distance to empty

[baldguy]

every time (99%) i start my 88 lsc the dte reads 0 no matter how much gas is in the tank. i've gotten in the habit of always hitting the clock button to disregard the warning. every now and then after driving i hit the dte button and actually get a reading that i would believe.
is there a remedy for this problem?

I have ran the diagnostic for the whole info center but it was no help.

 

[Elessee]

You might try disconnecting the battery. That will reboot / reset the Message Center computer.

and if the message center is working properly... ?

A malfunctioning fuel gauge (in the tank) i suppose.. maybe a corroded wire connector somewhere is intermittently being disconnected.
( But I don't know if a disconnected fuel gauge will read the tank as empty or full.)

Empty.. zero miles.. Not 15.. not 42 miles. That "zero" may be a clue that points to some critical fuel-gauge fault, like a disconnection.
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I was getting an annoying chime at every startup, but it was DEST = 0, not DTE. I accidentally fixed it by fooling with the buttons.

 

[ridindirrty]

Common Problem

This is a common issue with these cars. Mine does it too. Either it tells you zero or it gives you an accurate reading. I actually think there was a ford TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) pertaining to this very issue. Try resetting your average speed once in a while, it seems to work for me. I started doing this because i assume this would be one of the parameters the computer uses to calculate DTE. Try resetting it every time you fill up and see what happens.

 

[OldSchool1]

Electrical Issue

every time (99%) i start my 88 lsc the dte reads 0 no matter how much gas is in the tank. i've gotten in the habit of always hitting the clock button to disregard the warning. every now and then after driving i hit the dte button and actually get a reading that i would believe.
is there a remedy for this problem?

I have ran the diagnostic for the whole info center but it was no help.

Start with a new battery and new voltage regulator and replace the ignition switch (see my signature). Once these three things are done, then you can troubleshoot the problem without chasing your tail.