What could possibly be the issue with my vehicle?

Question

Ok, don't post ****** - go get your car looked at - statements, I am going to when we get paid but I want to know what could possibly be the issue. We have an 05 Dodge Grand Caravan, on the Nada page it says it has a 20 gallon tank. Gas where I am from is $3.40 a gallon and I put $20 in an empty tank last night (came out to about four and a half gallons. Our gas gauge went from being on E to almost half full, so could that be an issue with the gauge or the tank/fuel system? Scared the sh*t out of me because I could have sworn we didn't have a 10-gallon tank.

Answer 1

Is possible that your Fuel Tank Level sensor is acting erratic. This may be an intermittent problem which might get more serious later on.

Fill you tank to full capacity and write down the mileage. When the fuel level is half way fill the tank and re calculate the gas mileage which should be within 5mpg of the rated gas mileage. Also while you are driving monitor your fuel Gage and see if the needle surges from one direction to the other. This might be an indication of a bad fuel tank sensor.

Answer 2

Try your math again. At $3.40 a gallon, you would have gotten 5.89 gallons. With the built in error factor of a mechanical gauge, you have no problem. ADDED----What is your problem? I was trying to be helpful.

Answer 3

Lots of fuel gauges are incredibly inaccurate.  I used to fly planes and legally the only time the fuel gauge in a plane has to be accurate is when it's on empty.  I know it's a little off topic but interesting fact.

I'm betting after you fill it up it sits on full for a hundred miles before it even moves.

The best way to track your mileage is by resetting the trip odometer every time you fill up.  This will make it easy to track your miles per gallon (miles on the trip odometer / gallons pumped) and you'll have a much better idea of how far you have to go before you run out of gas.  IE. I know I usually get around 230 miles on a tank of gas, the gauge says half full but I know I've already driven 180 miles so I've really only got about 50 miles left before I need fuel.

This is probably not a problem that can be fixed by a mechanic but a problem with the design of your fuel tank that you'll just have to get used to.

Don't worry, nobody has a 10 gallon tank, not in a minivan at least--it's probably around 16 to 17.

********

I just looked it up for you.  You do have a 20.0 gallon tank--that's huge.  I don't envy you at the pump when you're empty.

Answer 4

The gauge works from an arm / float in the tank & isn't accurate. Nuttin to worry about.

Answer 5

It would only scare the c**p out of me if the needle didn't move(the tank being that large).   You may have 2 tanks.,,,and you are just working on one of them

Answer 6

You do not have a ten gallon tank lol. My mom drives an 05 Chrysler T&C (Pretty much the same freakin thing) and sometimes her gas gauge does crazy **** too. Your floater might be jacked up. Honestly, as long as you know how much gas you have in it at all times, I wouldn't pay to get something that minor checked out, but that's just me.

Answer 7

lol...this has been a issue with my wife before...no its not registering correct.... try putting or filling it up and watch the last half it will barely move when you put $20 more in it but it may read correct when you fill it up...the shop will tell you that you need a new sending unit some are sold as a whole unit[pump and sending unit] can be coastly

Answer 8

i have one also and ive not been able to fill it with 20 bucks.. but i dont see a problem nothing to worry over anyways.. could have been just the way it was sitting try another 20

Answer 9

My Saturn Ion does this when I don't fuel it all the way. It will say I have so much in there but I don't.

Sometimes it could be the ground you are on is unlevel and it is reading wrong. O5 I am sure by now you have fueled it up all the way to see how many miles you get on 1 tank. Bring it down to empty again and fuel it twice to the top. The record your mileage. That will give you a better idea of your gas tank capacity and MPG. They say I have a 12 gallon tank but in reality I can fit 14 gallons.

Good luck.

Answer 10

Not all fuel tanks are a perfect square, try filling it before taking it in for service.

Answer 11

take a look at your owners manual,

there might be something in there that might help!

Answer 12

HI

I think your oK... The way I figurer it $20.oo divided by $3.40 is more like 5.88 gallons. Not all gages are truly accurate. so I'd think you OK..

good luck

tim

Answer 13

hi.. i would fill the tank up  to really know how much gallon capacity it has,, then it wont matter what others say.   most of the time, the guage will read higher because the fuel inside the tank swish wush as the car moves ,thats why you got the reading you got.. plus when the tank says its on E its actually got some gas left in it.. 2 or 3 gals of it.