Honda Accord Broken Gas Gauge

Reader Question
Mr. Davis,
The gas gauge does not work properly on my 1990 Honda Accord EX. Could the problem be in the gas tank or in the fuel filter mechanism? Also, the cruise control does not work on cold days until the engine or inside of the car warms up. Is this due to moisture condensation somewhere?

Thank You –
V. Garey

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Hi there,

The gas gauge is hard to diagnose without proper tools, complete
inspection, etc., etc. There is a float type mechanism inside the
fuel tank (called the fuel sending unit) which sends the electrical
signal from the tank to the dash gauge.

Personally, I don’t think I have ever seen a Honda Accord with a
faulty fuel tank sending unit. They are just not that common of
part to fail on Hondas…Fords, YES…very common.

So, that either means you have one of the few sending units that fail,
or you might have another problem…like a faulty dash gas gauge
which is another part on the Accord which is just not a common failure item.

You need to have your mechanic test the sending unit inside the tank
and then test the dash gauge. You can test all the fuses, but if
everything else is working ok, chances are this is not something as
simple as a fuse problem. But never hurts to check.

The cruise control issue…I am not aware of a common problem there
either…seems you have a very uncommon Accord. I don’t think the cruise
and the gas gauge are on the same circuit, but it is suspicious.

Was this car in a recent wreck? Are there any loose wires that just
happen to be hanging around under the hood that could be getting moved
around as you drive?

I have a body shop too, and I see lots of wires being pulled loose or
partially cut after an accident.

Sorry I can not be more assistance.

Blessings,

Austin C. Davis