Fellow Geeks?

[Imp558]

Anybody want to discuss a simple circuit to stabilize the voltage that goes to our fuel gauges so they don't swing around?

[RobertISaar]

whats affecting it is how much the float is moving... modifying it to move slower or putting it in a different spot would be an easier way to accomplish a more "refined" fuel guage...

[Imp558]

Yes, but getting to the sender and modifying it would be harder than doing something like a simple R/C circuit with a diode to just stabilize the voltage. The gauge would be off but I'm thinking about putting it in place and then voltage dividing the input evenly so it sends 1/2 tank and just setting the needle to 1/2 tank and removing the divider. It works in circuitmaker software but I'm busy with work today and can't try it. Also if we can do it real simple like that it could be beneficial to others who find this thread later on.

[tunerlover3]

Ummm.......

 

Just deal with it.

[Addicted2bass]

Ive always though the gauges got off over time due in a large part to the fact that they stay on when the car is off. Cars that reset back to E when the vehicle is off seem to have much more accurate gauges.

[Imp558]

Mine's accurate, but like RobertISaar was referring to the float moves. It's only accurate when the vehicle is at rest.

[89SupremeCutty]

Mine's accurate, but like RobertISaar was referring to the float moves. It's only accurate when the vehicle is at rest.

 

while that is partially true, after a turn or going up or down hill, the gauge goes back to normal after a few seconds. if that doesn't happen then i would say that there's a problem with the float itself.

[Imp558]

Mine's accurate, but like RobertISaar was referring to the float moves. It's only accurate when the vehicle is at rest.

 

while that is partially true, after a turn or going up or down hill, the gauge goes back to normal after a few seconds. if that doesn't happen then i would say that there's a problem with the float itself.

For the most part, but I figured more people than just me do a lot of city driving so there really isn't much recovery time for it before the next turn or hill. If nobody else has this problem perhaps my car is flawed but every GM I've owned has had undecided fuel level in movement. Still cheaper and easier to fix it with 25 cents worth of electronics and 2 wires. I guess I just assumed more people had this problem and would want to steady it.

[89SupremeCutty]

i do city driving and notice it moves a little, but not enough to annoy me.

[Imp558]

maybe it's my Dynaride. LOL! Next years suspension upgrades may fix it if I don't

[xtremerevolution]

I've had the "problem" on my regal since I bought it. I figured it was just normal. Never had a real problem because of it though.

[Imp558]

Does it swing over 1/4 tank of movement? not sure if that's normal, but it could be my 13 yr old sender

[ss427]

Never had a sender out. Do our senders have an external float in the tank, or is it enclosed in a canister?

[89SupremeCutty]

Does it swing over 1/4 tank of movement? not sure if that's normal, but it could be my 13 yr old sender

 

if it's moving that much, it's gotta be the float. mine doesn't move that much....maybe about an 1/8 of a tank at most.

[bodeen2007]

shit my lumina can have a full tank and if i take a sharp enough turn it will go down to quarter of a tank

[Imp558]

shit my lumina can have a full tank and if i take a sharp enough turn it will go down to quarter of a tank

Sounds like our fuel level senders are kindred spirits. Rapid acceleration and deceleration do the most for mine. The faster I go the more gas I have. Still running too ragged to tear into the harness and install the stabilizer.

[EviLette]

shit my lumina can have a full tank and if i take a sharp enough turn it will go down to quarter of a tank

 

 

Ditto.

 

In precious, a full tank of gas is over a 1/4 above the full mark on the gauge... fuel light pops on randomly (loose connection) but its hard to tell exactly where I'm at on gas in that car, espescially with all these hilly, curvy roads. (They also cause me problems on the highway setting the cruise, which is another matter entirely, though equally frustrating.)

 

The only thing that I can tell you is that at the orange hash marks at the bottom of the gas gauge... I still have 3.5 gallons in the tank.

[88red4cyl]

shit my lumina can have a full tank and if i take a sharp enough turn it will go down to quarter of a tank

 

 

Ditto.

 

In precious, a full tank of gas is over a 1/4 above the full mark on the gauge...

The only thing that I can tell you is that at the orange hash marks at the bottom of the gas gauge... I still have 3.5 gallons in the tank.

 

x3... Both of the Luminas I've owned were exactly like that... They seem to have figured it out in the new cars though... The gauge on my Monte Carlo doesn't fluctuate at all..

[Imp558]

And here I was feeling all alone.

[bodeen2007]

i also got a 96 lumina that says it has a 1/2 tank of gas but will take 14 gallons to fill it up

[digitaloutsider]

My TGP and Cutlass do this and it infuriates me. It's one thing i thoroughly enjoy about driving the Regal: no stupid floaty gas gauge.

[tornado_735]

My '91 CS didn't do it quite as much but my GP has a pretty active fuel gauge. I am only ever truly sure about the fuel level when it's either empty or full. In between, I just know I'm not empty