unreliable gas gauge

[mac96]

Ran out of gas. Haven't done that in twenty years. My gauge read 1/3 full. I have a 96 LT4. After my last fill-up, I selected fuel info "average mileage" and pushed reset fuel. like the owners manual said. My gauge hasn't come down from full after 60 miles, and my "miles to go" read out keeps climbing, now reading 400 till empty. Am I an idiot and don't know how to reset this, or is there a gauge problem?

 

[c4c5specialist]

HI there,
There are a few things that you might want to check on this.
Do you have a SYS displayed on the LCD display?????
Please remember, that the fuel system reading is channeled through the Central Control module first, and then to the PCM and the instrument cluster.
I would say that the first course of action, should be a data stream check of the CCM.
Also, this will tell you if there are any computer malfunctions that might be occuring.
Please keep us posted, c4c5

 

[mac96]

thanks for your reply. I have not seen a SYS displayed. Most of your terms are greek to me. I'll ask my brother in law mechanic (we all seem to have one) about that. My gauge has finally started to come down after 80 miles. I'll watch it and try resetting it on my next fill up. I'll let you know

 

[c4c5specialist]

hi again,
Sorry for that. Basically, all the information from the fuel gauge sending unit, travels into the computer, called the Central control module. This computer interprets the signal, and then sends it to the gauge package, called the Instrument panel cluster.
This is what you read, and know that your car is running ok, by all the gauges.
So, if for some reason, the computer is not telling the gauges the correct information, you will not get a correct reading.
Or, if there is something else interfering with that same signal, you will have another problem.
Sorry, I guess I just get used to the tech stuff.
Please keep us posted as to what happens, c4c5