CompuBob

My guage was messed up for a while, and it was always off.. ie. the car would run out of gas before it hits the first empty line..
So I got a new cluster, replaced it. it works perfectly now.. but my Low Gas light still wont come on, and the needle is almost on the last line before the E.
I know it's reading it right now, the needle was actoually physically off by the last owner screwing with the guage it's self.

how can I check if the gas light even works at all?

deetz

does it come on when u first turn the key on????

beefhole

iTrader: (29)

Mine never came on. I don't bother with it. I fill up when it gets halfway between the last 2 lines. I once ran it down to the last line, but the light still didn't come on. Since then I just try to keep half a tank in it.

BLKTOPTRVL

It does not light until the gauge is at or slightly above zero. The never lights just because the key is on. For me it indicates that ~2.5 gallons remain.

Wait until it is close to empty, get a gallon fuel container, drive until empty - then you will know where. I always do this when I first buy a car. Most people will say that running out of gas will force you to prime the system once you have refueled, but I have never had a car not fire up right away.

If you do this, remember to keep all the windows open.

SonicRaT

iTrader: (6)

Mine usually comes on when there's about ~.75 gallons left.

HAILERS

In the BODY, ELECTRICAL section of the fsm there is a procedure for checking the low light.

WrongWay

Back in my highschool days when I was making about 300 dollars canadian a week at my part time job... aka when I was broke all the time my low light would come on just after the needle dropped under the very last line... so pretty much right before you're empty and running on fumes.

86J

Mine comes on when i have just about 10 litres left in the tank. So thats what about 50km until im stranded. Does everyones light glow brighter when you step on the gas harder?

SirCygnus

iTrader: (1)

it has to get like below the line to come on. like its a wsarning that says fill me up NOW
lol

infact it should be called out of gasoline light

sectachrome

why would you wait for the light to come on to fill up? by then, youre sucking up all the muck at the bottom of your tank.

Agent_D

iTrader: (2)

on most cars, the gas light comes on when you have 2 gallons left. i usually fill when i get to 1/4, so ive never seen it come on.

NOPR

does the s4 have this light too? mine has NEVER come on and im always scared when it gets on or below the E so i fill it up. however, even with a full tank it only displays slightly about 3/4 of a tank.

BLKTOPTRVL

People always say this, but in 30 years of driving, I have never had any engine go because of bad fuel or a clogged filter. And I almost always run until the light comes on - otherwise I would be making too many stops on long trips.

Mombodogs

I'm the DOG, my FC is 4 months new to me, 1990 FC3C n/a. The 'IDIOT' light has never come on while I'm driving. 0 to 120 in 1.6 gas stations. If you think your low, you are. I check everyday, yes everday, oil, coolant, tire pressure, and get my lazy *** out of bed a little earlier and top it off. I didn't buy the car to worry about the little shi t. Top it off, reset your trip meter, drive it until it runs out of gas, look at mileage. Dah, next time don't go that far. Then change your filter, and use common sense. PEACE RUF RUF RUF RUF

beefhole

iTrader: (29)

Hmmm... I never got as low as some of you have said. Perhaps I will test this some day, but I will have to be local IIRC the light comes on/is supposed to at ~2.5 gallons?

Syonyk

The fuel light comes on with the needle about 1 needle's width above E or slightly lower. For me, it starts to flicker with about 3-3.5 gallons left - I put in 13 gallons when the light comes on, and it's supposedly a 16.6 gal tank. I've never let it run down more than a gallon below the fuel light, because I really don't want to run out of gas.

It took me a year of owning the car to determine that the light actually went on - I normally filled up with about 1/8th showing, and so I'd never see the light.

Running the bottom of the tank isn't bad for muck reasons, but it *is* bad - with the in-tank fuel pumps like we have, they're cooled by the gas. When the tank is nearly empty, the pump doesn't get cooled as much (just by the gas flowing through it), and runs hotter. It can lead to an earlier fuel pump failure. Plus, the turbo guys shouldn't really run much below 1/4 tank (or at least not run hard) - if you're at full boost, and hit a bump/corner/etc and the gas sloshes enough to make the fuel pickup snag some air, you'll very likely have some major problems at the engine side.

-=Russ=-

CompuBob

awesome, thanks for the info guy's, I never let it go as low as all you have said to do.. mainly because when I first got the car I found out the hard way to not let it go under that point, and it scares me, eventhough I have a working guage though.. but next time I'll test it out when I'm low.

I just want to make sure it works!

RETed

The other reason to not run it down so low is to keep "sediment" from getting into the fuel pump.
As the gas level keeps going down, the crap at the bottom of the tank has a better change of getting sucked up the fuel pump (filter).
I learned this first-hand, since my car does it now.
The car will lose all power and barely idle when the gas gets really low - kinda scary!
I need to peek into the gas tank and clean out all that crap.

If you have a really clean gas tank, this does not apply to you. :P


-Ted

Fitness Stain

is there a trick for cleaning the gas tank without removing it?

Brian Barna

I wish I had some of the problems you guys do. My low fuel light comes on when I am just driving away from the gas station. Is there something in the float that could influence that?

Mombodogs

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT--Flash update. Dog has an apology to make. After further reviewing my post, payback is a bitch. Had son helping me with engine today and looking for an oil leak around oil filter housing, told young son to cut it for a minute. Found leak, and told him to start her up to go get O-rings, and poof-yep, no ****. Pre-occupied with life, and have started, not driven recently, and pull my paw out of mouth. SORRY BRO----karma is alive and well. O-rings, fuel filter, and a at least a week in the dog house.

PEACE RUF RUF RUF RUF RUF

Digi7ech

iTrader: (1)

My light has never come on.

ALthough my gas gauge is off and only reads around 12 gallons of the 15 gallon tank or what ever come in a 88 Chassis.

Mine says I'm near the E at 10-11gallons so I never go below that since I have no idea how far I have to go.

Besides the Gas helps cool the fuel pump so why deprive it?

staticguitar313

iTrader: (2)

My low fuel light used to come one, but then one day just for ***** a giggels when it didn't come on halfway between 1/4 and empty i just kept going, went dry, no light. It'd be nice to have all my dummy lights work, b/c i'm a dummy and i need the lights, and i'm ok with that . . . . YAAAAAAY YAAAAAAAY (retard voice)

gxlbiscuit

my cars low fuel light comes on just below the e notch. i found out lastnight with a bad injector o-ring. 1/4 tank in 4 miles gone. maybe faster. my cars OWNER'S MANUAL says the light comes on at 2.9 gallons remaining..... i blieve the idiot light over the gauge..... just figure id give a concrete number as opposed to all the SWAG(scientific wild *** guesses). for the search engine : low fuel light gas idiot cluster dash warning

rexaholic

go under the carpet of your hatch, remove the fuel pump assembly and you could remove most of the scum on the bottom