Author Topic: Dodge Fuel Gauge (Read 415 times)

Lazerr · « **on:** December 19, 2005, 03:02:18 PM »

I have a 26 gallon tank on my truck, and the other night I was around empty, so I stopped and threw $20 in the tank, and the damn needle went to the halfway point.

$20 worth of gas at $2.35 a gallon should be short of 10 gallons of gas. Does the upper half of my gas gauge represent a larger amount of the fuel tank?

(Really, it should cost me $30 or more get a half tank.)

Eden · « **Reply #1 on:** December 19, 2005, 03:15:51 PM »

I have the same phenomenom in my Jeep. It seems that it remains at the Full level for quite a while and then goes down normally. I think it is a result of oversized tanks coupled with gauge systems from smaller (normal) tanks. I have a 21 gallon tank in a jeep (14 gallons for a normal jeep)

ASTAC · « **Reply #2 on:** December 19, 2005, 03:24:48 PM »

Just about all gas guages are like that....All my cars from Pontiacs to Mercurys have been that way. My old '92 Firebird would go about 150 miles before the needle would move below the full level (on the highway). Half a tank on the guage I would have gone 300 miles and empty was just shy of 400 miles...so you see it wasn't reading any kind of actual fuel level. I just run until the lighjt comes on then I know I MUST get gas.

whels · « **Reply #3 on:** December 19, 2005, 04:47:01 PM »

my 98 caravan has this wierd guage too.
when filled up the needle will stay on Full for about
220 miles, when it starts to go down, uve got about
80 to 100 miles of gas left.

so half tank on needle isnt half a tank lol.

whels

United · « **Reply #4 on:** December 19, 2005, 05:23:35 PM »

The first half of the tank is always bigger than the second. I thought this was an understood rule when talking about vehicles?

Lazerr · « **Reply #5 on:** December 19, 2005, 05:37:12 PM »

I think since the truck is fully covered, Im going to go road hunting for a nice 12 point buck that is too stupid to get out of the way. That way, I get a new car with better gas milage, and no trippy gas gauge.

Golfer · « **Reply #6 on:** December 19, 2005, 05:53:17 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Lazerr
I think since the truck is fully covered, Im going to go road hunting for a nice 12 point buck that is too stupid to get out of the way. That way, I get a new car with better gas milage, and no trippy gas gauge.

As a former insurance payment allocaiton specialist...I should advise you against this.

It's comp and claim history. Add it in with your age and you're begging to be raped on your premium. And damn you if you're going to help my premium go up because the insurance company is paying out more than they would if you didn't hit a deer!

You better hurry if you do though...they don't have antlers for much longer

J_A_B · « **Reply #7 on:** December 19, 2005, 06:33:58 PM »

Ignore any markings on the fuel guage except the "E".

The most fun fuel guage I've ever seen was in a buddy's well-aged Oldsmobile. You had to punch the top of the dashboard repeatedly in order for the needle to rise to where you could see it.

J_A_B

Speed55 · « **Reply #8 on:** December 19, 2005, 06:39:54 PM »

Could be that the sending unit in the tank isn't right for the the size of tank you've got.. They work off resistance with a float. If the sending unit level maxes out, it'll show full at the gage, even though the tank isn't completely full..
I've got a 72' duster, and the float is actaually broken inside the tank, lol.. so i don't get any reading..
good luck - mopars are fun

Masherbrum · « **Reply #9 on:** December 19, 2005, 06:42:40 PM »

I love my Ford.

Karaya

DREDIOCK · « **Reply #10 on:** December 19, 2005, 06:53:40 PM »

You may notice it also sticks around on E for a while before it finally starts going up too

Skilless · « **Reply #11 on:** December 19, 2005, 06:54:18 PM »

It has to do with the shape of the tank. Gas tanks (aside from racing fuel cells) have rounded edges and corners which means the top and bottom 1/4 hold less fuel than the middle 1/2. Throw in the fact that the float is pegged against the top of the tank when it is 7/8 full and you can figure out the pattern. A good thing to remember is that the guage is not telling you how much fuel you have, but where the float is in the tank. When I top off my Astro van I can go 100 miles before the guage moves. From there it's about 200 miles to the half mark, then I can almost see the guage moving -about 100 miles on my bottom half.

Sandman · « **Reply #12 on:** December 19, 2005, 07:36:36 PM »

I reset one of the trip meters every time I fill up. I watch that as much as the fuel tank before deciding when to stop.

JTs · « **Reply #13 on:** December 19, 2005, 08:47:38 PM »

400gal x 4mpg = 1600miles oh the joy of fueling every other day. now if i could just get 5mpg

DREDIOCK · « **Reply #14 on:** December 19, 2005, 10:07:08 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by JTs
400gal x 4mpg = 1600miles oh the joy of fueling every other day. now if i could just get 5mpg

What you flipping driving? an Abrams?