Checking the accuracy of the fuel gauge - the hard way

[Jim Yergin]

Nice sunny morning today, though very cold for this part of Virginia (18 degrees with a wind chill in the single digits). Decided to drive the '41 to work. No trouble starting it up (kept in unheated garage) and it ran well as I headed towards the gas station because the gauge read 1/8 of a tank. About a mile from home it died. Now I know how accurate (or inaccurate) the gauge is. Fortunately someone I knew was driving by as I started to walk home to get some gas and I got a ride out of the cold. There can be a benefit to breaking down in a distinctive car. Got the gas and was back on the road. Had added 4.5 gallons on the side of the road and then 12.5 more at the pump. Definitely had a 17 gallon empty tank.

Jim Yergin

[Norm's Coupe]

Jim,

At least you now know that when you are at 1/8 tank, it's empty. Actually, I remember in the old days, hardly any of the gauges were that accurate. Either they were empty on about an eighth of a tank, or they were empty just below the empty mark. Don't think I had any type of car that was right on the mark back then. That includes Ford, Chevy and Dodge.

[maurice wade]

I had only owned my 47 P-15 for about a week, when on a Saturday my wife called me and said she was out of gas, and could I bring some to her. I asked her where she was at, and then I thought to ask her what car she was in. She said Oh I'm in the Plymouth. She wanted to take the neighbour for a ride. I call it a joy ride. I almost called the police to report my wife stealing my car. I thought again. Maurice

[pflaming]

I liked the old VW's with the 1 gal reserve tank. Drive til out of gas then kick over the lever and head for a gas station. Now that is what I call an accurate gauge!

[hkestes41]

My gas guage doesn't work at all so I carry a 1.5 gallon plastic gas can in the trunk bungied to the spare tire just in case. Kind of my take on the VW reserve tank.

About every other time I put gas in the car I will first pour in the gas out of the can and then fill the car and add a gallon to the can to keep it fresh.

[BobT-47P15]

I used to occasionally run out of gas also......carried the gas can.

Got a new tank float and better dash gauge.....now it's closer to right.

Not perfect, however.

[Young Ed]

Jim keep working the bugs out I'll see you in WI

[BobT-47P15]

You can bend the needle of the gas gauge a little - to make it

be a bit more accurate. Need to experiment with it a while first to see

where it is at when you run out of gas. I guess you now know.....1/8 of

a tank. So take out the gauge.....gently bend the needle from

1/8 back toward empty (where it makes the 90 degree bends below the face).

Hope that makes sense.

Otherwise, you just need to remember where empty really is.

[Frank Elder]

Our stock tank have no baffles, right?

So why not experiment, pull your sending unit and bend the arm a little so it will go lower as the fluid level drops, go in increments until your gas gauge reads empty, then reinstall your unit. Of course maybe your gauge is "pegged out" at an 1/8 and it has to be recalibrated.

[Jim Yergin]

Frankie,

If I were really ambitious I would do that but rather than dropping the gas tank I think it is easier for me to just remember where empty is on the gauge.

Have a Merry Christmas.

Jim Yergin

[Normspeed]

I carry a reserve can of gas in my 53. Gauge reads fine except 1/4 tank really means empty. I have a NOS gauge in the box but don't want to get under there and replace it.

I found the hard way that wagons carry 14 gallons of fuel, not 17 like the other body styles.

[Charlie Olson]

What is the gas tank capacity for our P15 four door sedans? Is it 16 gallons? I would like to know so I can better judge my totally inaccurate fuel gauge. One time I had to put 12 gallons in it, usually it is between 6 and 8 gallons with the gauge at the 3/4 mark. I ran out of gas once, but my memory can't seem to remember what it took to fill PLYWOOD up, after all I had only had the car for three weeks and believed the gas gauge wouldn't do me wrong. Too funny! Thanks.

[steveplym]

According to the reference info on the parent site p15-d24.com. It says that a P-15 tank will hold 17 gallons. That seems right on with my P-15 4-door.

[Rodney Bullock]

I liked the old VW's with the 1 gal reserve tank. Drive til out of gas then kick over the lever and head for a gas station. Now that is what I call an accurate gauge!

I was looking at a special on the Autoban, it is against the law to run out of gas on that highway1 gallon reserve is good. My 1940 has a good gauge it is accurate very accurate when on "E" it has about half a gallon left. I have tested it. Re-nu-zit supplied that sending unit and tested it.