fuel gauge stays at the current level forever

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Sep 22, 2005 | 02:42 PM
  #1  
rchuang's Avatar
Thread Starter
Cruisin'
 
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
fuel gauge stays at the current level forever

1997 3.2TL

After I have the radiator/compressor fan motors replaced, the fuel gauge will not go back to zero after turning off the engine/electricity. Some of the relays for the fan motors were tested at the time of the motor replacement. It stays at the current fuel tank level forever after turning off the ignition although it is the correct level. Any idea about the fix? Thanks in advance
Reply
Old Sep 22, 2005 | 02:48 PM
  #2  
WolfpackBill's Avatar
TL no more!
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 747
Likes: 1
From: Clemmons, NC
I'm not sure about the '97's, but my '96's gauge never moves to E when the ignition is off.
Reply
Old Sep 22, 2005 | 03:24 PM
  #3  
longeye23s's Avatar
Racer
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 404
Likes: 0
From: orlando f.l
i have the same problem! eversince i but on that indaglo gauge my fual reads 3/4 full and never move from there, thinking about replacing the fual gauge but im afraid that it wont sove the problem. and theres no refund on that gauge.. any help with that..
Reply
Old Sep 22, 2005 | 04:33 PM
  #4  
rchuang's Avatar
Thread Starter
Cruisin'
 
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
By the way, I am pretty sure that the fuel gauge went to zero when eletricity was turned off before. The stated problem happened after the fan motors repalcement but that should not be related the the gauge. The gauge tells you the correct level of fuel in the tank and the fuel empty warning light also works regardless of the power on or off
Reply
Old Sep 22, 2005 | 04:48 PM
  #5  
longeye23s's Avatar
Racer
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 404
Likes: 0
From: orlando f.l
thats the only way i can tell if i on e is whan the gas light turns on. i have to find a way to work.. should i just buy a new fual gauge?
Reply
Old Sep 22, 2005 | 11:21 PM
  #6  
veo's Avatar
veo
Instructor
 
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 173
Likes: 0
when i turn off my car the fuel gage stays where ever it is. i think thats normal not to drop to E.
by the way, my gas light never comes on even when i'm on E. does that happen to anyone else?
Reply
Old Sep 23, 2005 | 12:47 AM
  #7  
vanz's Avatar
'97 2.5TL Premium
 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 394
Likes: 0
From: Oregon
my fuel guage doesn't drop when the car is off. It stays at the current level.

The E light is dim at first when almost empty and gets brighter. It should work. It should light up when you are down to 2 gallons or so.
Reply
Old Sep 23, 2005 | 10:17 AM
  #8  
DJRamzy's Avatar
2003 Acura MDX
 
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 640
Likes: 0
From: Gaithersburg, MD
My gas thing stays there when I turn the car off...
Reply
Old Sep 23, 2005 | 10:26 AM
  #9  
longeye23s's Avatar
Racer
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 404
Likes: 0
From: orlando f.l
mine use to go to e whan car is turn off. now it just stay in one spot no matter what! whats up with that i think im just going to buy a new gauge to see if tha gauge is missed up
Reply
Old Sep 23, 2005 | 10:30 AM
  #10  
WolfpackBill's Avatar
TL no more!
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 747
Likes: 1
From: Clemmons, NC
Ok...I just consulted my Acura's service manual. Here's what it says:

NOTE: The fuel gauge is a bobbin (cross-coil) type, hence the fuel level is continuously indicated even when the ignition switch is OFF, and the pointer moves more slowly than that of a bimetal type.
Source: Acura Service Manual CD-ROM. '95-'98 2.5/3.2TL Page: 23-121


So...like I said before, the gauge needle will stay whereever it is even when the ignition switch is off.

Case closed!!
Reply
Old Sep 23, 2005 | 11:57 AM
  #11  
longeye23s's Avatar
Racer
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 404
Likes: 0
From: orlando f.l
Originally Posted by WolfpackBill
Ok...I just consulted my Acura's service manual. Here's what it says:


Source: Acura Service Manual CD-ROM. '95-'98 2.5/3.2TL Page: 23-121


So...like I said before, the gauge needle will stay whereever it is even when the ignition switch is off.

Case closed!!
thanx for the info, but me gas gause does not move at all, i caould be on e and it reads 3/4 full its stuck on one spot no matter what. i even move the needle up or down with my fingers and it slowly move back to allmost full when i know it on e. if it wasnt for the gas light ill be in deep shit. what ur guys think? and thanx again guys for ur halp
Reply
Old Sep 23, 2005 | 12:18 PM
  #12  
WolfpackBill's Avatar
TL no more!
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 747
Likes: 1
From: Clemmons, NC
You've mentioned about installing indiglo gauges. Maybe the needle is stuck onto the board. Try lift the needle up just a tad bit and see if there're any differences.
Reply
Old Sep 23, 2005 | 04:23 PM
  #13  
longeye23s's Avatar
Racer
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 404
Likes: 0
From: orlando f.l
yea i have done that too its funny becouse if i move the needle it would slowly move back and just stay there. i dont know its werd i think im going just take the whole thing apart and play with it again.
Reply
Old Sep 23, 2005 | 09:07 PM
  #14  
c29842984's Avatar
Instructor
 
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 136
Likes: 0
I can understand why it's a problem if the guage always stays in the same place but why would it be a problem if you could see how much gas you have without turning the car on?
Reply
Old Sep 23, 2005 | 09:15 PM
  #15  
WolfpackBill's Avatar
TL no more!
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 747
Likes: 1
From: Clemmons, NC
The reason being is because many Honda vehicles with anything more than 4 cylinders have gas gauge needle drops to empty whenever you turn the car off. Our '98 Accord EX-V6 and our '05 Odyssey have gas gauge needles drops to empty whenever you turn the car off.
Reply
Old Sep 23, 2005 | 09:32 PM
  #16  
longeye23s's Avatar
Racer
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 404
Likes: 0
From: orlando f.l
no. ur guys ur not understainding me, that cool. let me asplain. my needle dont move at all no matter how much gas i use. see my gauge reads three quaters full all the time i could be on a half or on e and the needle still says three quaters full it does not move from there. the needle should move closer to e as i drive and weast gas but it dont thats what im saying, i dont care what happens after i turn off my car. i hope ur guys can understaind me and maybe help me out, thanx for ur guys help..
Reply
Old Sep 23, 2005 | 09:46 PM
  #17  
WolfpackBill's Avatar
TL no more!
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 747
Likes: 1
From: Clemmons, NC
Haha...I understand, you, bud. That's why I asked you if you had lifted the needle up just a tad bit. But now, I think your gauge is malfunctioning. Let me do some reading on the service manual and I'll post if I find something.
Reply
Old Sep 23, 2005 | 11:13 PM
  #18  
Ken1997TL's Avatar
Senior Moderator
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 45,641
Likes: 2,335
From: Better Neighborhood, Arizona
Umm... every Honda I've ever been in, the gas needle goes to E when its turned off
Reply
Old Sep 23, 2005 | 11:23 PM
  #19  
WolfpackBill's Avatar
TL no more!
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 747
Likes: 1
From: Clemmons, NC
Haha...not every. Your '97 TL's gas needle doesn't drop to empty when the ignition is turned off as confirmed by the service manual. Our '98 Accord's manual stated that the gas needle on the 4-cylinder models will stay at its current level even when the ignition is switched off while the V6 models' needle will drop to empty. They may have switched it around over the years but this is as far as I know. So that is why I said "many" Hondas instead of every Hondas.
Reply
Old Sep 24, 2005 | 07:49 AM
  #20  
longeye23s's Avatar
Racer
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 404
Likes: 0
From: orlando f.l
cool
Reply
Old Sep 24, 2005 | 01:12 PM
  #21  
Ken1997TL's Avatar
Senior Moderator
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 45,641
Likes: 2,335
From: Better Neighborhood, Arizona
Originally Posted by WolfpackBill
Haha...not every. Your '97 TL's gas needle doesn't drop to empty when the ignition is turned off as confirmed by the service manual. Our '98 Accord's manual stated that the gas needle on the 4-cylinder models will stay at its current level even when the ignition is switched off while the V6 models' needle will drop to empty. They may have switched it around over the years but this is as far as I know. So that is why I said "many" Hondas instead of every Hondas.
Hmm.. mine drops to empty. When I put it on II (the setting that activates everything except starting the car) the gauge will go back up.
Reply
Old Sep 25, 2005 | 01:24 PM
  #22  
Bluish's Avatar
BLUE
 
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 78
Likes: 1
From: INDIANA
Originally Posted by Ken1997TL
Hmm.. mine drops to empty. When I put it on II (the setting that activates everything except starting the car) the gauge will go back up.
Ken - my '96 3.2TL does not go to E, except when it's low on gas.

Over the past 100,000 miles, I've noticed that the low fuel indication consistently comes on with just under 2 gallons of gas remaining. (I can tell because if I refill the tank at that point it always takes about 15 gallons.) However, the needle's location when the light comes on has shifted. It used to come on just below the 1/8th of a tank point. Now it comes on just above the "E". I think the accuracy of the needle has degraded and that there is actually more fuel left than it says.

Does anybody know how these sensor work? Are the needle and the low fuel indicator separate sensors? Have others noticed that the needle accuracy has degraded with time while the indicator light has remained relatively constant?

Now that I've typed this up, I think I'll post this as a separate posting - so don't bother responding here.
Reply
Old Sep 25, 2005 | 02:53 PM
  #23  
Ken1997TL's Avatar
Senior Moderator
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 45,641
Likes: 2,335
From: Better Neighborhood, Arizona
Strange... my car must be a fluke
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
BOOSTED6IX-S
Member Cars for Sale
2
Feb 22, 2016 01:53 PM
Mr.Tea
1/2G MDX (2001-2013)
26
Oct 9, 2015 04:27 PM
Yumcha
Automotive News
2
Sep 17, 2015 10:16 AM
PortlandRL
Car Talk
2
Sep 14, 2015 12:01 PM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:22 PM.