Question by Julep: I think my fuel gauge is possesed… What else could be causing this?
OK, granted, my car is old and tired. You might even say geriatric. It is a well worn 95 Pontiac Sunfire GT.
Yesterday I was running on empty. I have been for a couple days now (work is only 1.5 miles from home), but yesterday was the first day the “check gauges” light came on.
I had a little work to do before I could buy gas (go get my deposits back on $ 12 worth of Diet Coke cans) so I drove down to the market to do that. My needle stayed below empty.
Then when I got back in the car to drive to the gas station, it said 1/4 tank. I wasn’t on a hill or anything.
This is where it gets weird. I started driving to the gas station, about three miles away. Over the eight or nine minues it took me to go those 3 miles, my needle climbed very steadily to full and past! It said it had a totally full tank! This is BEFORE I put my $ 12 of gas in!!!
After I pumped the four and some-odd gallons, it read fine, and has since. What gives?
My first thought was that the sensor was getting stuck somewhere, but the climb to (and past) “F” was very steady.
The drive was on flat roads, so I’m stumped!
Gremlins and formaldehyde!!!
Should I have not gassed it up after midnight?
Best answer:
Answer by num1huckfinn
Tell the gremlins to leave your car!!!
Seriously it sounds like you are having electrical problems, take it to a trusted technician and have him/her look at it for a proper diagnosis and repair.
What do you think? Answer below!
Please read other answers to this question at the very bottom of this page, below you will find a video and related articles that will try to answer the question, if you have a proper answer please post it at the bottom.
self explanatory
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Digital Tire Gauge – How to Get the Most Accurate Readings
At present, there are two kinds of tire pressure gauges available in the market: digital, and analog. You’ve probably seen both at your local mechanic’s or the nearby gas station. The analog pressure gauge usually has a round face with a needle that indicates the pressure in the tire, while the digital one has an LCD screen to do the same.
As a rule of the thumb, a digital tire gauge trumps the analog pressure gauge when it comes to accuracy. The analog pressure gauges, in fact, are quite worthless when it comes to properly calibrating your tire pressure, with the indicating needle flying all over the place. If its accuracy you are looking for, a digital pressure gauge is the way to go.
However, one must keep in mind that the actual air pressure inside a tire can vary wildly depending on the time and weather conditions. Remember that air expands when it warms up. Therefore, in hot weather conditions, or when the car has been in use for some time, the tire heats up. This causes the air inside it to expand, increasing the tire pressure. Consequently, this can lead to varying readings.
The air pressure that car companies recommend to you is the “cold” air pressure. This is the pressure when the tire is cool, and the air inside settled. Therefore, whenever you decide to measure your tire pressure, make sure you do so in cool weather when the car has been sitting idle for some time. Mornings, before the sun comes out, would be an ideal time to do so.
Along with the time and weather conditions, faulty equipment can be another reason for inaccurate pressure readings. Analog pressure gauges can be off by as much as 5-10 psi, not to mention how difficult it is to actually see the readings on them. Digital tire gauges, on the other hand, have an error range of just +-0.05 psi over 5-150 psi. Therefore, these are a whole lot more accurate and a must investment if you are interested in keeping your car’s tire pressure at an optimum range to increase fuel efficiency, performance, and your tires lifespan.
Visit my site to do further research about digital tire gauge and get some great buying tips.
Digital Tire Gauge
Article from articlesbase.com
Programmable Digital Tire Gauge
At present, there are two kinds of tire pressure gauges available in the market: digital, and analog. You’ve probably seen both at your local mechanic’s or the nearby gas station. The analog pressure gauge usually has a round face with a needle that indicates the pressure in the tire, while the digital one has an LCD screen to do the same.
As a rule of the thumb, a digital tire gauge trumps the analog pressure gauge when it comes to accuracy. The analog pressure gauges, in fact, are quite worthless when it comes to properly calibrating your tire pressure, with the indicating needle flying all over the place. If its accuracy you are looking for, a digital pressure gauge is the way to go.
However, one must keep in mind that the actual air pressure inside a tire can vary wildly depending on the time and weather conditions. Remember that air expands when it warms up. Therefore, in hot weather conditions, or when the car has been in use for some time, the tire heats up. This causes the air inside it to expand, increasing the tire pressure. Consequently, this can lead to varying readings.
The air pressure that car companies recommend to you is the “cold” air pressure. This is the pressure when the tire is cool, and the air inside settled. Therefore, whenever you decide to measure your tire pressure, make sure you do so in cool weather when the car has been sitting idle for some time. Mornings, before the sun comes out, would be an ideal time to do so.
Along with the time and weather conditions, faulty equipment can be another reason for inaccurate pressure readings. Analog pressure gauges can be off by as much as 5-10 psi, not to mention how difficult it is to actually see the readings on them. Digital tire gauges, on the other hand, have an error range of just +-0.05 psi over 5-150 psi. Therefore, these are a whole lot more accurate and a must investment if you are interested in keeping your car’s tire pressure at an optimum range to increase fuel efficiency, performance, and your tires lifespan.
If you’re looking to enhance your car’s fuel efficiency along with increasing the life span of your car, a high quality digital tire pressure gauge is a great investment to make. With a programmable digital tire pressure gauge, you can closely monitor the pressure in your tires and make sure that they are properly inflated. Low or excess pressure is the most common cause of busted tires and even many highway accidents.
When you’re out shopping for your digital tire gauge, make sure that the model you buy has a fairly large, high quality LCD screen. This will make taking readings a whole lot easier. Also, make sure that it is backlit so that you can use it in the dark.
The single purpose of a programmable digital tire gauge is to set the air pressure at your car manufacturer’s recommended settings. If your car company recommends a tire pressure that is not in whole numbers (example: 18.5, instead of 19 or 18), make sure that your chosen gauge model has increments small enough to adjust such a non-whole number pressure. The device itself must be easy to use, not overtly complicated so as to make regular readings a herculean task.
Tire pressure gauges these days come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Make sure to get one that can fit ergonomically into your hands. Sometimes, you may have to use the gauge in harsh weather conditions. A large, unwieldly pressure gauge can be a nuisance in such a situation.
Last but not the least, check the manufacturer’s warranty. Programmable tire pressure gauges can be expensive, so always pick one that has sufficient warranty cover.
Visit my site to do further research about digital tire gauge and get some great buying tips.
Digital Tire Gauge
Article from articlesbase.com
Related Tire Gauges Articles
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Such a reaction by your fuel gauge could only mean one thing, it is time to sell your piece of junk, er, I mean your old car and get a newer one. I am surprised the piece of tin, er, I mean vehicle still runs.
there is a wiring problem, can be easily fixed
Maybe your car had a bean burrito before you went to work. Try some gas-x
All the Formaldehyde your consuming from the Diet Coke has got you hallucinating! Seriously, the only thing i’ve seen cause a needle to swing that far on it’s own was when one of the gas gauge wires coming out of the fuel tank grounded out, causing it to swing back and forth at will. When a tank gets near empty, the needle will sometimes swing a good half-tank’s worth of area when you go around a sharp corner, accelerate or stop quickly. Very strange, indeed! The “check gauges” light is just to let you know that your fuel gauge reads empty. : )
You’ve got a loose wire, or a bad sending unit from the tank. If I were you, I would just keep up with the miles each time you fill it up, and don’t drive more than say 330 mi., or so before filling up.
Gas sending unit is failing.
The sending unit, a device in your gas tank with a float attached that tells the gauge how much gas is in your tank, is sticking. It would probably be about a $ 300 repair on your car. Probably not worth it.
If you want to take a chance at it:
You could try using Chevron Techron Conventrate. Sold at most auto parts stores. Get the concentrate, not the additive, and get the big bottle. It will cost about $ 10 but worth it as it cleans up much of the fuel system. There is a *chance* it will clean up the sending unit and you’ll buy yourself a bit more time, but no guarantees. Even if it doesn’t fix that issue, by cleaning up your injectors, valves, etc. it will be worth it (unless you’ve just done it recently).
Car doesn’t sound too bad, I drive a 1995 GM product with 155,000 and it’s still going strong.
sounds like the float is sticking in the gas tank.also (but very unlikely)it could be a bad fuel guage.also,maybe a bad ground,just grounding part of the time.also,ive noticed mine before,when i stop,it shows either a full tank,a 3/4 tank or empty tank.it depends wher it was pointing to when you shut the switch off.i got a 1988 olds,and these gm cars has a floating guages.
It’s probably a broken wire to the float. When it came loose, the gauge would stay below empty, and when it shorted to ground, the gauge would go above full. The gauge is made to change very slowly so it won’t bounce around as the gas sloshes.