Ran out of gas with 1/4 tank ???
08-21-2018, 06:23 PM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
Ran out of gas with 1/4 tank ???
Driving Home from a short trip and engine starts shaking and quits. Luckily I could get in the left turn lane of a moderately busy road. Tried several times to start it and it did act like it was out of gas. I usually wait till about 1/8 tank and then fill up and put some Techron in. Was loosely watching the gauge and had about 1/4 tank, which jived with the 275miles on the trip odometer. Called AAA and requested a tow since I did not think it was out of gas having ran the gauge much lower many times. While waiting for the tow I walked across the highway to a auto repair place and borrowed a couple gallons of gas. Tried the car again and it started right up. Filled up on the way home and the amount of gas I was able to put in indicated that I did have close to 1/4 tank left when it quit. Any ideas?
08-21-2018, 06:24 PM
#2
Team Owner
I would have swore this was posted in C5 General.....sounds like you have a bad sending unit like the old C5's.....BTDT.
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HammerheadTed (08-22-2018)
08-21-2018, 07:16 PM
#3
Race Director
This is exactly what my C5 did until I drowned the sending units in Techron over the course of six months.
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HammerheadTed (08-22-2018)
08-21-2018, 09:01 PM
#4
Le Mans Master
Driving Home from a short trip and engine starts shaking and quits. Luckily I could get in the left turn lane of a moderately busy road. Tried several times to start it and it did act like it was out of gas. I usually wait till about 1/8 tank and then fill up and put some Techron in. Was loosely watching the gauge and had about 1/4 tank, which jived with the 275miles on the trip odometer. Called AAA and requested a tow since I did not think it was out of gas having ran the gauge much lower many times. While waiting for the tow I walked across the highway to a auto repair place and borrowed a couple gallons of gas. Tried the car again and it started right up. Filled up on the way home and the amount of gas I was able to put in indicated that I did have close to 1/4 tank left when it quit. Any ideas?
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HammerheadTed (08-22-2018)
08-22-2018, 12:07 AM
#6
Le Mans Master
08-22-2018, 01:55 AM
#7
C6 fuel pump goes all the way to the bottom of the tank, and would bank that the bottom of your drivers side fuel pump plastic pick up area is cracked and why it's not drawing fuel past the tank 1/4 low point isntead.
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HammerheadTed (08-22-2018)
08-22-2018, 07:51 AM
#8
Instructor
Thread Starter
[QUOTE=Dano523;1597840185]C6 fuel pump goes all the way to the bottom of the tank, and would bank that the bottom of your drivers side fuel pump plastic pick up area is cracked and why it's not drawing fuel past the tank 1/4 low point isntead.
I have had the fuel gauge go to empty and DIC say “service fuel system” a few times, why I use Techron. This time it said the sending unit said there was gas in the tank and there was, but evidently it wouldn’t suck it up. Would the sending unit actually stop the car. This sounds more plausible to me.
I have had the fuel gauge go to empty and DIC say “service fuel system” a few times, why I use Techron. This time it said the sending unit said there was gas in the tank and there was, but evidently it wouldn’t suck it up. Would the sending unit actually stop the car. This sounds more plausible to me.
Last edited by HammerheadTed; 08-22-2018 at 07:52 AM.
08-22-2018, 12:09 PM
#9
Melting Slicks
Car will run with a totally dead or disconnected sending unit. Dano's cracked pump diagnosis is logical from the reported facts.
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HammerheadTed (08-22-2018)
08-22-2018, 08:34 PM
#10
Burning Brakes
I never run my car under 1/2 on the fuel gage. When you do this on a regular basis, the passenger side fuel tank is empty and there is no lubrication to the fuel sender and pump on the passenger side tank. If you are adding gas when your gage is showing 1/8 - 1/4 full on a regular basis, I think you are asking for trouble. Have never had a problem filling my tank at the 1/2 point using 93 octane top tier gas.
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RedHottGS (08-23-2018)
08-23-2018, 09:00 AM
#11
I never run my car under 1/2 on the fuel gage. When you do this on a regular basis, the passenger side fuel tank is empty and there is no lubrication to the fuel sender and pump on the passenger side tank. If you are adding gas when your gage is showing 1/8 - 1/4 full on a regular basis, I think you are asking for trouble. Have never had a problem filling my tank at the 1/2 point using 93 octane top tier gas.
08-23-2018, 09:32 AM
#12
Le Mans Master
08-23-2018, 09:42 AM
#13
Le Mans Master
I never run my car under 1/2 on the fuel gage. When you do this on a regular basis, the passenger side fuel tank is empty and there is no lubrication to the fuel sender and pump on the passenger side tank. If you are adding gas when your gage is showing 1/8 - 1/4 full on a regular basis, I think you are asking for trouble. Have never had a problem filling my tank at the 1/2 point using 93 octane top tier gas.
As far as the fuel sender in the right tank being dry, it is going to start having an issue as soon as any fuel is used. If you want to keep it wet all the time you are going to have to stop every few miles and refill the right tank. But that is also why you want to keep the tank totally full if you store the car over the winter.
08-23-2018, 09:47 AM
#14
Le Mans Master
Driving Home from a short trip and engine starts shaking and quits. Luckily I could get in the left turn lane of a moderately busy road. Tried several times to start it and it did act like it was out of gas. I usually wait till about 1/8 tank and then fill up and put some Techron in. Was loosely watching the gauge and had about 1/4 tank, which jived with the 275miles on the trip odometer. Called AAA and requested a tow since I did not think it was out of gas having ran the gauge much lower many times. While waiting for the tow I walked across the highway to a auto repair place and borrowed a couple gallons of gas. Tried the car again and it started right up. Filled up on the way home and the amount of gas I was able to put in indicated that I did have close to 1/4 tank left when it quit. Any ideas?
With no other information I'm thinking fuel pump. But that may be totally wrong since it could just as easily be air or spark related. Get the codes read which will tell us if there is something obvious.
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HammerheadTed (08-23-2018)
08-23-2018, 10:28 AM
#15
Instructor
Thread Starter
I never run my car under 1/2 on the fuel gage. When you do this on a regular basis, the passenger side fuel tank is empty and there is no lubrication to the fuel sender and pump on the passenger side tank. If you are adding gas when your gage is showing 1/8 - 1/4 full on a regular basis, I think you are asking for trouble. Have never had a problem filling my tank at the 1/2 point using 93 octane top tier gas.
08-23-2018, 10:33 AM
#16
Instructor
Thread Starter
It's been a while since I posted a full description of the fuel tanks. http://www.hessh.de/Corvette/FuelTankSystem.pdf
With no other information I'm thinking fuel pump. But that may be totally wrong since it could just as easily be air or spark related. Get the codes read which will tell us if there is something obvious.
With no other information I'm thinking fuel pump. But that may be totally wrong since it could just as easily be air or spark related. Get the codes read which will tell us if there is something obvious.
08-24-2018, 09:13 AM
#17
Le Mans Master
Do NOT press the brake pedal. Hold the bottom of the start button down for 10 seconds. First it will go to accessory mode. Then it will go to run mode just like turning the key to run but not starting a '53 Buick..
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HammerheadTed (08-24-2018)
08-29-2018, 10:29 AM
#19
08-29-2018, 11:05 AM
#20
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Nov 2007
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St. Jude Donor '10-'11-'12-'13-'14
Back in the old days (like 30 years ago) this was a recommendation when using fuel system cleaners because it was believed they diluted the oil. I recall this being an "official" recommendation on my wife's 1985 Audi 5000. Don't know if there was any truth to it then, but there certainly doesn't seem to be any now.