Mine is fine until it gets down to about 1/4 of a tank. Then it rapidly sinks to E, although there are still about 4 gallons (I know 'cause I've filled it at that point- It takes 12 out of the 16 the tank holds) remaining. Anyone else have the same thing, or is my sending unit on the way out?

 

The S4 gas gauges were typically more bottom weighted than top weighted, but the S5 gas gauges were a little better.

Typically its either the float in the tank gummed up or the gauge itself (or the way they all work).

What year do you have?

 

if it has sudden drops thats likely to be a bad/ failing sender. when the sender hits a bad spot (its a simple rheostat) it will go to "E"

mike

 

Both of my 88's will go to 1/4 full after a few gallons and when I go to fill up the tank it only takes around 8 gallons.

Aren't our tanks 16 gallons?

I've driven before where it will be at 1/4 full on the meter and I will keep going and it will slowly drop after that point. I've never taken it far though because I'm afriad to actually run out of gas.

Any way to clean the float? I'll be putting a Walbor in and will have the top off the tank.

 

Mine's an '88, too. I never let it get far enough down to bring on the light. As soon as it drops to E, I fill it up. I guess it's time to replace the sender.

 

Mine works pretty well, from the time the low fuel light comes on I have about two and a quater gallons til empty. Yes, I tested it, I streched it out one day and it started sputtering and stalled a couple times but I managed to get it to my favorite gas station (about a mile from where it started dying.) I think it only took about 15.5 gallons to refill out of the 16.5 total capacity.

 

My fuel light has never come on since I've owned the car. I even drove it down to where it started to sputter when I was about 100 feet away from a gas station. Is it a problem with the sender or some other electrical problem?

 

when i fill up my tank it takes like 10 minutes for it to go to full.....and the first 1/4 tank goes after like 30 miles...and the last 1/4 goes quick too...hey where can we get new sending units?

im running premix so i really need to know when my car is actually empty so i dont accumulate residual premix in my gas

 

I have that same problem.

 

My first quarter goes in about 25 miles, the middle two take much longer and the last quarter takes the longest. I drove around the other day with my gas light on for a while, I ended up putting in 14.5 gallons, most it's ever taken and i've had the gas light on for a long time before.

 

My 87TII will never show full. It always shows a little over 3/4. Then after I drive 250 miles, it goes to E. I cant figure it out.

 

Well I drive 32miles one way so the way I gauged it was that it used a 1/4 tank one way. Until I got to 1/4 left in the tank. Then it woudl take longer to empty but I never ricked getting stuck on the side of the highway.