are wackie gas gauges normal in our cars?

[Chrisz24]

I always reset my trip odometor when I gas up, and it seems like when it is full, the needal is nicely into the F area but when the needle says E and FAR after E I think "I am running on fumes AAAAAHH" I pull into the gas station only to find out the car only took 13.something gallons!

I have never put more then 13 gallons in this car, the tank is 16.8, why does is say I am driving on borrowed time when infact I could probibly go another 60 miles+?

This has been driving me nut!

[Tri-Flo 99]

well i can go a good 1/8" past the e mark, and likewise past full- i drove to louisville and back (150 miles) and the gauge didnt even move from full.....kinda weird......but ive filled up w/ 16.6 gallons b4

[Big Tymer]

I go about 115 miles on F. And when im on E i would bet i got about 2 gallons left... i went 30 miles on e and then i put in 15.9 gallons in... heh i was right about to run out totaly... since my tank technicly is 15.5

[navyblue2000]

the gauges are very finnicky...open up the instrument cluster and you'll see why.
the gas tank is V or U shaped as well, which is why the funy tank readings.
also, whne you turn, gas sloshes around, so the needle moves...but should recover.
i dont even pay attention to my gage anymore. i just wait for the check gages light to come and STAY on...then i drive another 20 miles before gas.

[Chrisz24]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by navyblue2000:
i just wait for the check gages light to come and STAY on...then i drive another 20 miles before gas.<hr></blockquote>

Does a car as old as mine have a check gages light? I test drove a 01 before buying mine and it came on?

[navyblue2000]

i thought the 97+ models got them?

[ravenp]

My 97 does.

First time i saw this was running at the track. Freaked me out... [img]smile.gif[/img]

Now i'm used to it.

[Dominic]

My 2000 firebird was less finicky than my 2002 Camaro - who knows. I can shift mine around 1/4 tank just by accelerating/braking, so I only read it when Im not accelerating and have not been for at least 5 minutes.

[RSFireDog]

usually the check gauages light comes on when you are out of gas..what are y'all doing to get it to come on when you are just low?

[Distephano]

Yeah. Do we have a low fuel light? Or does our check guages light just come on when our fuel is low? I know I test drove.. I belive a '99 Firebird, when they gave it to me, it was running on fumes, and about half way though the test drive, the check guages light came on, so I took it back, I thought I broke something :eek:

On my '97 Camaro, i've never had a low fuel or Check guages come on (Besides when my altertor went out), I guess I've never let the gas get that low. I just usually fill it up around 300 miles on the trip meter.

[SCv6]

I've never seen a check gauges light come on in my car when it gets really low. I was under the impression that these were only on the TA's (at least for the 98's). Any way I too have noticed that I can change my gauge reading considerably by braking or acclerating or even parking on a hill and I too had heard that it was do to the V shape of our tanks. I wouldn't worry about it.

[*K*night Rider]

Yeah this has been brought up many a time. The CHECK GAUGES light works as a fuel light on SOME 97 Camaros...but not all. It doesnt work on Evan's (Only4U) and he has filled up close to 16 gallons before (he actually ran out of gas once).

I dont trust the gauge and never have....I either get gas regularly around 1/4 of a tank (by the guage)...or fill up and reset my trip-odemeter every time and drive t ill I have about 320-360 miles on it (depending on how i drove on that tank of gas).

Adam

[Chrisz24]

The wackie shaped gas tank reminds me back in the day of my mom's old 86 celeberty wagon 2.8 V6 that if you parked with the nose down and low fuel you probibly wouldnt be able to get it to start untill you got the car level or added more fuel.

I am going to keep driving mine till that light comes on, the gauge says below empty and the trip says 290miles but I know it still has another 3 gallons in her.

Wish me luck :D

[Ex-5.0]

I think most newer cars have their gauges calibrated to still have several gallons of fuel left when the gauge reads empty. They do this to keep lots of fuel around the fuel pump. The in-tank pumps need the fuel to keep the pump motor cool (they rely on the fuel in the tank for the cooling).

Running down to vapors in a car with an in-tank fuel pump will just lead to a shortened fuel pump life. Especially in hot weather!

[Chrisz24]

Well, I ran out of gas...No light, NO low fuel, or check gauges, just going up a hill and it started to loose really quickly, I was able to stumble up a little further then put it in Neutural and Roll it, I made a illegial U turn and rulled into a gas station, it took 15.3 gallons was it the hill that made it all slosh to the back of the tank?