BlackMacks

iTrader: (3)

Before I go and run out of gas testing a theory, I'd better throw this out and see what I get:

Quick background: since my ckps issue had my dte previously useless, I never paid that much attention to it. Now that my dte is registering, and my fuel gauge has recently decided to stick at 1/4 tank and let me run out of gas some miles later, I'm taking a closer look at my dte.

I searched the online fsm and came up with this explanation of function: The range indication provides driver with an estimation of the distance that can be driven before refueling.
The range is conducted by fuel tank gauge unit (fuel remaining), ECM pulse signal (fuel consumption)
and vehicle speed signal.

Now, I've got a couple questions regarding that statement, but my main one is how does the car get a good signal from the fuel tank gauge unit, if my fuel level display isn't accurate?

The last few days I've been driving around now with a functional ckps, I've been watching my dte drop as to be expected. I've also been running just around a 1/4 tank these last few days, yet my gauge isn't dropping.

If I can simply disregard the sticking/inaccurate fuel gauge when near 1/4 tank by trusting the dte to be correct, then I'll just do that and never look back.

But can I?

Unklejoe

iTrader: (6)

I don't know if this helps but when my gas gauge completely stopped working and fell down to 'E', my DTE worked perfectly fine.

Specd_out

Why would you want to run down below 1/4 of a tank anyway. Going below that you run a higher risk of sucking up the crap in the bottom of the tank. Not too mention the possibility of starving the pump under heavy accel. I make it a practice to fill up when i hit 1/4 tank.

BlackMacks

iTrader: (3)

Unklejoe- I suspected that the two are indpendent, your answer seems to confirm. What ultimately repaired the problem for you? Sending unit? Gauge/cluster? Wiring?

Specd- I agree what you're saying, and I'll go one further- the fuel also keeps the pump cool. Running your fuel tank low also allows your fuel pump to run hotter without that submersion in cooling fuel, which can lead to premature failure.

However, all that being said, I'm just gonna say "it's the principle of the thing". I want my fuel gauge to work, I want my dte to work, I want to be able to run low on gas from time to time without having to worry about running out of gas. This is one of those times. Kinda hard to "explain", but that's my short answer

Thanks for the replies!

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

DTE is fairly inaccurate anyhow.

Mine is even worse since I have Z33 Injectors.

Unklejoe

iTrader: (6)

Actually, the problem went away on its own. Every once in a while, maybe twice a year, my gas needle just falls to 'E', but it eventually pops back on again. I suspect a bad connection somewhere on the cluster.

And I know that that DTE isn't that accurate, but I usually get gas when it says 40 miles.

I don't think this is true. The gas is always sucked from the bottom of the tank, no matter what. You can have a full tank, and the gas will still be sucked from the bottom, because that's where the pump sits.

knight_yyz

iTrader: (40)

According to my DTE I am getting 7.7L/100km which translates to 30.5 MPG and I have driven 150 Km, which is 93 miles and I can still go another 650 km or about 404 miles.

I wish.... I would love to get 800 km per tank.

jasonmax

iTrader: (2)

theres two situations
1.fuel gauge is broken but the fuel tank level reading is still correct. in this case your DTE should be correct.
2. gauge is ok but fuel tank reading is wrong, then both DTE and gauge reading would be wrong.

Specd_out

Hmm good point. But i still think you can run the risk of starving it.

Unklejoe

iTrader: (6)

True.

Scottwax

iTrader: (8)

502 mile range...



500 dte

BlackMacks

iTrader: (3)

Well, ok, the dte is calculated from the tank's sending unit. I ran out of gas last night, dte still telling me I had roughly 50 miles left, fuel gauge stuck on 1/4 tank for a few days.

I'd been watching my dte really just "flicker" the last few days, and thinking it was still working correctly. It had been dropping and recovering from 80 and 70 and 60, but when it started hovering around the 50-60 mile number, I mistakenly and naively assumed that those fluctuations were it still working, when it wasn't.

Oh well, I'll just be filling up at 1/4 tank now, instead of E, till I get around to fixing it.....

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

So then the MPG must come from the IPW, as I stated, mine went up 15% when I went over to Z33 injectors (larger injector requires less fuel to keep stoich, 'fooling' the ECU that it's actually using less fuel due to less requirement from the larger injector).

So it seems as if the fuel tank level is obviously the major player for DTE, naturally so.

sontakke

google corvette and fuel gauge sender issues; many of the guys were able to fix the errant fuel sender by using few dosage of Techron in the tank.

lilmanvc

so if the gauge would be reading wrong what do you know could fix it cause i am having that issue now

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

Does that mean that Maxima's have all the problems Vette's do?






IDGAF if my Vette had a fuel gauge issue. Consumers do not purchase Corvettes for their fuel gauge accuracy, nor their fuel economy ... .. srsly....

Scottwax

iTrader: (8)

...yet C6 Corvettes get 18 city, 28 freeway and have 180 hp more than us.

Eirik

iTrader: (2)

Nmex: help pls my vette stops 2 fast 4 me and sumtimes maeks the seatbelt dig in2 my showlder!!!!!!!111``one is dis b/c my front braeks are soltted and driled and huge?? can i liek put sum greese on them or sumthing to stop slower!!!!


ps: i get 32 mpg highway!!!! dos this mena sumthing is rong wiht my car??

pss: This is the second time you've used IPW in the past two days and I still have no idea what it means. I can't find the acronym thread, for some reason. The search only kicks back threads where people say "hey, read the acronym thread," which doesn't help. Injector... pressure wire? pressure washer? police warehouse? I got nothin', man.

@Scottwax: Hmmm... So if I drop the Maxima so it sits 1.5" off the ground, then go crazy with aerodynamic mods such as completely covering the undercarriage and blocking all drag-inducing shapes...

SteveB123

iTrader: (2)

Or their snow traction!

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

IPW = Injector Pulse Width in ms (milliseconds).

lilmanvc

hey my car is doing the same thing i replaced the sending unit now everyone is saying i should replace the cluster what you think i should do

thanks