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Ran out of fuel
https://www.slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=20788		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Bren67Cuda904 [ Sun Nov 19, 2006 5:26 am ]
Post subject:  Ran out of fuel
Last night had to call AAA because I ran out of gas. The gauge showed still having a 1/4 tank. They came and put in a couple of galons and off the the gas station I whent. Filled it up and it reads right on the full mark. What do you think is going on here? Is it the gauge or tank sender? Or something else?
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Sun Nov 19, 2006 7:10 am ]
Post subject: 
Could be the gauge sender arm hanging up and failing to drop all the way down, could be a dent in the bottom of the tank causing the sender arm to come to rest on the floor of the tank rather than at the bottom of the arm's intended travel, and could be as simple as the gauge needle hanging up on the gauge face at the 1/4-tank level!
Author:  Doctor Dodge [ Sun Nov 19, 2006 7:51 am ]
Post subject: 
Most likely the problem is with the sending unit, in the tank.
At this point, your biggest issue is with all the fuel in your "full tank".
Run the tank down to empty and pull the sender for inspection. Be Fire Safe, drop lights, water heaters or any other source of ignition can cause a fire.

Once you have the sender out, get a long piece of wire and plug it in to the lead at the tank, then run it forward to the driver's seat. You can sit there with the key on, (in the Accessory position) and "work" the sending unit while observing the fuel gauge responce. (note: the sender needs to be grounded to the chassis)
DD
Author:  Greg Ondayko [ Sun Nov 19, 2006 9:11 am ]
Post subject: 
I have had this happen to Me on a number of cars -

usually the problem was the Brass float would crack and fill with fuel.

The gauge would then read inaccuratley because the sending unit's arm was not always floating on top of the Fuel level, but somtimes in it.


Either way if it is the problem I had described or another you will probably have to take out the Sending unit from the tank.

Nice thing is when you have the a bodies - you can just run the Fuel mostly out of the car and Remove the Sending unit without dopping the entire tank.



Greg
Author:  emsvitil [ Sun Nov 19, 2006 2:18 pm ]
Post subject: 
Or do what I do since I got my Valiant................
.
.
.
.

fill tank every 200 miles no matter what. :wink:
Author:  LUCKY13 [ Sun Nov 19, 2006 2:34 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
I have had this happen to Me on a number of cars -

usually the problem was the Brass float would crack and fill with fuel.

The gauge would then read inaccuratley because the sending unit's arm was not always floating on top of the Fuel level, but somtimes in it.


Either way if it is the problem I had described or another you will probably have to take out the Sending unit from the tank.

Nice thing is when you have the a bodies - you can just run the Fuel mostly out of the car and Remove the Sending unit without dopping the entire tank.



Greg
This would do the exact oppisite of his problem. You would have more gas than it shows on the gause with a float doing this way.


His problem is probably as Dan and DD described. The only way to Know is do the tests as DD described and being very carfull. Drop Lights are a bad no no, Had a friend die in is home garge this way, the drop light fell and when the bulb broke it lite the fuel, well you can guess the rest of the story so take all precausions. Even a Coke machine has enough spark to ignite fuel. A fire extinguisher is a must, atleast a water hose if nothing else although sometimes a water hose cant do much but if its all you have by all means use it.

Jess
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Sun Nov 19, 2006 2:47 pm ]
Post subject: 
A water hose is not OK to use on any kind of oil/gasoline fire -- it will just spread the fire around, not put it out. Remember, it's not the liquid gasoline that burns, it's the vapour just above the surface of the liquid. Gasoline and water don't mix, and gasoline "rides" on top of water, so if you spray water at it, you'll just distribute the gasoline and make things much worse. Fire blanket, sand bucket, that kind of thing makes a marginally OK substitute for a real A-B-C dry chemical fire extinguisher or at least a CO2 type.

But yeah: No incandescent droplights, no smoking, no water heaters, thermostatically-controlled devices or electric motors that are running OR could start by themselves. And LOTS of ventilation/airflow...best to do this outside, rather than in an enclosed space.
Author:  Slanted Opinion [ Sun Nov 19, 2006 3:23 pm ]
Post subject: 
Just a quick nod here to Dan's suggestion of doing the work outside. Gas vapors are much more dangerous than the liquid itself (although the liquid is nothing to trifle with). Being outside will help the ventilation considerably.

Heaven forbid that you did have a flash fire, if you're outside you at least have a chance of running away from the car...
Author:  ceej [ Sun Nov 19, 2006 3:52 pm ]
Post subject: 
Mine reads Empty all the time. Shoot.
The wire between the under dash harness and the sender is bad. Somewhere.
Been driving it so many years.... it doesn't make any difference anymore.
I drive the odometer. :D

Ya know. That might be a good thing to fix next year! :shock:

CJ
Author:  dakight [ Sun Nov 19, 2006 4:16 pm ]
Post subject: 
One kid on this board burned his arm badly and destroyed his car by working on his fuel tank by the illumination of a droplight.
Author:  LUCKY13 [ Sun Nov 19, 2006 5:47 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
A water hose is not OK to use on any kind of oil/gasoline fire -- it will just spread the fire around, not put it out. Remember, it's not the liquid gasoline that burns, it's the vapour just above the surface of the liquid. Gasoline and water don't mix, and gasoline "rides" on top of water, so if you spray water at it, you'll just distribute the gasoline and make things much worse. Fire blanket, sand bucket, that kind of thing makes a marginally OK substitute for a real A-B-C dry chemical fire extinguisher or at least a CO2 type.

But yeah: No incandescent droplights, no smoking, no water heaters, thermostatically-controlled devices or electric motors that are running OR could start by themselves. And LOTS of ventilation/airflow...best to do this outside, rather than in an enclosed space.
This is true but I have put out gas fires with water. It depend on what you are trying to put out, a person or a floor. A floor would be the worst time to try and use it. But if I was on fire and the only thing to use was water and rolling is not helping then by all means Spray Me, it may save my skin.

Jess
Author:  72polara [ Mon Nov 20, 2006 12:26 pm ]
Post subject: 
Definately be careful with the drop lights; I didn't realize that they can ignite fires until I started one. I had the sight plugs in a carb out and was trying to set the float level on a holley carb when the drop light set the vapors on fire.

Went from a 10 minute tune up to a rebuild-the-carb-that-got-sprayed-with-chem-extinguisher job. :/ Fortunately I didn't get burned and there was no real damage. Be real careful with gas!
Author:  RedlineDreamz [ Mon Nov 20, 2006 1:41 pm ]
Post subject:  same problem
Yea, i have the same problem in my '82 d-150....i know my mpg, but the gauge acts very weird, regardless how much gas i put in it, it will show full or half, and sometimes inbetween, but once it gets close to E, it quits working, or sometimes it will work, and other times it wont, when im on an incline it works, or when i accelerate....but its become really annoying, and i was curious at what the problem might be, im assuming it may be the sensor, but when i checked it, it was fine....still puzzled.. any help would be really appreciative
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