What's Up with the V's Gas Gauge?

[rand49er]

So, I pull into my mother's house the other day. The last I looked, I had about a 1/4 tank. Get back in the car, and I didn't know if I was gonna make it to the station a mile down the road!?!

I like analog, but can't we get one that's linear?

[urbanski]

yup
i fill up before hitting 1/4

[The Tony Show]

Haha.... Yeah. I go about 175 miles until the gauge shows 1/2. I'm thinking, "Wow! I'm going to get 350 miles out of this tank", but then 50 miles later it's almost on E.

[daytripper]

I've been left stranded twice by this car in first 6 months of ownership. Both times I left for the office in the morning with about 1/4 tank, and both times ran out of gas within a couple of miles of the gas station I frequent right near my house. Range sucks on a tankful, and I usually barely see 200 miles on the trip computer for miles to empty upon fillup.

Never had a car that would use a quarter tank of gas on a 40 mile round trip, highway commute. Wife is getting tired of coming to my rescue.

Brian R.

[P-Funk]

Do you check the estimated range?

[CIWS]

I usually fill up around a half tank reading on the gauge unless I'm trying to run it down to switch gas types (companies). However I pay attention to the computer and it telling me how much gas has been used, not really the gauge. Although it can read 1/2 to 3/4 of a gallon low (my car anyway). I know once it says I've used 15 gallons, I better be fueling pretty damn quick.

[KTSwanson]

Once the gauge is below 1/2 tank, if you're on the Southern Calif. freeways, you better start looking for a station to fill up...I was driving up the I-5 from LA to SF, and with a high rate of consumption due to prolonged jousting in triple digets with an SRT-8, suddenly noted my tank gauge was at 1/2...with gas stations few and far between out there, I was at 1/8 tank before the relief of the big Shell appeared...anxious moments...

[japx]

Folks:
Welcome to the 'good and goofy' of GM world. I have at least 10+ GM cars over the years and NOT one of them have a gas guage that's linear... Every vehicle NOVA SS to Corvette to Cadillac to Camaro and so on has a dis-proportionate gas guage. Usually even amount between Full and 3/4 than what's left in the rest of the tank.... Just a quirk of the brand and the dealer should have warned you if they know thier product/s.....

[rand49er]

Originally Posted by japx

Folks:
Welcome to the 'good and goofy' of GM world. I have at least 10+ GM cars over the years and NOT one of them have a gas guage that's linear... Every vehicle NOVA SS to Corvette to Cadillac to Camaro and so on has a dis-proportionate gas guage. Usually even amount between Full and 3/4 than what's left in the rest of the tank.... Just a quirk of the brand and the dealer should have warned you if they know thier product/s.....

I shared a 1960 Pontiac with my mother and later had a 1964 GTO in college, both had the same type gas gauge. Those buggers would get down to 1/8 full and hesitate there and then actually rise slightly! I mean, how many times do you think I got lulled into "you've still got a little gas, don't worry"? Yup, way too many times.

But, for cryin' out loud, this is 2006! I guess some technology just lags behind.

[heavymetals]

Why do you think the car came with Onstar?

I get gas almost everytime the guage falls below 1/2.

At 1/4 it is running on fumes....

[wildwhl]

What's up with the V's gas gauge? Well, it is optimistic, just like the 0-60 claims!

(sorry, I couldn't resist)

WW

[Koooop]

Display should read "YOU'RE OUT OF GAS STUPID" instead of the very pleasant and optimistic "LOW FUEL"

When my Low Fuel display lights up I have about 8 - 10 easy slow miles then I'm walking.

[NIK]

Originally Posted by wildwhl

What's up with the V's gas gauge? Well, it is optimistic, just like the 0-60 claims!

(sorry, I couldn't resist)

WW

Several mags I've read have done it (4.6 - 4.8) .............. just thought I'd let you know (and they didn't blow the differential either.)

[P-Funk]

I let the gauge run down to between 1/2 and 1/4 then turn the info display on estmated range and go from there. If the range is less than 60 miles or so, I go fill up unless I'm near a station with a good price before that (and I mean "good price" in a relative way).

[The Tony Show]

At least it isn't as bad as my RX-8. That thing would be at 1/4, then go up to 1/2, then the low fuel light would be on. I just filled it up every 200 miles.....