2006 T&C Fuel Gauge Inaccurate?

Does anyone know of any issues with these?

I have T&C base model with the 3.3. Spec says 20 gallon fuel tank but even when on empty I've never been able to get even 16 gallons in the tank. Mileage display shows 19 mpg around town. The most miles I've squeezed out of a tank (before I chickened out with the gauge so low) is 260. At that point I was able to get 15.7 gallons in the tank.

Any known issues with gauges or tank underfill on these?

Reply to
hoofdpijn
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Does it go all the way to "F" when you top off the tank?

Reply to
DeserTBoB

Hi...

Don't know what country you're in with your gmail address, but...

With all respect, is it possible that you're confusing US gallons with Canadian gallons? The numbers you quote are so very very close that's it's more than likely :)

If the spec says you can hold 20 (US) gallons, it'll be full at

15.7 (Canadian) gallons

Take care.

Ken

Reply to
Ken Weitzel

If you take a look at the tank and see how long it is you will figure out why it is doing that. If you have (say 2 inches) of fuel at the bottom plus the reserve in the tank it will not take a full 20 gallons. It has always been this way.

Glenn Beasley Chrysler Tech

Reply to
damnnickname

Thanks for the info Glenn.

So, are you saying that more than 1/4 of the tank's capacity is unuseable or that I can safely ingnore the fuel gauge for 75 miles after it shows empty? I also have a 94 Voyager and I easily get over

350 miles on a tank in that old oil-burning thing.

Instead of filling up last night when I hit empty, I waited until I got about halfway to work this morning. The needle on the gauge was buried in the red and the low fuel warning had been on since I left the house. I managed to get 16.07 gallons in the tank with 275 miles on the trip odo.

4 gallons seems like a lot of gas to be left in the tank with the gauge showing me bone dry. If that's the only quirk I have to deal with on this car then so be it. It's a great vehicle otherwise. It's just kind of a pain to have to stop for gas so often. I get more miles on a tank in my Miata. A minivan is supposed to be able to haul my butt across country without stopping every couple of hours for gas. :-)

I'm in the US by the way and the spec is straight out of my US owners manual and the US Chrysler web site. Good thought though.

Reply to
hoofdpijn

Yep. It goes up passed the "F" a bit.

Reply to
hoofdpijn

Im not saying there's a 1/4 tank left, I am using that as an example. The 94 Caravan you had was a different tank, not as long as the one on this new vehicle. If you really want to know how far you can get on the fuel lite, tank a 5 gallon tank with you and keep driving until she runs out.

Glenn

Reply to
maxpower

Snip

I've been told that it is (can be) very detrimental to the injectors if they are run dry. I assume it has to do with fuel providing cooling. Are the new injectors better or was I under a misconception (not the first time)? Or is this still a bad idea? BF

Reply to
BF

I don't think that by running an engine out of gas is going to cause injectors to go bad, That sounds like a myth to me!! Injectors are nothing but a solenoid that energizes and de-energizes. I fuel pump is cooled by the fuel in the tank but then again running it out of fuel is not going to damage it.

My opinion only

Glenn

Reply to
maxpower

Hmmmmmm, remember it being told to me as gospel back in the mid 80's. Can't remember who or how credible, of course. I never tested it. Anyone out there who's run theirs dry? Horror story or NoProblemo? Enquiring minds want to know! BF

Reply to
BF

Not many fuel gauges are very acurate. You just have to learn what yours is doing. The best fuel gauge is to watch the mileage you drive. Just be glad the gauge is working. And I would not count on it being a 20 gal tank. The only way to be sue would be to drain and refill it. If you tryed running it untill it runs out of fuel you may burn up the fuel pump. To be on the safe side refill about the 15 gal mark. People that run there cars low on fuel are the people that are always replaceing there fuel pumps.:grinyes: :lol2: :lol: MT

Reply to
MT-2500

When the guage my Dodge Dakota, with supposedly a 22 gallon tank, hits the empty line, it takes just under 17 gallons to fill it up.

Frank

Reply to
Frank Boettcher

There are a few reasons that come to mind....

Like has been previously stated the tank is more long than square.

The fuel pump is cooled by the gas. If the gas gets low the fuel pump can cook itself. You really should fill up around 1/4 tank to keep the fuel pump happy in most cars but I never can seem to stop until the light is flashing and you can hear the fuel pump two cars away :-(

You need enough fuel to be able to start the van even if it is parked on a steep hill and all the fuel has run to one end of the tank or the other.

If a perty white woman runs out of gas on the side of the highway and gets run over by a bus full of pregnant nuns while the gas gauge is still above the "E" guess who is getting sued?

Steve B.

Reply to
Steve B.

It's misinformation, but the general idea is right. GM for years has cautioned against running a fuel pump dry, even for short periods. The fuel both cools and lubricates the pump, and running it dry will usually sieze one up in short order. I must say I've heard read the same warning for Chrysler or DC vehicles, however. The injectors don't care.

Reply to
DeserTBoB

It sounds like what I'm seeing is pretty normal then so I just wont worry about it.

Thanks for taking the time to respond everyone!

Reply to
hoofdpijn

Chryslers Pumps are built inside a bowl that is filled with fuel at all times, when the tank runs dry, the pump is still sitting in fuel.

Reply to
maxpower

This sounds so familiar. My warning light will come on after I fill up a tank and the gauge will drop to Empty. On a good day, the gauge reads full.

As best as I can reckon, if the gauge is working properly, and that's always a big IF since who knows?, that on the Empty mark I have 2 gallons left. Maybe a little more, but never more than 3 on the empty.

So I worked out that each mark is 4 gallons, with 2 left at the Empty mark and 2 more at the above Full mark for 20 gallons.

I gather the sliding pot or resistor must get uneven spots so it is like a roulette wheel for when it works and when it does not work.

It's really nice on a good day to see the gauge working properly.

But it's like a clock that is running unevenly. I never know for sure when it's right. I just guess that when it shows Empty and I have filled the tank all the way or at least more than half, then this will be a bad gauge day and I have to listen to the warning, spurious warning, of low on gas.

Reply to
treeline12345

Chrysler superior engineering triumphs again!

Reply to
DeserTBoB

whoa there big fella- don't believe a WORD that "desertbob" posts- he's been recently proven wrong about 10 times in the last 24 hours on this and other sites- he's a POSER

Reply to
duty-honor-country

What is the deal here? Every time he post you post right after him? Are you two the one and same person? Or how do you Keep up with all of his post? Hinda of a strange deal here? Fill us in here. MT

Reply to
MT-2500

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