Date:         Thu, 06 Oct 94 13:09:51 CDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "J. Walker" <JWALKER@ua1vm.ua.edu>
Subject:      Re: *&^%@ gas gauge!!!

On Thu, 6 Oct 94 12:50:40 CDT <jackr@starfleet.scs.ag.gov> said:
>They _do_ read differently at rest and underway.  I've never figured
>out whether this is due to changes in gas tank attitude while moving
>or current flow.  If I think I'm getting too low for comfort, I'll stop for
>a minute on a level surface.  That reading seems to be more accurate
>than what you get while moving.

i'm pretty sure (in my own mind anyway) that it's the attitude of the car.
when i lived in atlanta, i had to park on a sideways tilt every night. and
had to make sure that i noticed what the fuel gauge was before i drove into
the parking lot.

it's enough, even front to back ... or maybe Especially Front to Back ...
that in stop-and-go traffic on some atlanta streets (somewhat hilly, you see),
the needle would go from one-needle-width above empty to all the way below
R ... just from moving over the hill to the next redlight.

but i can't remember whether having the bus in a nose-down attitude makes
the needle move fuller or emptier ... i've just learned to pretty much ignore
the gas gauge and use it only as a reference marker ... that is, i have less
today than yesterday. mostly i use the odometer to decide when to fill up.
and check my little trip computer if i want to try to stretch it out a bit.

joel