Fun at the pumps

[LINLIN]

I know that doesn't seem possible but it happened to me the other day. I had the wife and kids with me and stopped for a fill up, but since it was very cold I left the car running. Anyway when I got back in the car the gas gauge was still reading empty and my fuel range was still displaying 30 miles. As I drove the gauge slowly increased as did my fuel range (exactly opposite of what normally happens). It took about 1/2 hour till by LS stopped "making gas", but it was fun while it lasted.

My wife says I'm easily amused.

 

[Frat-man-du]

Once in a while I too get amused, especially 'cause I can ask my wife for more gas money -see Honey it is still only half full

 

[mespock]

Good Story!

 

[beaups]

no smart either. can cause CEL to come on right thinks there's an EVAP leak.

 

[Fastbird]

Odd....after my flooding fiasco yesterday, last night I took it to fill up and mine did the exact same thing, only when I got home I turned off the car then immediately turned it back on and it was showing full. Odd.

 

[KD00LS]

Odd....after my flooding fiasco yesterday, last night I took it to fill up and mine did the exact same thing, only when I got home I turned off the car then immediately turned it back on and it was showing full. Odd.

That happened to me before, not relevant to the problem your having. Don't worry.

 

[nashmage]

Are you not suppost to fill up with the car on? or does it not make a differance?

 

[Hawk03]

Turn the engine off when refueling.

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/tech/Lincoln-LS/2001LincolnLS-OwnersManual.pdf

Page 230
"For consistent results when filling the fuel tank:
² Turn the engine/ignition switch to the off position prior to refueling,
an error in the reading will result if the engine is left running.
² Use the same filling rate setting (low — medium — high) each time
the tank is filled.
² Allow no more than 2 automatic click-offs when filling.
² Always use fuel with the recommended octane rating.
² Use a known quality gasoline, preferably a national brand.
² Use the same side of the same pump and have the vehicle facing the
same direction each time you fill up.
² Have the vehicle loading and distribution the same every time.
Your results will be most accurate if your filling method is consistent."

 

[Cruznlife1]

It doesnt matter, any late model car will do that. The fuel gauge "updates" every minute or so. If it always read the actual level, the gauge would go back and forth the whole time you drove the car. When you first turn the key on the car it will read the actual level. It's like that to keep the gauge as level as possible, all you're really seeing when you look at the gas gauge is like an "average" of the past couple readings it's taken in the past couple minutes. The delay is so long to keep it accurate if you were like driving up hill. If you're driving up hill for 5 minutes it would make it read full or empty, instead if will take a long time for the gauge to become accurate without turning the car back off and on. Think of it as a buffer

 

[beaups]

it may not be as big of deal on ls if it's returnless but most late model cars will throw check engine light due to it thinking there's a vapor system issue.

 

[Motodrew]

You must shut-down and restart the LS in order for the computer to accurately pull up the information. If I choose to fuel up with the car running, I just roll it into nuetral down the street and restart the vehicle...

 

[machlsowner]

This happened in my LS I would be driving and the gas would go down, then it would slowly rise up, well took it to the dealer and got new pumps and sensors out of the deal, works great now, it is fairly accurate.

 

[mharrison]

² Use the same side of the same pump and have the vehicle facing the same direction each time you fill up.

What exactly is the point of this one? (BTW...This isn't directed at Hawk, it's directed at the Owners Manual!)

 

[SoonerLS]

What exactly is the point of this one? (BTW...This isn't directed at Hawk, it's directed at the Owners Manual!)

Consistency. The more consistent you are in the fill-up, the more precise your mileage calculations will be (ie, the smaller the sampling error will be).

Different pumps deliver the fuel differently, and may shut off differently, giving you a different fill each time--f'rinstance, one pump may fill 'til gas is about to spew out the filler neck, but another pump may click off a bit sooner, giving you less gas, even if they started with the same volume to fill.

The part about same side of the pump and facing the same direction has the car's attitude the same each time (eg, nose down, nose up, etc)--again, it's about consistency. This way, you don't get extra gas in the tank one time because the tank's high point is at the filler neck entry into the tank (which allows air in the tank to fully escape), then next time get slightly less because the high point of the tank is somewhere else (which traps an air bubble).

 

[SoonerLS]

You must shut-down and restart the LS in order for the computer to accurately pull up the information. If I choose to fuel up with the car running, I just roll it into nuetral down the street and restart the vehicle...

Umm, why not just shut the car off when you're filling it? I mean, other than avoiding the dangerous situation of having a car with no power rolling down the street while you restart it...