my gas gauge is wayyyy off, when its showing about 1/8 of a tank, the car is completely out of gas and will die. then if you were to put 20 dollars in it (about 6 gallons worth) it shoots all the way up to full, when it should be showing around 1/2 tank or so.

what normally causes a fuel gauge to be so inaccurate like that? and how hard is it to fix it?

 

Not really much you can do. It's the way the tank is shaped up under the rear end that causes this. Safest way to get by with gas in these is never let it go below the half mark.

 

ya thats pretty much normal

 

The being empty before showing empty is a little more normal. But on my previous two 4th gens, it didn't shoot up from 1/8 to full after putting in 6 gallons. Although come to think of it, back when I had mine, $20 did pretty much fill the tank!

 

haha, $20 takes mine almost to the full mark, then at 1/4 i have to make a mad dash for the take my money station.

 

you guys have to be kidding me lol. it just seems so off though. i looked online and it said they are a 15.5 gallon tank, so 6 gallons + what i had MAYBE 2 gallons, should put me only at the half way mark. well, at least thats what you would figure you know? lol. it just dont seem right but if you all are saying it seems normal then i guess ill just get used to it lol

 

I don't think the 1/8-full on 6 gallons is normal at all.
Mine weren't like that, so it's possible age may be getting the best of your sending unit.

 

my 3.4 was empty at just over 1/8th half at between 3/4 and full and when it was full the needle went all the way to the plastic around the gauges.

 

okay, so you think it could be the sending unit? i mean, it definitely seems like its off lol. wonder how hard that would be to replace.

yeah thats about what mine did, like right at 1/8 of a tank or really slightly above it, is when its empty, then you go to put about 8 gallons in it, she will shoot up above full mark.

 

If you do a search we have talked about this issue. On my car I run out just as I hit E. I am at F mark I have about a half a tank. The needle will go past the F mark when the tanks is full. When I hit a half a tank I have about 2 gallons left in the tank.

That is after replacing the whole sending unit twice. You going to either cut a hole in your floor (search the word Hatch) or drop your tank (rear axle and exhaust). There is a real good chance you would end up with a system only slightly better. Right now you gage is telling you when you are running out of gas, is it really worth all that work and money to get it to tell you a little better. never go below 1/2 tank, is that hard to rememeber?