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FUEL GAUGE LIGHT TURNS ON EARLY?

SHEPSXJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
WAYNESBORO,VA
i own a 93' xy, from what ive read i have a 20gal fuel tank. my fuel needle will be right on "e" and fuel light had been on for a while, go and fill up with gas and it will only take on average 15.4-16.2 gallons. is this normal for the gauge to read "e" and the light to be on that early or do i have a problem
thanks for any advice.
 
Mine comes on pretty early as well, also comes on even earlier when cornering or braking because of the fuel sloshing around in the tank.
 
Yes thats quite normal from what i've experienced with my 94 and 96

I use the trip odo every time I fill up to check mileage and the light would come on between 200-225 miles and I could drive to about the 290-300 mile mark around town and around 320-325 straight highway

the trip computer in my 97 tells me I have something like 340 miles to empty when I fill it...not sure how accurate that is, havn't tested it yet because I just got it recently
 
langer1 said:
A 20gal has a 5 gal. reserve, the 15gal has a 2gal reserve.

So you're saying that an xj (mine's '98) twenty gallon takes actually holds twenty-five gallons, or is it at about fifteen gallons the light goes on (never did in mine) and that tells me I have five gallons left in a twenty gallon tank.

Blame the Guinness :cheers:
 
mikeny59 said:
So you're saying that an xj (mine's '98) twenty gallon takes actually holds twenty-five gallons, or is it at about fifteen gallons the light goes on (never did in mine) and that tells me I have five gallons left in a twenty gallon tank.

Blame the Guinness :cheers:


Yes.........at about 15-16 gallons, your light will come on indicating 4-5 gallons left. At least that's how my 2000 works.
 
thanks, but got my hopes up for a moment :(
 
Jeez if its going off that early, then I have alot of mileage left when the light goes on.... assuming my Jeep has the 20 gal. Any easy way to tell? I can't remember ever putting more than 14 gal in the Jeep.
 
my light comes on when my gauge says i have a quarter of a tank. although my guage is a quarter tank off so i still have 10gal in my tank when the light comes on
 
IslanderOffRoad said:
Jeez if its going off that early, then I have alot of mileage left when the light goes on.... assuming my Jeep has the 20 gal.

I don't think all 20 gallons are considered "useable". I've read somewhere before that because the way the tank/fuel pump is shaped/designed, there is about 1-2 gallons that the fuel pump won't suck up.

Just something I remember reading on one of these "gas gauge" threads.
 
On my '98 the pump/sender/regulator-filter/pickup-screen is comprised of this mammoth cylinder that you actually have to force downwards to compress it and then lock it down with a six-inch or so locknut.

The replacable strainer element - IIRC - presses smack against the bottom of my tank, which tells me it's sucking up every last drop fuel. So much for keeping your tank at least half full to avoid sucking up water/crap from bottom of the tank (the good old '70's?!?)...

Please correct me about the strainer, but I have replaced it on my first pump, I believe the "true" filter is atop in the regulator. That's why I ONLY use name-brand fuel (except Citgo)...
 
I did the GoJeep modification using 1/2 inch copper water tubing. 90 degree elbow + a short straight piece held together with JB Weld.

Easy to do if the tank is out and you have skinny forearms (I used my wifes).

Put in 17 1/2 gallons last night when the light first came on without even trying.

BigG said:
GoJeep has a way to get about 3 gallons more in the stock tank so you get 23 gallons total.
http://go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoFuelTank.htm
 
I threw my 5 gallon gas can in the back one week when the light came on and drove it to see what would happen. I finally filled up 4 days and 80 miles later (10 miles to work) and put 19 gallons in it to the first click on the pump. My light always comes on with 5 gallons to go.
 
Consider the strainer, which sits at the bottom of the module inside the tank, merely a crude filter whereas the main filter is strapped to the inside of a frame rail above and in front of the fuel tank. Parts suppliers want you to replace it every 12000 miles. How often is that done? My low level sensor kicks off when I have six gallons left. That's a 30% reserve amount which I like having on long trips. By the way, do you know the major difference in your name brand gasolines?...it's the color. That and its specific gravity.
 
Same here, it turns on with a little less than 1/4 tank left.....too early.

After that my gauge falls quickly. It will show below empty and I'll still have about 2.2 gallons left :O
 
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