1995 Fuel Range Reading?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 171
Likes: 1
From: Chicago
1995 Fuel Range Reading?
I searched Fuel Gauge and range and I am not having luck.
I just got this 1995, 39K and mint. I had a 1996 about 10 years ago and can't remember how it reads.
At any rate, my range is all over the place, the bars show full tank, after about 20 miles of driving, I dropped one bar, but the range is all over the place from 300 something, I reset it to zero and now it read 14, during the drive it read 180 ish and then to 160 and a few others.
How does this thing calculate and update itself? I literally have a call into the guy I bought the car from today to make sure the tank is full as the bars show but curious about this range thing as I set out for a road trip tomorrow. Can someone point me to a good thread or explain a bit.
Thanks.
I just got this 1995, 39K and mint. I had a 1996 about 10 years ago and can't remember how it reads.
At any rate, my range is all over the place, the bars show full tank, after about 20 miles of driving, I dropped one bar, but the range is all over the place from 300 something, I reset it to zero and now it read 14, during the drive it read 180 ish and then to 160 and a few others.
How does this thing calculate and update itself? I literally have a call into the guy I bought the car from today to make sure the tank is full as the bars show but curious about this range thing as I set out for a road trip tomorrow. Can someone point me to a good thread or explain a bit.
Thanks.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 10,691
Likes: 71
From: Phoenix Arizona
The bars are directly related to the float sensor in the tank. What matrix the computer uses to find range, I'm not sure of. It sounds like the float sensor (actually a reostat that measure resistance to ground depending on the number of coils between the arm contact and ground) is going bad. Untill you sort it out, fill the tank and write down the mileage (or hit trip). When you hit 250 miles, fill it up again.
Last edited by zr1fred; Jun 22, 2011 at 07:15 PM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 171
Likes: 1
From: Chicago
I just talked to the guy I bought from today who I trust and he said the bars work fine but he never paid attention to the range and he did confirm it is full so I will monitor it this weekend as I have a long road trip and should have a bit more info or confidence.
Thank you for the tip.
Thank you for the tip.
Pro
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 503
Likes: 16
From: Virginia Beach VA
I have a 96 and I think the 'Range' display is calculated by using the read on the gallons in the tank and the average MPG. The OM recommends to reset the average MPG at each tank full.
From the OM:
You should reset the fuel information display every time
you refuel. To reset the display, press FUEL INFO until
AVERAGE appears. Then, press RESET FUEL on the
trip monitor.
You may still see fluctuation in the range as the computer tries to calculate the range while the float device makes its report.
From the OM:
You should reset the fuel information display every time
you refuel. To reset the display, press FUEL INFO until
AVERAGE appears. Then, press RESET FUEL on the
trip monitor.
You may still see fluctuation in the range as the computer tries to calculate the range while the float device makes its report.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,647
Likes: 4
From: Argillite KY
For some reason my 95 has a very accurate MPG reading. I've wrote down my mileage and fillups and did the math. The display is always within .5 MPG.
However, the Range display is not so accurate. It's almost like it's using the bars on the gauge or something. We all know how the last 1/2 tank goes away real fast, right? Well the range at 1/2 tank displayed is usually around 200 miles. That would be about right for 1/2 tank of gas but not for the last few gallons in the tank that make up that imaginary display. I dunno, I just drive the heck out of it and when it gets around 1/3 tank, I fill it up. I even quit checking the mileage because it doesn't matter.
However, the Range display is not so accurate. It's almost like it's using the bars on the gauge or something. We all know how the last 1/2 tank goes away real fast, right? Well the range at 1/2 tank displayed is usually around 200 miles. That would be about right for 1/2 tank of gas but not for the last few gallons in the tank that make up that imaginary display. I dunno, I just drive the heck out of it and when it gets around 1/3 tank, I fill it up. I even quit checking the mileage because it doesn't matter.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 171
Likes: 1
From: Chicago
Here are my observations after the long road trip this weekend. It seems the top bars take a long while to come down. My range indicator seems accurate based on MPG calculations be it the car read out or my own back of the napkin calculations.
On my 1st full tank, the bars eventually statrted to come down until I hit the "reserve indicator" but I did not notice mileage. I did not pay much attention, but after fill up (only my 2nd tank owing this car), it took me until 110 miles on the trip to drop the top bar off, then at about 150ish the 2nd bar would go away and eventually at 160 after comigng back a few times and going away a few times stayed away, I am at the top two bars or one little bar above 3/4 tank and rang indicator shows 305 miles (averaging about 20 - 21 MPG).
So I will watch this tank, but my intial impression is it takes a bit to come off the top and then yes starts to go faster. Looking at the top bars they are thicker, it would be interesting to know how much each one represents?
I am probably being paranoid, but will dump in another techron when this one is empty, this car sat so much in the last owners garage for the last 7 years can't help but have my mind wander to tarnish or something.
Thanks for the help.
On my 1st full tank, the bars eventually statrted to come down until I hit the "reserve indicator" but I did not notice mileage. I did not pay much attention, but after fill up (only my 2nd tank owing this car), it took me until 110 miles on the trip to drop the top bar off, then at about 150ish the 2nd bar would go away and eventually at 160 after comigng back a few times and going away a few times stayed away, I am at the top two bars or one little bar above 3/4 tank and rang indicator shows 305 miles (averaging about 20 - 21 MPG).
So I will watch this tank, but my intial impression is it takes a bit to come off the top and then yes starts to go faster. Looking at the top bars they are thicker, it would be interesting to know how much each one represents?
I am probably being paranoid, but will dump in another techron when this one is empty, this car sat so much in the last owners garage for the last 7 years can't help but have my mind wander to tarnish or something.
Thanks for the help.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 4,328
Likes: 15
From: Jacksonville FL
The range is a function of the instant fuel mileage. After driving around town for a couple of months the range will display 350ish on a full tank but as I set out on a trip as I add mileage at 25+mpg the range indicator will climb over 450 as I drive.
It just depends on how you are driving at the moment in my experience.
It just depends on how you are driving at the moment in my experience.
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 171
Likes: 1
From: Chicago
My range seems to be correct and I agree with how that works similar to your experience. My concern is how long it takes to come off the full bars. I will watch a few more tanks and probably forget this even concerned me. 