Some one Explain this to me
Racer
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 374
Likes: 0
From: Springhill Louisiana
...
I'm REAL surprised that some peno'r hasn't pulled out the ole' "USE THE SEARCH" thing-there's ALWAYS one in the crowd here.
Did you park your car on an incline? Sometimes mine will register a little more or less, but then figures it out once level.
Mabee that, who knows.
Did you park your car on an incline? Sometimes mine will register a little more or less, but then figures it out once level.
Mabee that, who knows.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,167
Likes: 11
From: Powell TN
Cruise-In VIII Veteran
OK, just to be fair, I'll explain how the fuel reading system works and see if it could have anything to do with it.
There are two separate tanks in our cars. Both of them have fuel level sensors in them. At the very top of the tanks is a crossover tube that connects the two tanks and houses the fuel lines that transfers the fuel from one tank to the other. When you fill your tanks, the drivers side fills first and then the excess spills over to the passenger tank via the crossover tube.
The fuel pump, filter & regulator are all inside the drivers tank. The regulator maintains the proper pressure on the fuel line feeding the motor and expels the unneeded fuel. This is the same as the return fuel line. This excess fuel is pumped over to the passenger side and, using a siphoning effect, pulls fuel from the passenger tank to the drivers tank.
So, the fuel from the passenger tank is used first until that tank is empty. At this point, your gauge will show that you have a half tank (passenger empty, drivers full). As you start to use the fuel in the drivers side, the gauge will lower from half tank to empty.
In other words, from half to full, you are reading just the passenger tank.
From half to empty, you are reading the drivers tank.
Now, if somehow you were right around half a tank (drivers side full) and a bunch of fuel got sloshed over to the passenger tank, just as you were entering the driveway and shutting off the motor, it could have created a reading on the passenger tank that would have skewed the reading on the gauge.
There are two separate tanks in our cars. Both of them have fuel level sensors in them. At the very top of the tanks is a crossover tube that connects the two tanks and houses the fuel lines that transfers the fuel from one tank to the other. When you fill your tanks, the drivers side fills first and then the excess spills over to the passenger tank via the crossover tube.
The fuel pump, filter & regulator are all inside the drivers tank. The regulator maintains the proper pressure on the fuel line feeding the motor and expels the unneeded fuel. This is the same as the return fuel line. This excess fuel is pumped over to the passenger side and, using a siphoning effect, pulls fuel from the passenger tank to the drivers tank.
So, the fuel from the passenger tank is used first until that tank is empty. At this point, your gauge will show that you have a half tank (passenger empty, drivers full). As you start to use the fuel in the drivers side, the gauge will lower from half tank to empty.
In other words, from half to full, you are reading just the passenger tank.
From half to empty, you are reading the drivers tank.
Now, if somehow you were right around half a tank (drivers side full) and a bunch of fuel got sloshed over to the passenger tank, just as you were entering the driveway and shutting off the motor, it could have created a reading on the passenger tank that would have skewed the reading on the gauge.
Last edited by 'VETTE PHASE; Jun 8, 2008 at 12:10 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 805
Likes: 95
From: Grand Canyon Arizona
