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2012 Focus fuel gauge problem

63K views 61 replies 23 participants last post by  sailor 
#1 ·
I noticed my fuel gauge was showing full when it should have been at a half tank.The dealer discovered an excess vacum in the gas tank which was distorting the plastic tank and causing the fuel gauge to act erratically.The culprit is a bad vacum purge solenoid in the engine compartment.There must be an issue with this part as it is nationally backordered. Hopefully it will be overnighted from Ford stock [driving]to my dealer so I can get my car back.
 
#45 · (Edited)
I've been having quite the month with my car. First indication that there was anything wrong was at the end of June, when my car lost power and stalled a few blocks from my house. Tried to restart it and it just cranked away, shaking pretty violently in the process. I called roadside assistance and had it towed to the dealer, where they discovered it was completely out of fuel. I was incredulous because the gauge was reading 1/4 full at the time it stalled. Initially, they said they couldn't find anything wrong with it, and -surprise, surprise- sent me on my way. I was now watching the gauge like a hawk. The first thing I noticed was that it stayed on full for the first half of the tank, and would then drift from 3/4 to full. I took it back to the dealer twice more, and they eventually figured out that the fuel tank was warped, and replaced it. All seemed well; when I picked it up, the gauge was actually sitting in the red, (was almost empty), and I filled it up. Back to the same old, same old. Stayed showing full for over 100 miles on the trip odo. Called the dealer back, and was told to bring it in.

At this point, with 160 miles on the tank, they had it overnight, and called me back and said nothing was wrong, and the reading was correct. They gave it back to me with the gauge showing about 2/5 full. Last night, when driving to work, (11 mile trip, mostly freeway) Gauge started at 1/4 full, and during my time on the freeway started to creep up to 1/2. Then, while going about 60 miles per hour on I-43 just south of downtown Milwaukee, the thing lost power again. I had to cut across four lanes of traffic and made it to the breakdown lane just as the engine shut off. (Narrowly avoided a serious crash with a black suburban - driver gave me the one fingered salute as she went by) Roadside assistance guy gave me two gallons of gas, and it started right up. Gauge still showed half full!

So, today I guess it's back to the dealer to throw my keys at the guy and tell him to keep the car until they're sure it's fixed. I love this car, and I'm a loyal Ford customer, but I'm tearing my hair out over this.
 
#46 ·
Two weeks ago I ran out of gas with just shy of 1/4 tank of gas showing. The dealer replaced the fuel level sending unit and it worked for 2 weeks. Now my car stays on full for 200km, goes down to 3/4 full at 450km.... WTF? Wow, never thought this car could get 1800 km per tank! hahaha. So once again I have it booked in for another dealer visit.
This is my first Ford in 35 years and probably a short lived last Ford as I have had it in to the dealer 5 times in the first 3 months of ownership.... Quality is... Job None! Absolutely love the way the car drives but it is the most unrelieable/possessed car I have ever owned by a longshot!!!! I used to complain about people being dangerous drivers... now I worry about my car trying to kill me... seriously!

Ok... rant over! hahaha

Anybody out there have a similar issue and actually get a permanent fix so I don't run out of gas again in the middle of rush hour again? Thanks in advance....
 
#47 ·
After my last incident in August, the dealer kept my car for over a week. They basically replaced most of the fuel systems. The culprit was stuck purge valves. They also discovered that when the purge valves initially collapsed the fuel tank, the fuel pump was damaged. In the end, they replaced the purge valves, fuel tank, sending unit, and fuel pump. Then they filled it and drove it until empty to ensure it was fixed. And it is. No problems since then, but my confidence in Ford has taken a huge hit. Not even my horrible 1999 Explorer ever tried to kill me.
 
#48 ·
I own a 2012 Ford Focus SE Hatch in gray. My car is in the shop at the moment for sort of the same issue. For example, when I sit in idle my fuel gauge will read that I have no fuel yet I had a full tank or 3/4 full of fuel. Any ideas on what may of caused this issue?? Does this seem the same as everyone else issue??
 
#49 · (Edited)
Hey drumkidd56,

I'd like to put you in touch with your regional customer service manager, who'll work directly with your dealer. Please send me a private message with your full name, best daytime phone number, VIN, mileage, and servicing dealership.

Todd
 
#50 ·
I got a 2010 Ford Focus back in June and had no problems until recently. Last week my car wouldn't start. I got a jump start and once the car started up, the miles to empty read 0 and the low fuel light was on. When I parked the car earlier that day, I had 80 miles to empty. After a few minutes the miles to empty when up, but it still was inaccurate. The next day I took the car into the dealer, where they replaced the battery and told me to fill up my car and then reset the fuel economy. I reset the mileage and my car had more than 450 miles to empty, which has never happened. All was well, until yesterday and today. When I went to start my this morning I had 415 miles to e. After only letting the car run for a few minutes, it went down to 410 and continued to rapidly decrease until I got to work, which is less than 10 miles away. I now have 298 miles to e and I have not driven anywhere near 150 miles in a week. I'm not even sure how much gas is still in my car at this point because when I start it tomorrow, the reading will probably have changed again. I'm taking it into the dealer in the morning. I just wish the mechanics would've listened to me when I brought the car in last week, because the issue is still present.
 
#52 ·
I got a 2010 Ford Focus back in June and had no problems until recently. Last week my car wouldn't start. I got a jump start and once the car started up, the miles to empty read 0 and the low fuel light was on.
Hello cymlee,

I'd like to loop in touch with your regional customer service manager, who is in the best position to assist. Please send me a private message with your full name, best daytime phone number, VIN, mileage, and servicing dealership.

Todd
 
#51 ·
Trip computers aren't the most accurate, with only a short time sample to figure from their "estimate" of what will happen in the future can be wildly off.

To demonstrate with a scenario that's a simplification of what happened to yours today.

Idle 10 min. (Zero MPG for that time) drive 10 min. at 30 MPG. Average mileage since filled? 15 MPG. Computer figures range to empty at 15 MPG, range looks very short. When you started out, it might be figuring 15 gal. at 30 MPG for 450 miles. After idling and the short trip, it refigures range at 15 MPG for the rest of the tankful - 14.5 gal. @ 15 MPG would be 217 miles.

Now I'm guessing it started out from zero when the new battery was installed, so there isn't much history in the system to base an MPG estimate on. Given a longer history in the system, short term MPG won't affect the long term estimate as much. For now, all it knows is that you haven't gone far for the fuel used.

If your system lets you flip to an average MPG readout, I'm betting that will be a low number confirming my guess.

Good luck with it, I'm hoping all is OK for you & the system just needs more info. to give you a better estimate.

(Computers are dumb, GIGO is my bet on the current range estimate)
 
#53 ·
The tank overfill I mentioned in a previous post last week has apparently affected the fuel gauge on my 2012 SE as well. Have driven the car about 110 miles since the incident, and the gauge has now only just begun to drop to about midway between full and 3/4 full.

The Average MPG and Miles To Empty displays are still working properly (consistent readings based on my past driving - I reset the Average MPG and Trip Odometer after every fillup), so I'm not too worried about the potential of running out of gas ("knocks wood"). However, I'm planning to take a trip to Western Pennsylvania during Labor Day week, so having an unreliable fuel gauge is something I really don't want to deal with.

Taking the car in for routine service tomorrow morning, and I've already informed my service advisor of this problem. Crossing my fingers that resolution won't be a biggie.
 
#54 ·
Good chance the gauge isn't particularly unreliable & that you just squeezed in more than normal when pumping 'till it overflowed.

It would take longer for the gauge to drop with more than normal fuel on board.
 
#55 ·
Thanks for the reply Sailor. That thought occurred to me yesterday afternoon when I noticed the gauge had actually started moving. As I drove to the dealer this morning for my routine service, noticed it now appears to be back within the normal reading for the amount of miles I've driven since my last fill up.

As such, when I went in today, I mentioned what happened with the overfill, but that I was no longer concerned about the fuel gauge. Service advisor repeated exactly what you just said about slow response due to the excess gas in the tank. I did have them conduct a visual inspection of the fuel tank, filler, and other components they could easily access as well. No leaks, broken parts, wear, etc..

So, for now I'm going on the theory that the pump nozzle shutoff was defective, and will be extra careful when inserting gas nozzles in the future. Service advisor noted that as well, and told me that Ford Engineering had actually sent out a memo to all service departments indicating the tendency of gas nozzles to be defective. He also told me that one of their customers had an incident where a nozzle got stuck in the fuel filler. Similar to the incidents described in other posts here, except in this case, the gas station folks were able to remove the nozzle without damaging the fuel filler or denting the person's car.

FWIW, the first car I regularly drove (my parent's 75 Buick Century wagon) had a very erratic and mostly unreliable fuel gauge - hence my sensitivity to possible fuel gauge problems.
 
#56 ·
I see you've read up on the potential issues with loose nozzle tips. The solution to problems from dented nozzles (stainless steel cap) has ended up having possible problems of it's own when they get loose.

Automatic shutoff valves are quite delicate, they have to sense air pressure change in the fill pipe. Actually amazing that they work as well as they do considering the beating they take daily.

The new overflow drain location goes with the new "capless" fill system, an obvious surprise that's probably not mentioned (or glossed over) in the manual no-one reads thoroughly unless looking for info.. Convenience features - come with new problems of their own.
 
#57 ·
2012 Ford Focus Gas Gauge Mystery/Problem?

So after running around town on errands earlier this week, I checked the gas gauge which read at just under 1/8 of a tank. Today we were planning a a short trip so I sent my husband out to fill tank before we left. He came back 5 minutes later and said we didn't need gas because there was 3/4 of a tank in car. He denied gassing up car, so we assumed daughter must have done it-Even though that would have been outside of norm since she drives her own vehicle. 50 Miles into our trip, our check engine light comes on. We drive 21/2 miles and stop at a service station to grab something to drink, and when we start the car, it cranks over, sputters and then turns off. We were out in the middle of nowhere, at late Friday afternoon on holiday weekend. Long story short, we got lucky and the first repair shop I called turned out to be 11/2 mile up the road. It never dawned on us that we might be out of gas! The car is not driven much except locally around town, all maintenance is up to date and there were no other signs of problems. Rethinking the mysterious gas issue, and google searching gas gauge problems, could this be the problem. If so, is it a dealer related issue?
 
#58 ·
My fuel tank is collapsing! I have been dealing with this car dying out, the gas gauge freaking out, and general mayhem. It unfortunately appears that I'm not the only one! There needs to be a recall! The Ford Center was no help, and I've been told to call the NHTSA? I'm so absolutely baffled by this, what is going on with these vehicles?
 
#59 ·
Yea, my gauge started acting up recently too. In my case, the error seems to be it reads low to empty when there's plenty of gas in the tank. Erratic too. One minute reading almost empty, next minute almost full. What is it with these things? Been tracking fuel levels by the odometer reading. Cheap parts from China? [hihi][hihi]
 
#60 ·
Your info. shows an '11 model, this thread started in '11 on problems with the MkIII '12 and up versions that have a potential purge valve issue that can collapse the tank (bottom sucked up changes readings/fuel availability).

As typical, it also got into other discussion on trip computer mileage etc..
 
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