Tank says empty - maybe 3 gallons left

[bastille10]

'88 LX. Any quick cheap fix for an inaccurate fuel gauge?

[Nerd Racing]

let me guess you are filling it up when its on E and it comes to 7.5-8.5 gallons is all you can fit in there?

[bastille10]

Not exactly - Driven it at least 60 miles laying on "E" (tempting fate) and it's still not run out. Only done it a couple of times. I'm thinking there's at least 2 or 3 gallons still in the tank.

[jamesmc]

My fuel gauge will drop well below "E" before it's actually out of gas. I think of it as a good thing. Tricks me into putting more gas in it before it leaves me stranded. I figured it was designed for that, just a guess though.

[bastille10]

Possibly. I'd rather have it this way then the opposite

[kellen302]

Tru dat, we have a 1996 Grand Am that we dont trust below 3/8 of a tank because it drops like a rock, not fun when stuck in gridlock on I-5 at rush hour with the needle chilling on the red line, and you've not had it that low since it was bought because of quality GM transitional OBDI/OBDII computers.

[chrisofna]

My gas gauge is broke, at a 1/4 of a tank it's empty.

[Bert]

When the gas gauge reads empty on my Festys there is in fact 4-5 litres (about a gallon) remaining in the tank. I do not tempt fate since the tank bottom is 1) flat and 2) the fuel pump is in there. If the pump runs dry a simple 'fill up' often times no longer qualifies as cheap or easy. Canadian Festys hold 37 litres so it is relatively simple to figure out how much residual gas there is (check the gas pump scale next to the price) after the gauge read E and you've just filled it to the brim. This residual amount is nice to be aware of for the one time that you're desperate and the station is closed or located a further 10 miles down the road.