sc354

Hey guys,

When I first got the car, the needle didn't seem to move from the F line until after driving about 40-50km. For some odd reason, ever since I switched to 94 Octane, the needle begins to move within 25-30 km of all city driving. Since yesterday, I have driven on this tank like a grandma since we got hit with snow, and still my gauge at 40 km is between the F line and one notch below it.

How many miles/kilometers do you guys travel in the city before the gauge begins to move???

keep in mind I drive a TL-S not a TL-P.

thanks

MikeTL-S

go to www.howstuffworks.com for an explanation. You are burning gas, but a visual explanation would do so much better justice than a verbal. Your gas needle is fine.

sc354

How many miles does it take until your gas needle begins to move??? I did just throw in another bottle of STP fuel system cleaner after 5k km, so I figured it may improve the gas mileage, but it didn't.

MikeTL-S

go to www.howstuffworks.com for an explanation. You are burning gas, but a visual explanation would do so much better justice than a verbal. Your gas needle is fine.

sc354

why did you re-post the same thing? I'm asking how many miles does it take your needle to move?

PappyTL

Mine starts coming off the peg after about 25-30 miles (40-47km) of mostly highway driving. What's your mileage, eh, kilometerage (-) work out too?

PappyTL

sc354

see the last time I did a lot of highway driving, i was amazed at how long it took the car to come off the F line. the needle didn't even move passed the F for about 95 km, which is about 58 Miles.

In the city however, the needle begins to move after about 20 miles.

Here's a quick conversion tool:

1 mile = 1.609 km

so multiply the number of miles by 1.609 to get it in km's.

dee diddy

talked to the service advisor guy today about the fuel sensing unit problem some have experienced and he suggested a fix, that was posted to the dealerships from acura canada, was to turn the key to II (On) position and then turn it off and to do this 7 times and that will reset it. he kept on telling me he mostly sees the problem on integras and ELs and it's common for the needle to dip after u make a turn or have beeing driving up/downhill. i don't really have a problem with the needle, but that's something i'll try and thought i'd share.

Deity42

One, you absolutely cannot gauge gas milage by the fuel meter.
Two, what kind of gas milage are you expecting from a high performance V6?

moat

I dont think I've ever seen less than 23 mpg in the city with my 02 TLS and that is really beating on it. Cruising at 70-75 I get around 33-35 mpg... not too shabby for all that power..

Mark

FidizzyTypeS

23miles everytime

Tracer

Eh, my needle moves the moment i start the engine

Tracer

crazym0nkey

You must not be really beating on it......really beating on it would be like me...getting 12 MPG O yeah...in cali they only have 91 Octane so maybe thats why you guys get higher milage?

Also about the needle moving...on my car (03 TLS) usually i look at the fuel needle after i have driven it... then when i drive the next day i have less fuel then what i saw before i turned it off......maybe my idea is wrong but if your car is on...meaning that the car is warm-uped and all...wouldnt the gas in the gas tank expand....saying you have more gas than you would have when the car is cool?

FidizzyTypeS

i've noticed that as well....it likes to play tricks on me.....i'll park it and i'll have half a tank...i start it and it has like 1/3 of a tank.

sc354

hey this is for Crazymonkey and FidizzyType S:

I had this exact same problem with my TL-S. If you needle is fluctuating that much then you guys are having the same problem that I had. Go to the dealer and complain about this, and let them know that you are aware of the fuel sending unit being faulty in this car.

I just had mine replaced because of that exact same thing. I would leave the car for the night, turn her on in the morning, and all of the sudden the needle was no longer at Full, it would be 2 notches below full....

So go to the dealer and have them replace the Fuel Sending Unit, and you won't have problems anymore.

Good luck.

fsttyms1

you cant read gassmilage by the needle. the only way is to do the math with what you end up filling it up with and miles. the needle isnt a acurat way of doing it and driving styles change due to weather. just filler up a few times and and do the math and see where your at. my milage drops in the winter

MikeTL-S

SC354- don't know why my message double posted. sorry for the confusion.

Tracer

I had my fuel sensor replaced a while back for the fluctuating thing. Even though my car is out of warrenty, Acura did it for free.

Tracer

crazym0nkey

I dont find this a problem because my needle does drop while im driving....i just noticed that it drops a bit more after i restart my car... its not a big problem to me and i dont think its faulty anyways

sc354

when you're driving, obviously it's not abnormal that it drops depending on how far you drive the car. However, turning off the car and turning it back on doesn't warrant the needle to move that much. Therefore here is the formula...

If your needle moves when you are driving, thus you are using gas = a normal gauge fluctuation

If your needle will display one reading before you turn off the car, and then display something of lesser value as soon as you turn the car back on = a faulty fuel sending unit, or something else seriously wrong with the car.

My advice, bring it to acura, they'll know what to do with it.

maxx96

Hi Jeff! Hey man, I think that MOST of our cars have the same issue, I know I do, but, remember that the needle is going to move downward faster if most of your driving is city (less mpg=more rapid movement), that's why as you mentioned, when you are driving hwy, it takes longer for the needle to move.
As far as the needle moving or appearing to be in another position after you re-start the engine, remember that all that constant movement of the car while it travels moves the gas inside the tank, so what you see at the gauge is more like an average while driving and once you stop and the gas settles, then you get the accurate reading. Hopes this clarifies a little your confusion. Keep in mind, mine is working just like yours and IMHO there is nothing wrong with it.

Deity42

Well I am usually busy glancing at my tach or speedo, not staring at my gas gauge. I just fill it up when it gets low. According to my math, my gas milage is above average and indicates nothing wrong with my car.

Having my gas gauge needle drop a notch when I turn my car on is not a big enough problem to warrant me having to go to the dealership to have them take my fuel tank out and fool with some sensor that was probably fine in the first place.

My old Oldsmobile's gauge would actually swing from "E" to "F" if I took a corner hard enough. That fact that my gas gauge actually sits still now when I drive is incredibly exciting to me.

Just my $.02

sc354

Well I guess then some of the sensors are more generous in their reading. My old fuel sending unit fluctuated so much as half a tank. I thought that was ridiculous. Now I'm only getting fluctuations of at most 1-2 notches

Better now!!

Silver2000TL

sc, when your tank fluctuates does it affect how much you have to fill it up? Lets say you know your tank is near full but the needle sits at half, will a few dollars top it off or does it need as much as a car at half empty would?
Sometimes i wonder if its giving me bad gas mileage.

sc354

See I thought the same thing as you. According to the dealer, this fuel sending unit doesn't affect your gas mileage at all. Honestly, there's probably very few people as "in tune" with their car, and I can tell you I saw atleast a 25% improvement in gas mileage in the city, and like a 35% improvement. When the dealer tells me it should make no difference, I just look down and snicker. It's a load of crap. All in all, it probably doesn't affect it much, but I may have been a unique case, where it was causing a significant difference.

Sometimes when the tank read 3/4, I would only need like 10L to fill the tank, but other times when it was relly at 3/4 it would need nearly 15 to fill. Sometimes the gauge was accurate, but in most cases, it was lying.

stude55

I just replaced my 99 TL with a 2000 TL. Some one decided my car was too long and moved my back bumper to under the back window. On my 99, I would travel about 100 kilometers (60 miles) prior to the needle leaving the full mark and with the 2000, at 100 kilometers, I'm at about 5/8 of a tank. I know I haven't used 3/8 of a tank of gas because it only took about 10 liters (2-1/2 gallons) to fill it. Gas milage isn't an issue but the fuel gage is.

Does anyone know how much it costs to replace the sending unit or is the problem more severe? The car is about 4 months over warranty.

Thanks

Tony

sc354

Acura may still warrant this problem since it's a known issue amongst TL's, or acura for that matter.

I would assume something like this is about 200 bux, but the problem is the labour. Apparently they need to drain the tank, so that they can access the sending unit, then once the new one is installed, put all the gas back in. It's a labour instensive job. I would be surprised if you got away with less then 300 bux installed.

good luck with that.

samkws

if i topped with fuel, it probably takes 40-50km then begin to drop

for hwy maybe 70km