Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

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Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

October 20, 2023, 08:57:46 am

Does anyone have a fuel gauge they can rely on?
Or is it like my '89 where the needle barely gets off E when I fill the tank?
Anyone had any positive results from adding fuel cleaner treatments?
Just wondering. Or does almost everyone fuel up based on miles traveled?
Is there any alternative to just pulling the tank after emptying it?
Ever wonder why FT didn't put an access hole in the floor (under the crappy shag carpet) so the gauge could be removed?

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #1 – October 20, 2023, 09:28:49 am

No.
Drive 3-700 miles. Fill up. Guage goes to half when full.

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #2 – October 20, 2023, 09:44:54 am

Mine has a mind of it's on but it it were dependable I would still go by miles traveled then fill up. I've had to many class 8 trucks that the fuel gauges weren't dependable and there was no time for running one out of fuel. There are to many unavoidable issues that can put me on the side of the road but I can elemenate fuel amt onboard being an issue. issue. Besides that more fuel in the tank makes fuel on board run cooler.

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #3 – October 20, 2023, 10:12:12 am

My gauge reads 100% spot on.

I purchased my coach from MOT in 2007 and during the "test drive" I noticed the fuel gauge was reading 1/4 full, but the salesman (Jimmy Bergman, how many remember him?) assured me the tank was full....the tanks are topped off on all our coaches. I was of the opinion that if I was going to spend that much money, the fuel gauge had to work!

It was a consigned coach and after conferring with the PO it was agreed to replace the sender. It has worked perfectly ever since.

I hope I haven't jinks it............

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #4 – October 20, 2023, 10:28:31 am

Mine reads fairly accurately. At half tank it usually has more fuel left than indicated. Almost always fill at no less than half indicated. I travel in a lot of remote places.

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #5 – October 20, 2023, 10:30:52 am

my u300 reads right!

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #6 – October 20, 2023, 10:33:08 am

Centroid fuel sender units are easily calibrated. Go to their website for details.

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #7 – October 20, 2023, 10:33:29 am

Our gauge is spot down to about 1/2 tank, then there's a grey area till it gets close to "E".
Low fuel light means about 50 gallons left.

Just had our fuel lines replaced, "low fuel" light had just come on when we pulled into the shop.
When they pumped the tank out it had 54 gallons.

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #8 – October 20, 2023, 10:44:32 am

Mine works fine. But like some other things, I don't know when it will fail and bite me. I have a nice maple branch with a crooked stem that fits the bend in the neck perfectly so it goes straight down the outside wall of tank. I cross check my gauge at least once on a long trip.

Old school.

jk

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #9 – October 20, 2023, 10:51:28 am

Mine works great. On the Monaco I had it was way off so I would go by mileage or I would
dip the tank.

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #10 – October 20, 2023, 01:00:27 pm

Ours only reads the middle of the tank. Comes off full (gage) at 3/4 tank and reads empty when we still have 1/4 tank. And at1/2 gage the tank is also 1/2 so,, I have come to terms with it. We start looking for fuel at 1/2, hurts a little less that way and rarely run it to E (gage) cause I'm not sure just where the geny cuts out. Also usually topped off when parked.

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #11 – October 20, 2023, 01:16:00 pm

http://www.centroidproducts.com/zInstallAndCal-prog.pdf

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #12 – October 20, 2023, 03:37:25 pm

Mine reads perfect.

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #13 – October 20, 2023, 04:03:54 pm

Our gauge went weird, showing 1/4 tank, jumping up to 3/4, etc. I tried to calibrate it, but that made it MUCH worse! (Not that I don't recommend trying that.) I contacted Centroid. I don't remember the results, but it was discouraging.

I bought a similar sender off Amazon for $50. Easy replacement. It is not totally accurate, but probably is good within the bounds of the fuel conforming to uneven pavement. I look at the gauge, and again in 15 minutes, before I make a decision to refuel.

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #14 – October 20, 2023, 04:10:20 pm

Mind reads perfect for a 100 gallon tank even though it's capacity is 149 gal., that works just fine for me.

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #15 – October 20, 2023, 04:14:52 pm

Quote from: Doug W. – October 20, 2023, 04:10:20 pm

Mind reads perfect for a 100 gallon tank even though it's capacity is 149 gal., that works just fine for me.

With a big tank, a person can be a little philosophical. In my FJ Cruiser (built - lousy mileage,) I rarely hit 1/4 tank, even though I will have many miles. That is even in urban areas with stations anywhere.

When the FT gets to around 1/3 tank, I think "it is about time to refuel - today... tomorrow... we will refuel when the time feels right."

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #16 – October 20, 2023, 04:42:05 pm

Im happy with mine, but I usually fuel early.
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Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #17 – October 20, 2023, 05:50:45 pm

Ours seems correct. 2003 U320.

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #18 – October 20, 2023, 06:00:04 pm

Had a new sender installed and it has been perfect since

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #19 – October 20, 2023, 07:25:59 pm

NO !
But as my dash has that unmistakable GM look then I never expected my fuel gauge to be anything but a guesstimate. I try not to let the tank go below a half, so fill up is usually around 50 to 60 gallons. Keep your fuel cool cos it's good for injector's and fuel pumps.

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #20 – October 20, 2023, 09:19:29 pm

No, after it was in the shop and 'repaired,' 5 years ago it still reads between 1/4 and 1/2. So, it's the iPhone with the flashlight on and a tap on the side of the tank. No reflection means below 1/2 a tank.

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #21 – October 21, 2023, 04:54:28 am

Mine was off a lot. A new sending unit fixed it. It wasn't that expensive, around $100 from FOT.

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #22 – October 21, 2023, 08:02:28 am

I really like having a working fuel gauge, it may not be necessary with a 148 gallon fuel tank but my OCD about gauges is happy that ours works. It wasn't working when we bought the coach in 2015, one of the first things on the "fix it list" was re calibrate the Centroid sending unit. When that didn't get the desired results, a new one was ordered and calibrated per the instructions. It has worked well since then, at least 8 years or so.

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #23 – October 22, 2023, 02:17:53 pm

It's relatively rare for us not to refuel after a days driving, which is a much shorter distance than I used to drive years ago when I was younger and pulled my rig with a Kenworth. Back then the mantra to stop water issues in your diesel was to top up your tanks before stopping for the night. As the evenings cool so does the air inside the empty area of the warm fuel tank creating condensate (water) which drips off the tank walls and mixes with your fuel.
You will probably never drive a full tank of fuel without taking a rest, so the fuel gauge may be a redundant piece of equipment if you keep the tank full between naps!

Re: Does your fuel gauge read correctly?

Reply #24 – October 24, 2023, 02:56:36 pm

Mine works but I wouldn't call it accurate exactly...

I tend to fill up between 1/3-1/4 tank indicated but it averages around 90-100 gal, not too bad
Where it gets weird though is when driving, it will often show consumption that is far in excess of what's actually happening. ( like showing 1/2 a tank used to drive 300 miles) Once I stop, it goes back to a more accurate reading in a couple of hours (or when I remember to check). I had the low fuel light come on once, it took about 118 gal, in a 150 tank.

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