent variable. Widespread are floating universal sensors with a fuel gauge, which work with a voltage of 12 V. The fuel level indicator transmits the measurement result of a display instrument in the field of view, which is usually an analog representation (on a graduated scale), in some cases, a digital readout with an indication in liters.

Why doesn’t it show the fuel level correctly?

There are several causes for this problem. One of the most common problems is the following: the float which often cracks, is flooded with fuel, and always remains in the lowest position and will indicate that the tank is permanently empty. There are other cases when it remains stuck in one position, or it will always show that the tank is full or it will show that it is empty.

Then, there are cases in which the clocks on the board are broken or simply show an error. In this case, we can try an inexpensive and very easy method. Remove the battery terminals overnight, and the onboard computer and the clocks will reset. If there was a small error with the on-board clocks, then it will be solved in this way. on the other hand, if the clocks have a short circuit or something similar, this method will not help at all.

Some car models have the fuel level sensor integrated into the fuel pump and unfortunately if it breaks you have to change the entire fuel pump. And changing the entire fuel pump is not that easy or cheap. You have to take some money out of your pocket.

The last options are very unlikely. They can happen, but they happen very rarely. Most often there are problems with the float or the fuel pump.

How do you know if the fuel level sensor is faulty?

Once you put a tester on the car, a code representing this sensor will appear on the tester screen. After you replace the sensor, also remove the old error from the memory.

How is a fuel level sensor repaired?

In order to repair a faulty fuel level sensor, the mechanic will remove the sensor from the inside of the fuel tank. In general, in most cars, the service access panel must be removed. This is placed under the trunk lining or close to the backseat, but there are cars that may need to remove the whole fuel tank to access the fuel sensor inside. Once the fuel tank is accessed or removed, the mechanic will disconnect the fuel level sensor from the electrical wiring and the tank and install a new fuel sensor. In some cases, a new fuel pump will also be inserted.

Important things to consider

This problem is not so serious. In the sense that the car can run very well without indicating the fuel level. Instead, you have to be very careful not to run out of fuel when you need it the most.

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Alec Pow

Alec Pow is a thorough and methodical Financial and Business Analyst with over 15 years of experience in financial statement analysis, Foreign exchange derivative hedging instruments analysis, modeling, and risk management, with a long history of writing for big news publications like Forbes, MSN.com, Washington Post, and many more.