Fuel Level Sensor: Description and Operation

FUEL LEVEL SENSOR

The fuel level sensor consists of a float, a wire float arm, and a ceramic resistor card. The position of the float arm indicates the fuel level. The fuel level sensor contains a variable resistor which changes resistance in correspondence with the position of the float arm. The engine control module (ECM) sends the fuel level information via the CAN serial data circuit to the body control module (BCM). The instrument panel cluster (IPC) displays the fuel level as determined by the BCM. This information is used for the IPC fuel gage and the low fuel warning indicator, if applicable. The ECM also monitors the fuel level input for various diagnostics.