1998 Maxima Fuel Sensor Unit

[schaery]

Hi! I'm new to the club. I've been searching the internet for info on fuel sensor unit for 98 Nissan Maxima but haven't been able to find anything. My fuel needle seems to have a mind of its own. It will go at any minute from showing empty to full and anything in between. My local Nissan dealer (which I don't like or trust - they've ripped me off before) wants nearly $400 to replace this. A friend (a "weekend mechanic") has suggested that it may just be some sort of wiring problem. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks much.

[MinisterofDOOM]

The fuel sensor itself is easy to get to. It's a float on the fuel pump assembly. You can get to it by removing your rear seat and the cover beneath it. Once that's done, the whole assembly lifts out. I doubt it's related to the sensor itself, though. The contacts are generally submerged in fuel, which does a good job of keeping them clean.

I suspect it is a problem with the gauge itself and not the fuel level sensor.

[schaery]

So was my Nissan dealer going to screw me over again? They told me (and charged me $100) that they dropped the gas tank to discover that it was the fuel sensor unit, and that it needed replacing. It does work right occasionally, and since I don't have the money to spend on the work at this time, I've just been relying on my trip meter to let me know when it's time to fuel up but it is annoying. Where would you recommend starting then, the gauge itself? Could that be easily done with a 1998 manual and weekend mechanic? Thanks, again, for your help.