Well, I had 3 solid LED's on the gas gauge (I know I know, I shouldn't go below 1/4 tank...) so I figured I had enough to get to Carl's Jr, about 6 minutes away. I made it there, but as I was sitting at the pickup window I watch the 3rd LED disappear. OK, maybe it was on the verge. Then I saw the 2nd LED disappear. The gas pump light comes on. The drive-thru crew was not THAT slow. I start to be concerned. Then the final LED disappears!!! All this was within maybe two minutes. Oh my God. I turn the car off. Burger arrives. Car won't start. I push it off to the side with the help of the customer behind me....I have a bum right shoulder, he wants his damn food I call my wife with the drive-thru clerk's cell phone. My phone is at home....heck, I didn't need it.....I was only going down the street.

Wife comes with 2 gallon gas can. We go get gas. I put gas in the car. Some gas still in can. Car starts, gas gauge shows solid 1/4 tank!?!?!? WTF?? On just under TWO gallons? I may be old school but that should mean an 8 gallon tank....but it is a 13.2 gallon tank. Where are the other 5.2 gallons??? Certainly not in a reserve! And my car is always full at 10 gallons on the gas pump, so it would seem that 3.2 gallons are in a reserve....Even with the manual's disclaimer that the gauge "may show more or less than the actual amount", this was way off.

Anyone know what is up? I love my car but this kind of pissed me off, since I was already having a not-so-great day

[\venting]

 

if she brought you 2 gallons, did you fill up full afterwards to see if it added up to 13.2? that is all i can think of. i have gotten the gas light on wilshire blvd. and made it all the way to west hills which is about 15+ miles.
oh, i forgot, when all my bars run out to 0, 3 more bars appear shortly after like a recharge. then when those run out, i know it is damn close to empty cuz when i fill up i get about 12.x gallons. and that is a little too close to cut it.

 

Thanks, Meth...no I didn't fill it tonight. I went home and ate my cold burger.

When the "new" three bars came up, was it while your engine was still running? Perhaps it switches to the reserve (like a bike has), but since I turned it off before it did, I screwed myself...? Mmmmm......possible...

 

damn, that sucks for you.

not good for your engine when you have 0 gas.

you should bring it back to the dealer to check the sensor and see if anything wrong with your engine.

 

yeah, usually i am in the car running low, then it goes to 0 then goes back to 3 bars. i am a bit of a gambler when it comes to fuel, i am too lazy to get some so i like to stretch it, especially because i favor certain chevrons in the valley. i don't know if it is just me, it doesn't make sense that my guage does that, but IT DOES, i have seen it enough times to be certain of it. i have not actually run out on this car yet though.

 

i can't say it is activating reserve, more like some freak thing that happens when i am running low, i can't say for sure if this happens to anyone else's S though.

 

Yeah, I'm curious too what some of the other guys will say....ummm...when they wake up...

Thanks to both you guys for your replies!

 

I had something like this happen in the past few months. My gauge went a few bars to empty in nothing flat while I was driving a route of about 6 miles. I ignored it because I only had 167 miles on the odo. I coasted for a few blocks and for a few blocks more I was able to actually drive when the terrain leveled out and I could get fuel to the pump.... I added 12.833 gallons, and only got about 13mpg. Every fillup after that was normal, the guage seems accurate again.

Hmmm, side question - have you checked your oil level lately?

-JD

 

Sorry to hear that... Happy New Years

 

One word of caution for those that "like to run the tank lean"...you're setting yourself up for a new fuel pump down the road. And from experience, that is a "no fun" experience . When a fuel pump begins to go, you will enjoy the S2000 exhibiting hesitations, bucks, and generally a sense of engine "missing" and power loss. . Very annoying.

Glad you're off to the races again ...just offering a word of caution about running your S2000 with little go-juice.

- Dave