Fuel Gauge problem or is it normal?

[Deadly BlaZe]

I noticed that when the fuel gauge needle is on empty and i refill, it ends up filling in just barely 12 gallons (with idiot fuel light on). Our tanks are about 15-16 gallons correct? Is it normal to fill up only 12 gallons when reading empty on the gauge? I also noticed that when i fill her up, the gauge never reads passed full or even at full, it's always right before it. First time i've had this happen with a car. Any help would be appreciated

 

[blackbyrd]

It's pretty normal.. They turn the dummy light on early to prevent you from running out of gas.. I've gone at least 50-60miles with the dummy light on, so I know its at least a few gallons. I normaly fill up around 11-12. And yes, the stock size is 15.9gallons.

 

[jccjr1982]

Yes that gauge is pretty unreliable. Sometimes my idiot light will come on with the needle at 1/8th of a tank...sometimes it will come on with the needle way below the empty line. Does this on BOTH of my DSM's. I just fill up every 250 miles since that seems burn about 13 gallons dead on everytime for me.

But then again you guys are talking about 1g's...


1000q: My fuel gauge reads incorrectly! Is there a fix?
http://members.shaw.ca/costall/1000Q/answers-problems.htm#badgasguage

 

[carsaval]

well i have drivin about 60 miles with it on. There is only one gas station that sells 93 and the light had been on for about 2 days. I ran out of fuel the second I pulled into the gas station. .

 

[Deadly BlaZe]

Well i wasn't really talking about the light being on. I was trying to point out the fact that i still have 4 gallons left in the tank when the gauge needle is sitting on empty and the fact that the needle never actually reaches full on a full tank.

 

[blackbyrd]

I have about 4 gallons left, it seems, when my light first comes on. Then sometimes it goes off for a little while, then comes back on. Within 20miles of the light being on I'm normally on empty, and I know i still have a few gallons passed that. I do however get to the full line on the gauge when i fill her up. I still wouldn't worry that much about it, it seems simi normal. Gas gauges never seem to give a good read on any car.

 

[luv2rallye]

Here's a little better writeup on the 2g $1.49 fuel guage tank empty fix (by same guy): http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Cockpit/6144/DSM_Home/2G_Fix_It_Center/flakey_gas_guage.html

 

[blackbyrd]

Awesome link! Didn't know that fix. Curious why he says the 2g has 13gallons, and something about the difference between FWD and RWD... I'm sure that one was just a typo, but I was under the impression they had 15.9gallons? I guess it doesn't really matter, just would like the facts straight for my own record. Does he have the rest of his facts straight? haha

EDIT: I just looked up in my 97-99 manual and it says 17.0 gallons...

 

[twocanewayne]

Mine never reads full either. The gauge still reads around a 8th of a tank and right before that it can read half a tank. When on E I can only put in 6 or so gallons. it drives me nuts. So yhea the gauges I take are all jacked up! I also thought the tanks held 15.9 gallons. I even had it checked for leaks becausse thats a recall on the 95 - 96 models for there to be a leak at the fuel pump. So you might have that checked also, or see if its a recall on your car.

 

[blackbyrd]

Good Information!! I hadn't heard of a fuel recall for 2g's either. I looked it up through the government: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/
here is the datasheet on it, if anyones interested: http://199.79.180.163/prepos/files/Artemis/Public/Recalls/1996/V/RC-96V158-NN.PDF

It doesn't appear to be for 1g's though.

 

[luv2rallye]

Curious why he says the 2g has 13gallons, and something about the difference between FWD and RWD... I'm sure that one was just a typo, but I was under the impression they had 15.9gallons? I guess it doesn't really matter, just would like the facts straight for my own record. Does he have the rest of his facts straight? haha

The 13 gallons is a typo - it's really 15.9. All his facts about the FWD vs AWD tanks and senders are correct.

EDIT: I just looked up in my 97-99 manual and it says 17.0 gallons...

Ya my 99 Mitsu service manual says 17.0 gallons too (which is wrong). But the owners manual says 15.9 gallons.

 

[donmagicjuan]

I like the above fix for the ubiquitous fuel level gage problem, but I'm a little wary of entrusting a potentiometer to hold its resistance value for a prolonged period of time. It's been my experience that the little buggers like to drift after a while, so if I were performing this mod, I would err a little on the conservative side. Or, alternatively, I suppose you could go out and recheck it every so often, but if you're like me you won't have that kind of spare time on your hands.

Just my .02. . .

 

[andymoraitis]

I like the above fix for the ubiquitous fuel level gage problem, but I'm a little wary of entrusting a potentiometer to hold its resistance value for a prolonged period of time. It's been my experience that the little buggers like to drift after a while, so if I were performing this mod, I would err a little on the conservative side. Or, alternatively, I suppose you could go out and recheck it every so often, but if you're like me you won't have that kind of spare time on your hands.

Just my .02. . .

And you say I have flowery speech? Ubiquitous and err in the same paragraph? That was simply beautiful...

 

[donmagicjuan]

Yeah, well you know. . .

Hang around enough college kids and after a while they're bound to rub off on you. What can I say?