Wondering Fuel Guage

AUSVX · #1 04-07-2008, 02:35 AM

Hello everyone

When I fill up a full tank of petrol and drive out the petrol station the guage goes up all the way, as it should... but after about 5 minutes the guage wonders off and drops off to about over halfway and then would decide to go all the way back up again and drop down and go back up (it does it slowly).
The most annoying thing is that when I realistically do have less than half a tank left, the guage drops off all the way (below E) and maybe rises back up once during the time that I'm getting towards the end of the tank but the guage's indicator stick thing stays heaps below E in that duration......... until i fill up petrol again.
I've been looking around at the How-Tos and some peoples Lockers and couldn't find any info, I'm guessing this isn't common fault...
Can someone please help me with this issue, has anyone had this problem and what do you think it could be?
Thanks a lot, Jordan.

Hocrest · #2 04-07-2008, 03:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TuRbZ

... I'm guessing this isn't common fault...

I'd guess that it is more common lately, but most people don't care. My gauge never reads full. It reads between 1/4 and "E" most of the time... I think... I never even really watch it anymore. I reset the trip meter when I fill and know that depending on the driving style, I'll get 300 - 400 miles before I need to look for a gas station.

Some folks have said that certain fuel system cleaners will clean the contacts on the sending unit in the tank. I think Chevron Techron is the one I've heard mentioned??? Is that available over there? Add it to a full tank and leave it set at least overnight, longer if possible.

I also think someone posted pictures and a short "how to" on removing the sender and cleaning the contacts??

lilbrudder · #3 04-07-2008, 03:36 AM

mines like an elevator, up down up down. but for some reason the gas light is always acurate. anyone find that how-to yet?

AUSVX · #4 04-07-2008, 04:32 AM

Thanks for the response, never heard of Chevron Techron, not sure if we have it over here. Can someone please post the link for this how-to.. I can't find it anywhere

kwren · #5 04-07-2008, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hocrest

I'd guess that it is more common lately, but most people don't care. My gauge never reads full. It reads between 1/4 and "E" most of the time... I think... I never even really watch it anymore. I reset the trip meter when I fill and know that depending on the driving style, I'll get 300 - 400 miles before I need to look for a gas station.

Some folks have said that certain fuel system cleaners will clean the contacts on the sending unit in the tank. I think Chevron Techron is the one I've heard mentioned??? Is that available over there? Add it to a full tank and leave it set at least overnight, longer if possible.

I also think someone posted pictures and a short "how to" on removing the sender and cleaning the contacts??

Chevron Techron never does anything for my wonderin fuel gage.
My 90 legacy did the same thing and my silver and clarian both do!
I also do the trip meter when I fill up

viking64 · #6 04-07-2008, 10:38 PM

We had a 90 Liberty (Legacy) and guage worked perfect - only got rid of it last year. It also stayed 'on' to show level when you took keys/left car, and as I said, was always accurate.

Wonder why SVX never got a more improved system

svxistentialist · #7 04-08-2008, 03:27 AM

It would seem one man's "perfect" is another man's "pessimistic"

SoCal LS-L · #8 12-07-2009, 10:53 PM

This wandering fuel level thing has been more of an annoyance since I got the car, but now that I commute 45 minutes every day over a mountain, its becoming more of an issue.

Mine will read full just fine, but once I get a little under, the gauge goes all over the place and down to under E until the car sits still, where the reading will usually settle to where the level is actually at.

Can anyone tell me if its easy or not, or even worth it.... to get to the fuel tank sending unit and attempt to clean the rheostat in an attempt to correct the fuel level read problem? Is there a write up on this?

Thanks fellas

svxistentialist · #9 04-07-2008, 05:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TuRbZ

Hello everyone

When I fill up a full tank of petrol and drive out the petrol station the guage goes up all the way, as it should... but after about 5 minutes the guage wonders off and drops off to about over halfway and then would decide to go all the way back up again and drop down and go back up (it does it slowly).
The most annoying thing is that when I realistically do have less than half a tank left, the guage drops off all the way (below E) and maybe rises back up once during the time that I'm getting towards the end of the tank but the guage's indicator stick thing stays heaps below E in that duration......... until i fill up petrol again.
I've been looking around at the How-Tos and some peoples Lockers and couldn't find any info, I'm guessing this isn't common fault...
Can someone please help me with this issue, has anyone had this problem and what do you think it could be?
Thanks a lot, Jordan.

This is a common fault. All SVX fuel gauges tend to read funny, or at least I have never seen a post from somebody saying, "Mine's perfect".

The reason there is no How-To is because the only fix that was ever discussed was to change the sender in your tank.

What you are describing with yours would indicate that the sender is not making good contact as it ranges across the rheostat, or whatever medium it reads. Or you could have a bad earth, but my guess is a bad sender.

The tank itself is plastic. It would be worth your while to take up the back seat and check that the pump and sender has a clean earth connection, that it is securely grounded. [Corrosion could make the signal uneven or intermittent]

If you do this and there is no improvement then there is no known cure except to buy a new or secondhand tank sender.

Joe

AUSVX · #10 04-07-2008, 05:50 AM

yeah I'll check out the earth otherwise im not tooooo fussed about it, just as long as that emergency orange gas light comes on when i have no petrol it's ok.
Planning on taking the car to the snow, and would HATE not only to get stuck in the snow but to get stuck with no patrone in the tank.. in the snow :P

JLHollowX13 · #11 04-07-2008, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svxistentialist

This is a common fault. All SVX fuel gauges tend to read funny, or at least I have never seen a post from somebody saying, "Mine's perfect".

Mine's perfect!! haha, seriously though, it is. knock on wood!

svxistentialist · #12 04-07-2008, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLHollowX13

Mine's perfect!! haha, seriously though, it is. knock on wood!

OK, I believe you.

Have you had it long enough to find out it is "pessimistic"? Have you checked that when it shows empty you probably still have something between 5 and 10 litres in the tank, maybe more?

crazyhorse · #13 04-07-2008, 07:48 PM

Mine always reads fairly accurately. Also, when the low fuel light comes on, I have exactly 6gal left. The only fault I can find in mine is, it's slow to register when I refuel. Of course it works exactly like the guage in the Wife's 97 Lego.

That's better than the guage in my Olds, which swings wildly between 1/2 & E in corners, when it's got 3/4 tank!

JLHollowX13 · #14 04-07-2008, 07:53 PM

i have had it since december so... its possible something is wrong, but i doubt it because its my daily driver and i drive at least 40 miles a day (ive been through my share of fill ups haha)

when my gauge reads empty my gas light comes on also, and when i fill up from empty (gas light on) i get between 17 and 15 gallons, which is what i should be getting because according to the manual the light comes on when i have about 2.5 or so gallons left and the tank holds 18.2 gallons, which would make sense. 16(+or-)+2(+or-)=18 (not that anyone needs a math lesson lol)

im sure my gauge has some kind of discrepency if most do. mine just seems to be minimal (for the moment lol)

AUSVX · #15 04-07-2008, 08:04 PM

Hopefully im not speaking too soon but my gauge hasn't dropped off once this week :P... I've been thrashing the car heaps lately. My first mission was to throw the back out and now im trying to get a little bit more sideways action happening in the car (i've just bought the car, just seein what i can do) maybe all this thrashing has knocked the contacts of the sensor in the tank, maybe it's knocked into a good position or fixed something??
possible?