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how accurate is the gas guage?

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Old 08-29-2002 | 01:51 PM
  #1  
psychocabbage's Avatar
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Talking how accurate is the gas guage?

Just wondering.. My LT1's was way off..
If the needle was lined up with the red line.. YOU WERE PUSHING.
How are the LS1 fuel gagues?

I dont know yet and dont want to test it out.. hehe

Also, is it true that the temp gauge is way off as well? Mine does move around the 210(?)mark a bit..

------------------
Psycho Cabbage
2002 Camaro Z28
(6 sp) Bone stock
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-Traded in- 1995 Camaro Z28 (A4 (#6 I might add!),ES tranny mount and torque arm bushing,SLP CAI,ASP 34% Underdrive,Strange 3.73's (shredded Auburn),1LE alum driveshaft & intake elbow,Yokohamas AVS Intermediates,160-stat,MAF screen removed, HPP+(for shift points only),Borla Y-pipe, Flowmaster Force-II catback, Gutted Cat, Airlift Airbag, !TB Bypass, J&M LCA's, Bosch Platinums, Moroso BlueMax Wires, Free RamAir, Meziere Electric H2O pump, MAC 3point STB, BMR Panhard, SCR SFC's
Just installed:Nu-tek Heads (mild port) and Comp Cams 1.6RR's! New track and dyno #'s to follow!
best 13.44 @103.26
0-60ft 1.96
270 RWHP/296 RWTQ
0-60MPH 4.8sec
1987 Porsche 944S (waiting on LT1 mod)
Old 08-29-2002 | 02:24 PM
  #2  
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From: Huntsville, AL
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My gas gauge in my SS is much better than the one in my old 95 Camaro. The 95 would fill up way past full.. get 200 miles the first half a tank and 50 miles the second.

My SS seems pretty much correct.

I have heard that the temp gauge was horrible. I just installed a 160 thermo and the gauge did not move. I still have not had a chance to pull the thermo back out to insure it is a 160.

------------------
Bentley
2000 Camaro SS M6
Direct-Flo Air Lid w/ K&N
HPP3, 160 Thermo
Flowmaster w/ !cats
Ported MAF, Free Ram-air
Trimmed EGR
Old 08-29-2002 | 02:36 PM
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My old '97 would do the same thing. Would fill up way past full, get 180mi to the first half of the tank and htne 60 or so to the second half. The guage in my new SS seems really really accurate. As far as my temp guage it seems accurate as well. When I put my 160 in I noticed a big difference in the temperature, so yes you might want to pull your thermo and make sure you have a 160 degree in there. Hope this helps.

------------------
1998 Camaro SS A4 #2,515 OF 3017
NBM w/ grey leather
T-tops, all GM and SLP options
MODS:
-SLP dual-dual (came with car)
-Hypertech 160 thermo
-SLP Lid w/ K&N and smooth air bellows

**1997 Z28 M6...yes it was modded. Totalled by a girl who couldn't stop for a stop sign on 4-18-2002
Old 08-29-2002 | 02:55 PM
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My gas gauge goes a 1/4 tank past full I should have corrected it when I put the white face gauges on but its kind of funny to look at. The rest are right on though.

------------------
99 Black SS A4 t-tops a ton of factory options plus white face gauges which have a disputable hp gain. (formerly V6white98, changed cars)
Old 08-29-2002 | 03:17 PM
  #5  
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Cool

The temp sensors on later model LS1's are made to read the way they do.'98s got an accurate temp guage All I know about my '98 gas guage is that when it's on the red line for E I put in around 13.5 to 14 gallons.So E leaves about 1 gallon left if we in fact do have a 15 gallon tank.
Kevin

------------------
1998 Black Z28 A4
-------1/8-------
8.548 @ 83.64 MPH
Pics
Camaro/Firebird Birthday Bash
Old 08-29-2002 | 03:28 PM
  #6  
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I thought we had a 16.9 gallon tank? I will have to look at that again..

Thats kewl tho.. thanks for the replies peeps!

------------------
Psycho Cabbage
2002 Camaro Z28
(6 sp) Bone stock
Webmaster for RaceHer.com
Check out the current polls and vote!
by the prěcking of my thumb, something wicked this way comes

-Traded in- 1995 Camaro Z28 (A4 (#6 I might add!),ES tranny mount and torque arm bushing,SLP CAI,ASP 34% Underdrive,Strange 3.73's (shredded Auburn),1LE alum driveshaft & intake elbow,Yokohamas AVS Intermediates,160-stat,MAF screen removed, HPP+(for shift points only),Borla Y-pipe, Flowmaster Force-II catback, Gutted Cat, Airlift Airbag, !TB Bypass, J&M LCA's, Bosch Platinums, Moroso BlueMax Wires, Free RamAir, Meziere Electric H2O pump, MAC 3point STB, BMR Panhard, SCR SFC's
Just installed:Nu-tek Heads (mild port) and Comp Cams 1.6RR's! New track and dyno #'s to follow!
best 13.44 @103.26
0-60ft 1.96
270 RWHP/296 RWTQ
0-60MPH 4.8sec
1987 Porsche 944S (waiting on LT1 mod)
Old 08-29-2002 | 03:54 PM
  #7  
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From: Lapeer, Mi, USA
Wink

Yep, a 2002 has a 16.8 Gallon tank. 13 gallons fills me up on E, which indicates still 3.9 gallons left. So I always go a little below that and fill up at about 14.2 gallons.

Little more info from various web pages (can't guarantee accuracy)
1998 - 15.5
1999 - 16.8
2001 - 16.8


[This message has been edited by LapeerZ28 (edited August 29, 2002).]

[This message has been edited by LapeerZ28 (edited August 29, 2002).]
Old 08-29-2002 | 07:34 PM
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Talking

thanks! I was begging to doubt my steel trap memory... heheh

I knew that my tank was larger than my previous Z's tank.. Glad the gauge reads a bit more correctly thank my last one...

Thanks to all!
Old 08-30-2002 | 07:38 AM
  #9  
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Accurate??! HA! The gas gauge in my car is no more accurate than a blonde is smart! The needle reads over the full line after I fill the tank, then it takes forever to drop below the full line, but once it does, it begins dropping exponentially!!

As a rule, I always reset my trip meter whenever I fill up --- therefore I base how much gas I have left on 3 things:
1 - where the needle is (cause empty is still empty! )
2 - how many miles I've driven
3 - how hard I've been driving the car

------------------
2002 Z28 - A4, 2.73's, Blk/blk, leather, T-tops, sport appearance package - just bought on June 26, 2002! - Pics

1981 Z28 - 383, TH350 trans., 3.42 posi - sold August, 2000 - Pics

1973 Camaro - Dad's & my project in the works - to be built: 355 Chevy, 11.5:1 pop-ups, "camel hump" heads (w/2.02 valves), solid cam, 4-speed.....it should be quick! - Pics
Old 08-30-2002 | 08:42 AM
  #10  
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<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Capn Pete:
Accurate??! HA! The gas gauge in my car is no more accurate than a blonde is smart! The needle reads over the full line after I fill the tank, then it takes forever to drop below the full line, but once it does, it begins dropping exponentially!!

As a rule, I always reset my trip meter whenever I fill up --- therefore I base how much gas I have left on 3 things:
1 - where the needle is (cause empty is still empty! )
2 - how many miles I've driven
3 - how hard I've been driving the car

</font>
well "accurate" as in how many gallons are left. On "E" you should have a little reserve and it seems as though that is correct on this car. On my previous car it meant it was time to push. No kidding.. I ran out of gas 4-5 times in 3 years... The first time on the test drive. It was that bad. I used to carry an empty gas can around with me all the time just in case since it never failed..

I also use your technique, but I needed to know just in case its one of those days when you are traveling and cant find any gas....
Old 08-30-2002 | 03:44 PM
  #11  
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Smile

i will say that the gas guage on the on the ls1 is much more forgiving than the one in my 95 was. You can actually go past the red line about an eighth of an inch. If you touched the red line in the 95 you were in trouble. I ran out of gas 7 times in that car...not once in the new one=o)

------------------
99 Z28 M6, Black, SS Hood, Sport Appearance Pkg., RKsport Front Fascia Spoiler, Direct Flo Lid, K&N, !MAF, TBB, !FRA, Air Dam Intake, !EGR, B&M Ripper, Hooker Classic European Dual/Dual Tips, Cut-Out, Torq Thrust II 17x9.5's w/ Hankook Ventus 255/40/17's(front) & 17x11's w/ Yokohama AO32R 315/35/17's(rear)
336 RWHP
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Old 08-30-2002 | 03:54 PM
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seems to be pretty accurate, if you move the FULL line over to where the needle really stops.

I advoid running my tank dry to save the fuel pump.. I heard LS1's have a light that goes on when there's a gallon left?
Old 08-30-2002 | 04:32 PM
  #13  
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<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Ken S:
seems to be pretty accurate, if you move the FULL line over to where the needle really stops.

I advoid running my tank dry to save the fuel pump.. I heard LS1's have a light that goes on when there's a gallon left?
</font>
Yep, the "Check Gauges" light comes on, but I don't know how much gas is actually left (and I don't really care to find out the hard way either!).

I've also heard that it's best to make sure there's still some gas in the tank to help cool the pump, otherwise it can prematurely fail - don't know if it's LS1 specific though.

Old 08-30-2002 | 05:31 PM
  #14  
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<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Capn Pete:
Accurate??! HA! The gas gauge in my car is no more accurate than a blonde is smart! The needle reads over the full line after I fill the tank, then it takes forever to drop below the full line, but once it does, it begins dropping exponentially!!

</font>
It was made that way.Car companies did a study and found out that people didn't like an accurate fuel guage.If the needle dropped as fast as the gas actually did,people complained and took the car in.So now,the guages are actually calibrated to stay on the + side of 1/2 tank for longer than needed so that people think their gas lasts longer.Sad but true....
Kevin

------------------
1998 Black Z28 A4
-------1/8-------
8.548 @ 83.64 MPH
Pics
Camaro/Firebird Birthday Bash
Old 08-30-2002 | 08:07 PM
  #15  
psychocabbage's Avatar
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From: Houston, Tx USA
Talking

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Capn Pete:
Yep, the "Check Gauges" light comes on, but I don't know how much gas is actually left (and I don't really care to find out the hard way either!).

I've also heard that it's best to make sure there's still some gas in the tank to help cool the pump, otherwise it can prematurely fail - don't know if it's LS1 specific though.

</font>
So far the chech gauges light comes on when there is about 3 gallons left.
From what I have experienced thus far.


------------------
Psycho Cabbage
2002 Camaro Z28
(6 sp) Bone stock
Webmaster for RaceHer.com
Check out the current polls and vote!
by the prěcking of my thumb, something wicked this way comes

-Traded in- 1995 Camaro Z28 (A4 (#6 I might add!),ES tranny mount and torque arm bushing,SLP CAI,ASP 34% Underdrive,Strange 3.73's (shredded Auburn),1LE alum driveshaft & intake elbow,Yokohamas AVS Intermediates,160-stat,MAF screen removed, HPP+(for shift points only),Borla Y-pipe, Flowmaster Force-II catback, Gutted Cat, Airlift Airbag, !TB Bypass, J&M LCA's, Bosch Platinums, Moroso BlueMax Wires, Free RamAir, Meziere Electric H2O pump, MAC 3point STB, BMR Panhard, SCR SFC's
Just installed:Nu-tek Heads (mild port) and Comp Cams 1.6RR's! New track and dyno #'s to follow!
best 13.44 @103.26
0-60ft 1.96
270 RWHP/296 RWTQ
0-60MPH 4.8sec
1987 Porsche 944S (waiting on LT1 mod)


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