[swoop1156]

Today was an interesting day at the gas pump.

I pull up, get out of the car, do my thing, pump some ass...gas, and then I get in the car. As I drive off, I start going through my routine of resetting the information contained in the computer.

It STILL says 43 miles ot empty...the guage is still on E...Did I not get any gas? As I am driving down the road, I go into neutral, cut the ignition and restart it...nothing. The trip computer still reads at 43 and the needle is pegged on the E.

I was thinking that I may not have gotten any fuel. Hmm...

I drive around a few minutes and watch the numbers go from 43 to 38. Something is seriously wrong. I go back to the gas station and show the manager there what happened. I show my reciept from a few miles and minutes ago -- and they are confused as much as I am.

I cut the power to the car again and I let it sit for a few. Crank it back up, nothing STILL. I know that a gas-pump will not pump air, so what the heck is going on?

I leave the car running with the A/C on, since it's hot as balls here and I go inside and make a report type thing.

When I come back out to the car and I get in it, the needle is on "F" and the miles to empty reads 389. wtf.

So, my conclusion is that there was some sort of an "air-bubble" in the tank due to the weather, or the filling-up of the tank or something wierd, and didn't allow the fuel sender thing in the tank to regester there being new fuel in there...maybe?

Everything is good, my car runs, still is going great and running like never before -- just one oddball thing I haven't heard of yet.

Anyone else have this issue?

 

[Metallicat]

I notice this same thing when I filled up AND I had my car ignition turned to the ON position. When the ignition is fully off this does not happen, but when left on to listen to the radio or whatever the fuel meters take a while to fully accept the fact that you just filled up with fuel.

 

[swoop1156]

I hardly ever shut off my car [unless someone tells me to, like manager or something], and I usually watch my numbers AND needle fly up and increase. Never before has it done this while the key was on...

 

[Metallicat]

Well, maybe there was something more to it than the one time that I had my ignition in the on position. It corrected itself after about 20 minutes of driving.

 

[Bob Jusnes]

this happened ONCE to me with my truck, it may have something to do with the tuning, but it hasnt happened since.

 

[swoop1156]

Funny thing is, Bob -- is that I was JUST about to do a tune up to the 93 Torque. I did anyway, but only after the situation corrected itself, haha!

 

[ciscoford23]

Thought I chime in...Ford recommends that you not refill with the key on for this reason. It might not do it all the time but I can cause erratic/inacurrate readings.

 

[swoop1156]

Humph, I never turn off any of my cars and never had a problem. I'd rather have an inaccurate reading than use my starter one more time. I hate starting my car repeadetly.

 

[pete]

It has nothing to do with tuning.

Its fairly common in Fords if you leave ignition on while filling. All my newer cars do it. Some sending units take longer than others.

Since the float sweeps across a resistor...it is possible for fuel contaminates to affect the resistor as well. I have seen TSBs to this effect.

 

[swoop1156]

I'm still convinced it's an air bubble.

 

[Cross Bolt]

My F-250 does the same thing (1996). If you don't shut the key off, the gauge will stay on empty. You just have to cycle the key to get the gauge to go up. It's not a problem, it's just a Ford thing.

 

[swoop1156]

My car never had the problem before -- that's the issue at hand.

 

[Mrlot_RdFusionSEL]

I know you are not convinced it was an ignition thing. There are several TSBs on this subject it may do it once, twice, everytime, or never. If you take it to the dealer they will tell you the same thing. Good luck