[redline14]

I was stopped on a slope and when I started to get going again, I killed it. I thought I gave it enough gas...I'm use to doing this in this same spot almost everyday, but anyways here's what happened. After I started it again, which took a few more seconds because of the cam shaft problem that I got fixed but not PERFECTLY aligned so it still has small problems,I revved it up to make sure I got going and when I did all of the sudden the gas needle flew down to empty and the low fuel message came on. The more I continued driving it, the needle would go back up a little more but not much, and the low fuel message wouldn't go away. I haven't driven it yet since that happened...but what do you think would've caused the gas to do that?

 

[Vita]

being low on gas, on an incline, fuel may not have been getting to the pump properly, aside from that, i'm lost

 

[dazednconfused75]

It sounds like the float in the tank was way off because of the angle you were at. Have you restarted it yet?

 

[John]

Did the gauge go back up after you leveled off?

 

[redline14]

Before this happened, the needle was a little bit below the 1/4 mark. I mean, just barely below it. Then after all that happened, the needle barely rose up past the last mark. It rose enough to make the low fuel message go away but it didn't. I haven't turned the car back on yet. I usually average about 50 miles/quarter in the city, so to look at it this way...the needle showed that I had lost about 40 miles. That's the best that I know how to explain the position of the needle.

 

[WopOnTour]

To prevent the gage from bouncing around due to fuel slosh, the fuel level displayed on the gage is electronically "filtered". The gage climbed up slowly, because that's what it's programmed to do. If you had shut off the IGN switch for 15 seconds and turned it back on, the raw fuel level input would have been instantly updated. (like it does after refueling)
HTH
WOT

 

[Sp00ner]

I feel the need to point out that it's the slowest gas gauge I've ever seen, it's so funny. I feel like it's so slow that it dosen't read the amount of gas that I've used driving home until I shut it off and start if back up.

 

[goofyguy]

I feel the need to point out that it's the slowest gas gauge I've ever seen, it's so funny. I feel like it's so slow that it dosen't read the amount of gas that I've used driving home until I shut it off and start if back up.

I fill my car up weekly but I refuse to shut off my car while doing so. Its funny because I can get home before my gauge will read full.

And regardless of what you see on TV a running car or a cell phone will not start a fire. The only way for it to actually happen is if you get in and out of a car when its a cool dry day and you static charge yourself and touch something to close to the nozzle

 

[magikal_dragon]

My gas gage has done that once before. I was doing a Michigan turn around and it was on an incline and I stalled. Needle was 1/4 of a tank as well.

Eventually it went back up to the appropriate level of gas but it took a little while. Hasn't happened since.

 

[WopOnTour]

I feel the need to point out that it's the slowest gas gauge I've ever seen, it's so funny. I feel like it's so slow that it dosen't read the amount of gas that I've used driving home until I shut it off and start if back up.

Well I think might be exagerating a wee bit.(never can tell with Spooner)

But if not, maybe somethings wrong with your sending unit. I would mention it next time you bring it in. We've been seeing some problems with certain fuels and/or additives eating away the carbon strip on the sending unit.Beware of "hocus pocus" fuel additives or add-to-the-tank injector cleaning solutions and NEVER exceed the recommended concentration if you do use them. Many of them have been known to lead to premature failure in gage sending units,fuel pumps and even injectors.
WOT

 

[Sp00ner]

Never use additives myself, I am exaggerating a little, but this thing is real slow in reading the changes. The other thing, is if you park on an incline, like our friend was saying, it's pretty slow to read right when you flatten out. The Starbuck I go to at lunch is sloped downhill to park, and after I go to lunch, park, get back in and look at the gauge, it drop a bit, and then goes back up over the course of about 5 min or so.

I'm not sure it's anything wrong, my buddies Chevy van has a fairly similar habit... I still prefer it over the needle moving from full, to 1/4, to 3/4, to 1/2 tank everytime I hit a bump!

 

[Hawflake]

I fill my car up weekly but I refuse to shut off my car while doing so.

Goofy, not picking on you or anything, I thought this was unsafe. Read it somewhere.

 

[redline14]

Ok, everything was fine and back to normal after I started it back up later. I'm just glad to know that nothing's wrong with it.

 

[CarNut]

I read a post somewhere that an extended crank after stall is part of the programming. They claimed the fuel pump is cut off for a short time to protect the catalytic converter. When I first got the car I stalled trying to back up a hill a couple times. It made me nervous about keeping it until I read that. I haven't stalled it since, but next time it happens I'm going to try waiting 30 seconds to restart. Its just one of the undocumanted quirks of the car.

 

[Redline686]

Happened to me

Same thing happened to me Redline14. I stalled. The music was on so loud I didn't realize the tach was so low. Anyway yah my guage dipped down to empty then slowely up but its fine now, just weird.

 

[SaturnI0Nredline]

Mine is quick to fall and slow to rise the fuel gauge is. Had to be clear on that. I don't think its just our cars. The last 2 cars I have owned also have done the same thing. If you leave the on where the engine off and the fuel gauge works. Then pump gas into it and then maybe by the time you get home you it might say you have a full tank. I think its just there to keep the gauge from bouncing around.

 

[WopOnTour]

I read a post somewhere that an extended crank after stall is part of the programming. They claimed the fuel pump is cut off for a short time to protect the catalytic converter. When I first got the car I stalled trying to back up a hill a couple times. It made me nervous about keeping it until I read that. I haven't stalled it since, but next time it happens I'm going to try waiting 30 seconds to restart. Its just one of the undocumanted quirks of the car.

Negative
It's NOT part of the programming!
Your fuel pump is running as long as you are cranking. Nothing "undocumented" about it.
WOT

 

[redline14]

Yeah, it just kinda scared me there for a minute. I didn't know if I should go on to where I was going or go to the gas station.