Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 11:20:54 -0700
Reply-To: Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Replacement fuel tank question
In-Reply-To: <53CEA64F.7020907@charter.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
They can be adjusted, or just get one from Van Café, they have both versions: http://www.van-cafe.com/home/van/search?keywords=gauge&x=0&y=0 The senders either work fine or not at all.
Stuart
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Mike B
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2014 10:59 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Replacement fuel tank question
My gas gauge is also wildly inaccurate, even after replacing the
sender. Are the gauges that bad, or is the sender ground subject to
problems? Where is it located, or how does the circuit go to ground?
Does anyone know where to get another gauge? Is it the same as a Golf/Jetta of the same year?
Mike B.
On 7/22/2014 1:44 PM, Don Hanson wrote:
> The gauge in mine, besides being dependent on vehicle attitude to be
> consistent, it also is skewed towards "Empty" a bit...A full tank
> takes the needle to below the full mark and an empty tank is well below the 'empty'
> end of the scale...
>
> For the longest time I was clue-less on how the gauge is
> marked...Must be a German thing, but half way across the sweep of the
> gauge needle is the first mark...a Bold mark...then 3/4 across the
> sweep is a small thin mark and the bottom is a red area... I was
> mistaken thinking the bold mark at half way meant half a tank....and
> the next smaller one was 1/4 tank...when in truth the bold one is just
> 1/4 tank gone and the smaller one three quarters across the dial, that
> means 1/2 tank is gone....How did I ever come to that conclusion?....I didn't get an owner's manual when I bought
> this 30yr old van... I use the gauge as a back up....I rely on my odo
> tripmeter...
>
>
> On Tue, Jul 22, 2014 at 9:20 AM, Stuart MacMillan
> <stuartmacm@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Yes, the gauge is useless on steep grades because it's a big flat
>> bottomed tank and the fuel flows to the ends, especially when partially full.
>>
>> Early in my life with my '84 I attempted to circumnavigate Mt.
>> Rainier on about 3/4 tank, and as I got into the steep grades the
>> level dropped so fast I couldn’t take the stress for more than a few
>> miles and turned around. Downhill I had over 3/4 tank! I hadn't
>> reset the odo and didn't know what was going on so I aborted the
>> trip. I know now I could have easily made it all the way around, and
>> back then there was even a gas station at the Sunrise visitor center I didn't know about.
>>
>> Knowledge is power!
>>
>> Stuart
>>
>> Don Hanson wrote:
>>
>> ....So I keep an eye on my odo...my gas gauge is rather vague
>> depending on the attitude of the van....
>>
>>
>>
>>
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