Originally posted by Tony2005:
Originally posted by my csvt:
i read somewhere once that supposedly this is done on purpose for some wierd psychological reason. i don't know how true this is but iirc it was in some automotive magazine.



Yes, not sure if it was GM or Ford who started it first. Apparently, customers were complaining of low gas mileage on their vehicles and they issued a TSB to recalibrate the fuel gauge to drop slow during the first 2/3 and then really fast during the last 1/3.


Hmm, well here's how mine acts. When I fill it up, the needle goes past the full mark. By the time it gets down to about 3/4 tank (I know this because of the mileage), the needle is at or just above the full mark. After that, it drops very rapidly. The only time it is correct is just below the halfway mark, usually after about 200 miles on a tank. It hits empty when the tank is actually at about 1/3, and shortly after the low fuel light comes on. From what I've observed, I still have 4-5 gallons when the needle hits empty, and about 3 when the low fuel warning lights up. By the time I actually need to refuel, the needle is sitting well below the empty mark. I've learned to not let this scare me because it cries wolf so often, and I just gauge how much gas I actually have in the tank by the trip odometer, which I reset every time I fuel up.

E0 Silver Frost CSVT #3095/6535 Alpine CDA-9851