Oh, that crazy gas gauge!

[dcsmrgun]

So I'm still getting used to my new '00 green machine. In addition to all the little quirks I'm finding, I noticed that my gas gauge has a tendency to fluctuate as much as 1/8 of a tank during driving. That is to say, if I drive from home to work -- a 30 mile drive -- I may start with 3/4 of a tank, and end up with either the same amount of fuel showing on the gauge as when I started. It will almost randomly fluctuate during the drive as well, making me tear my hair out since I'm trying to gauge the initial mileage of the car

It doesn't seem serious since it does go down as I drive the car more and more, but I'm worried about it floating to 1/8 when I'm actually at empty. I guess I'd better err on the side of caution or keep my AAA number handy.

Is this common, or is my sending unit taking a dive, or do you guys figure I'm just making stuff up now?

 

[engera]

The gas guages do fluctuate quite a bit and it is mainly seen when a hill is involved. I watched my guage go from empty to an 1/8th of a tank last night and when I filled up it took 19 gallons. I think a lot of cars do this but for sure the Ford Taurus and Explorers do. The only advice I have is watch it when you are under a 1/4 tank.

 

[BuffaloXplorer]

I've got a new pump & sending unit and it does the same thing. Generally, on a good week, i'll get 30-40 miles between fill-up (needle maxed out to the right of Full) and when the needle reaches the actual vertical full line. If i shut down the x for the night, by morning it'll show 3/4 tank. By the time i drive my first 2 miles or so, it'll be back to where it was the previous day.

However, i get <10 mpg, so i can usually watch the needle move and see it go down as i accellerate

 

[jimcom]

Mine fluctuates an 1/8th of a tank as well, you're safe till the "check gauge" light comes on, then you know you're running close to E.
Even then you've got some wiggle room. I can't remember how many miles you can drive it on E, but I'm sure someone can chime in with that info.

 

[BuffaloXplorer]

My "check gauge" shows up with anywhere from 2-4 gallons left - just enough for me to reach the next gas station

 

[TPLYNCH]

It's all related to the placement of the fuel pump/sender/float at the rear of the tank. Facing downhill, the guage will read 1/8 to 1/4 low, facing uphill will read 1/8 to 1/4 high. This is also why, if you get gas at a station with an incline, you will be able to get more gas in when facing downhill vs flat or uphill, so if you are trying to calculate milage, make sure you take this into account. I try finding cheap gas at stations with inclines so I can face downhill and pump as much in as I can......

 

[TTG]

I try finding cheap gas at stations with inclines so I can face downhill and pump as much in as I can......

Maybe it's just me, but that just sounds so ghetto.

My truck's fuel thing fluctuates a lot, and the Check Gauge light does as well. Today for instance, on the way to work the Gauge light turned on just before we got there. Let it sit all day while we were at work, came back and the light was off. Based on how much gas we got I estimated that the tank probably had about 2-4 gallons in it when it was on E.

 

[Mike N.]

I can run at 60mph on a level highway for 20 miles when my " check gauge " light comes on ( with zero wind ). not that I like to, I just have a real bad habbit of not paying attention to my gas gage when the prices are so high.

I have done this more than once in my 96X 4.0

 

[kfkodiak]

They do fluctuate a lot, and so does your available fuel. I got stuck in a parking lot about two months after I got my truck beacuse I parked facing downhill with 1/8 of a tank left. When I got back to the truck, it started up and then died right away. Unfortunately someone was parked in front of me, so I had to go buy gas instead of rolling out to where it was flatter. I've since learned to watch where I park if I'm low on fuel.

 

[jimcom]

I was in a tight spot yesterday after work, left and thought I'd be able to make it home to my usual gas station, well, traffic was bad and about 1/4 of the way home of a 40 mile trip, my check gauge light comes on, fuel lever was well below E. Drove like that for a good 15 miles, stop and go, before I was able to finally get into a gas station.
Filled up with 19.5 gallons, funny thing is I always thought I had an 18 gallon tank!
I must have been running on fumes!

 

[bwinterroth]

jimcom,

I also have a 2000 XLS...we have 21 gallon tanks

 

[jimcom]

Well, hell, I coulda kept on driving! LOL

 

[BuffaloXplorer]

yup, as long as it was uphill!

 

[spta97]

The gas gauge in the X is probably the worst I've ever had as far as accuracy. Mine will fluctuate 1/4 tank in either direction depending if I'm going up hill or down. The needle can travel much more if I am on a severe incline (I've seen almost 1/2 a tank difference from level).

Other cars I had never had this problem. My 2003 Maxima that I sold did not fluctuate nearly as much. Then again I didn't pay as much attention because the mileage was so much better than my X.

 

[briwayjones]

jimcom,

I also have a 2000 XLS...we have 21 gallon tanks

Yup 21 gallon tanks. The funny thing is I put 22 gallons in the other day sitting on flat ground.

 

[TPLYNCH]

Maybe it's just me, but that just sounds so ghetto.

My truck's fuel thing fluctuates a lot, and the Check Gauge light does as well. Today for instance, on the way to work the Gauge light turned on just before we got there. Let it sit all day while we were at work, came back and the light was off. Based on how much gas we got I estimated that the tank probably had about 2-4 gallons in it when it was on E.

At $2.30 - $2.40 a gallon for regular, driving 500+ miles per week, running this thing gets might damn expensive. Cheap gas is a must.

 

[precept423]

Sounds familiar - then it stopped working all together

Been reading the threads on the fuel gauge and had this happen to me but after about three months the thing stopped working completely. And the other thing that has happened is that I think I'm hearing a bit of a rattle when I'm low on fuel which at least from my monitoring does not seem to be present when it's full, right after a fillup. Can there be a part of the fuel sensor that could have been jarred loose and is bouncing around inside the tank? Also any ideas on what it would take to repair that?

 

['97 V8]

i replaced my sending unit and still my gauge doesnt work. I cant even to begin to wonder what it could be.

 

[msmith65]

Yup 21 gallon tanks. The funny thing is I put 22 gallons in the other day sitting on flat ground.

Might ought to report that pump to your state board of weights & measures.

 

[Papa]

I once ran mine till the display said zero miles to empty then went about another mile. I was able to put 21 gallons in it that time. I get a low fuel beep at about 52 miles to empty or 4 gallons.