Hi all,

ran into a little problem with my accord, i'm a little confused as to what could be causing it.

Because i'm a fairly broke guy, i usually only put 5-10 dollars of gas in my car at a time, so i'm fairly familiar with the behavior of the gas light. It used to half light up when i started getting low, and fully light up when I was low, and it would kind of switch on and off intermittently as i would go up and down hills. It had acted this way since I got the car about 4 years ago.

Lately, however, I've noticed that light has been coming on with less and less gas in the tank, and finally today it never came on and it seemed to me like it should have came on about 60 miles ago, so I filled up a gas can and drove around with the can in my passenger seat until it either came on or I ran out of gas. Well, I ran out of gas before the light ever came on.

I'm fairly sure the bulb isn't burned out, as its been coming on later and later over the past month or two. The gas gauge still works, meaning the unit for reading the amount of gas in the tank SHOULD be working properly. (unless there is a different mechanism for the light than the gauge?)

Any ideas on what could be causing this? I'm at a loss.

 

In the trunk, there is an access panel near the back seat. Unbolt that cover and unplug the 3 pin connector below. Short the light green/red pin to the black pin and see if the low fuel light turns on when you start the car (or it may come on when you just turn the key to the II position).

 

nope the light never turned on. the car couldnt start, though, obviously because the fuel pump was unplugged.

does that mean the bulb IS just burned out?

 

That plug underneath the cover is for the fuel sending unit. Unplugging that connector should not affect the fuel pump unless you unplugged something else.

Try putting a wire in the light green/red wire and touching the other end to a good ground. See if the low fuel light turns on.

 

thats the only plug in the area, theres really nothing else to unplug. And it has a pale green / red wire and a black/white wire in it, and its three wires. And yea, the car wouldn't start with that unplugged, starts fine with it plugged in. You mean the plug underneath the cardboard trunk cover, not something inside of the fuel pump hatch, right?

k I'll try grounding it instead.

 

I meant the plug under that cover.

I tested the bulb on my 95. I can not remember if I had the car running or had the key in the II position without running. My bulb turned on when I did this test. It probably was not running.

 

Not trying to threadjack, or take away from any of the help given to the OP, but would this same technique work on a 98 Accord too as I have the same problem.

 

@smitkea. Based on the 98-02 manual that covers UK accords, the procedure is similar. Remove cover to the fuel pump that is under spare tire lid. Unplug 4-pin connector. Jump the yel/blu wire to the blk wire. Turn key to II position. See if the low fuel light turns on.

 

They're different but if you find the proper wires the technique is the same.

for 1996
The gauge sender is towards the right side of the car. The fuel pump is towards the left side of the car.

for 1998
The fuel pump is towards the left side, but from the parts drawings the sender location isn't clear. It almost looks like the gauge sender is together with the pump in the same large hole in the tank. The assembly towards the right side of the car is the ORVR vent-shut valve.

 

today the gas light in my car came on for a brief period of time then shut off. I'm fairly certain the light still works, which mean the problem is likely in the sending unit, which is odd because the gauge still works fine.

do you think there is some sort of buildup on the lever on the sending unit stopping it from going down all the way? are there seperate mechanisms for the light than the gauge? do you think it might be a wiring problem?