I thought one of the husbandly duties was keeping the wife's car full of gas.
Missing LOW FUEL message on 06 DTS
Has anyone else with an 06/07 DTS noticed that there's no LOW FUEL alert message on their cars? On my car, even with the car's gas gauge as low as it will go and with the range display showing "LOW RANGE" there's no "LOW FUEL" message like I've seen on other Cadillacs. The manual says such a message exists, along with a picture of a gas pump. I hate to keep going with fuel this low just to see if the message eventually appears, but I wonder if this is something common to these cars or if there's just something different about mine. On my wife's 03 DTS, with the needle a bit above the E and with about 60 miles left on the range display, there is a tone and the "LOW FUEL" message appears on the dot-matrix display, but I have yet to see anything on my 06 DTS in the 6 months in which I've had the car. I'm concerned if my wife drives my car without this tone & message she might not notice the tank running out. Thanks! Doug
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It DEFINITELY is supposed to alert you BEFORE "LOW RANGE" appears on the DTE.Has anyone else with an 06/07 DTS noticed that there's no LOW FUEL alert message on their cars? On my car, even with the car's gas gauge as low as it will go and with the range display showing "LOW RANGE" there's no "LOW FUEL" message like I've seen on other Cadillacs. The manual says such a message exists, along with a picture of a gas pump. I hate to keep going with fuel this low just to see if the message eventually appears, but I wonder if this is something common to these cars or if there's just something different about mine. On my wife's 03 DTS, with the needle a bit above the E and with about 60 miles left on the range display, there is a tone and the "LOW FUEL" message appears on the dot-matrix display, but I have yet to see anything on my 06 DTS in the 6 months in which I've had the car. I'm concerned if my wife drives my car without this tone & message she might not notice the tank running out. Thanks! Doug
On the Escalade, the FUEL LEVEL LOW warning appears on the display, there is a chime, and I think theres even a yellow light. *THEN* at THAT point IVE still got a good 30 miles left on the DTE display. Shortly thereafter it will finally say LOW RANGE.
That should be an easy software fix if it is indeed broken.
Same thing on my '06 DTS. I have run it pretty low a couple of times, and no LOW FUEL warning either. A few times on the DTE it was less than 30 miles. No chimes... no warning message.... in fact NO NOTHING. Thanks for reminding me. I need to talk to my dealer about that.Has anyone else with an 06/07 DTS noticed that there's no LOW FUEL alert message on their cars? On my car, even with the car's gas gauge as low as it will go and with the range display showing "LOW RANGE" there's no "LOW FUEL" message like I've seen on other Cadillacs. The manual says such a message exists, along with a picture of a gas pump. I hate to keep going with fuel this low just to see if the message eventually appears, but I wonder if this is something common to these cars or if there's just something different about mine. On my wife's 03 DTS, with the needle a bit above the E and with about 60 miles left on the range display, there is a tone and the "LOW FUEL" message appears on the dot-matrix display, but I have yet to see anything on my 06 DTS in the 6 months in which I've had the car. I'm concerned if my wife drives my car without this tone & message she might not notice the tank running out. Thanks! Doug
Jim
I've had a 06 DTS and recall the message coming on saying low fuel and a picture of a gas pump appearing. I'm not sure how low the gage had to get, I usually filled up at a quarter tank.
The message should appear around 20 miles to empty. I think it is preceded by the "Fuel Level Low" message at approximately 40 miles to empty.
I drive about 300 miles a day, so I see these messages at least once a week, especially if I'm trying to make my next stop on my route on time!
Which reminds me, I think I need to change my fuel filter soon...
I drive about 300 miles a day, so I see these messages at least once a week, especially if I'm trying to make my next stop on my route on time!
Which reminds me, I think I need to change my fuel filter soon...
In an effort to see if I suffer this same problem on my 06 DTS I have used 16.7 gallons of the 18.5 gallon tank since filling up. DIC says LOW RANGE if I scroll to that part of the display but no warning whatsoever. Owners manual says that I should get a warning light and a chime for low fuel. Drove three Olds 98's and two park aves prior to this caddy. They shared a number of GM components and they always chimed in or had warning lights when I had about three gallons left in the 18 gallon tanks.
My gas needle is dead on the bottom hash mark of the analog gauge if not a hair below. My DIC usually registers pretty close to how much gas I pump. If it says I used 16.7 then I expect when I fill it up I will be within a couple tenths of a gallon accurate assuming the gas pump is accurate at the station.
I am goign to drive it till I have about a gallon and a half according to the DIC to see if the blooming thing works. I'm almost there now.
My gas needle is dead on the bottom hash mark of the analog gauge if not a hair below. My DIC usually registers pretty close to how much gas I pump. If it says I used 16.7 then I expect when I fill it up I will be within a couple tenths of a gallon accurate assuming the gas pump is accurate at the station.
I am goign to drive it till I have about a gallon and a half according to the DIC to see if the blooming thing works. I'm almost there now.
I personally don't have enough faith in the insturmentation to get close enough to get the message to show.
I remember an SRX posting from a couple of years ago that shows the panel showing an SRX driver that he had 40 miles range left. The car was parked and out of gas at the time.
I remember an SRX posting from a couple of years ago that shows the panel showing an SRX driver that he had 40 miles range left. The car was parked and out of gas at the time.
Dont do that. Its obvious to me its not working right and even if it is, you are FAR too close to the bottom for that to be right. Another SRX scenario involves a guy who was also using the "gallons used" on the DIC and ended up with a 3 gallon difference when he ran out of gas. Youre ALREADY closer than that and you risk burning your fuel pump or causing other damage if the thing goes completely dry. Damage which the dealer may not find to be in concordance with your factory warranty, even if for the sake of "research purposes".In an effort to see if I suffer this same problem on my 06 DTS I have used 16.7 gallons of the 18.5 gallon tank since filling up. DIC says LOW RANGE if I scroll to that part of the display but no warning whatsoever. Owners manual says that I should get a warning light and a chime for low fuel. Drove three Olds 98's and two park aves prior to this caddy. They shared a number of GM components and they always chimed in or had warning lights when I had about three gallons left in the 18 gallon tanks.
My gas needle is dead on the bottom hash mark of the analog gauge if not a hair below. My DIC usually registers pretty close to how much gas I pump. If it says I used 16.7 then I expect when I fill it up I will be within a couple tenths of a gallon accurate assuming the gas pump is accurate at the station.
I am goign to drive it till I have about a gallon and a half according to the DIC to see if the blooming thing works. I'm almost there now.
I think weve got enough evidence here to show something is wacky or the warning hasnt been programmed in at all. Im surprised ewill3rd or cadillac tech havent chimed in here, Im sure theyd know.
Finished my research project successfully. Warning message came up on DIC that said LOW FUEL or something to that effect once my needle was right on, or a smidge below, the bottom hash mark of the analog gas gauge. Can't speak for the rest of the DICs out there but mine was within 2 tenths of a gallon of what I actually pumped back in which was almost exactly 17 gallons. Warning came on about a mile and half earlier. So at least on mine, I know what I have when the LOW FUEL warning comes on the DIC: a gallon and a half. Too close for comfort but at least now I know. Other large GM sedans in the past generally gave a warning at 3 gallons remaining.
Just an FYI, I had checked my DIC against what I actually pumped multiple times before starting this little research project so I knew it to be very close to accurate.
I still think having a warning at only 1.5 gallons to be a design flaw. Is anyone else experienceing something different?
Just an FYI, I had checked my DIC against what I actually pumped multiple times before starting this little research project so I knew it to be very close to accurate.
I still think having a warning at only 1.5 gallons to be a design flaw. Is anyone else experienceing something different?
I put 16.9 gallons in the 18 gallon tank in my '06 DTS a few days ago.
The low fuel warning "NEVER" came on. The miles to empty showed 38. On some of the other Cadillacs I have had, the fuel warning would come on at 50 miles to empty.
I think the dealer is going to get to work on this one.
Jim
The low fuel warning "NEVER" came on. The miles to empty showed 38. On some of the other Cadillacs I have had, the fuel warning would come on at 50 miles to empty.
I think the dealer is going to get to work on this one.
Jim
This has made for some very interesting reading! My DTS is about at the end of its RANGE display (40 miles or so) and I'm about due for my first oil change, so I'll let it get to "low range" and hit the Cad dealership to see if they have anything to say about it. I agree with an earlier comment about older cars chiming and warning at about 3 gallons. My wife's 03 DTS chimes at me whenever I get to about 60 on the Range display (and the needle is not quite on "E" yet) - so about 3 gallons are left, more or less. On my DTS once I get below 40mi and get the LOW RANGE I get nervous about not having anything left to go by on the DIC! Perhaps if I waited just a bit longer before getting gas I'd see that little GAS PUMP on the DIC which I see a picture of in the Owner's Manual!
Mine didn't come on till I was a tenth of gallon beyond that, or right at 17 gallons used. I would agree however that this is not how it should be although it may be a design issue rather than a faulty component. By the way, the tank is published at 18.5 gallons capacity. (versus 18)I put 16.9 gallons in the 18 gallon tank in my '06 DTS a few days ago.
The low fuel warning "NEVER" came on. The miles to empty showed 38. On some of the other Cadillacs I have had, the fuel warning would come on at 50 miles to empty.
I think the dealer is going to get to work on this one.
Jim
The problem ya’all are describing is similar to the one we had in the de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter, or U1-A as the U.S. Army called it. This STOL utility aircraft had three belly fuel tanks. A selector gauge on the instrument panel selected the front, middle, or rear tank. The rear tank was the only tank that drained empty in a nose-low attitude (landing configuration) so, when you managed your fuel, you mad sure not to kill the rear tank unless you had to. There was no fuel gauge on our military (civilian planes, actually, with OD paint) planes. Instead, a little yellow light popped on when you had 15 minutes of fuel left in the tank. Three yellow lights (all the same single light, actually) mean you had 45 minutes to get it done and get it down. This all required mental manipulations and tracking of the situation, since at 2,000- feet you did not get out to push when you ran out of gas. And you defiantly did not want to land anywhere Charlie (VC Charlie – Nam) would be your mechanic of the day. :gun:
So, a low fuel in the ‘Lac doesn’t seem so extreme at all. Just stop at Costco or Wal-Mart and fill ‘er up more aften, Heh?
So, a low fuel in the ‘Lac doesn’t seem so extreme at all. Just stop at Costco or Wal-Mart and fill ‘er up more aften, Heh?
I finally was able to see the LOW FUEL message with the gas pump on the DIC display! When my range went from saying "40 miles" to "low range" I reset the "Fuel Used" display to 0.0 and drove a bit further. When I got between 0.6 and 0.7 gallons used, the "LOW FUEL" warning occurred along with 4 warning chimes. At this point the gas gauge needle was a tick below the EMPTY line. So, like the other person said, assuming the 40 mile range indicates close to 2 gallons left, that means I had about 1.3 to 1.5 gallons left in the tank at the point of the alert. I didn't drive her much further beyond that and refueled at about .9 gallons used on the DIC, but at least I know it is working as (perhaps not the best) designed! Doug
Book says pump pic shows up at 30 mi. Too close for comfort for me. I never let my gas get that low. For those of you that insist on finding out, bring a gas can from your lawn mower with you ( with gas in it), and if you run out, you are at least prepared. ( 4 cycle motor in lawnmower of course!)
Book says pump pic shows up at 30 mi. Too close for comfort for me. I never let my gas get that low. For those of you that insist on finding out, bring a gas can from your lawn mower with you ( with gas in it), and if you run out, you are at least prepared. ( 4 cycle motor in lawnmower of course!)
I only did it as an experiment...here in town where there is plenty of gas stations.
I normally fill up at 1/4 tank.
I don't like running it low and I darn sure don't like walking.
Texas Jim
Couple of things:
1. Techs tell me that: Walmart and Costco gasoline sometimes have a negative effect on today's highly electronic and complex engines.
I use that gasoline in my Buick, but not in my Cadillac or BMW.
2. Anyone who even lets their vehicle down below 1/4 tank is just asking for an expensive repair if that happens on a regular basis.
(As long as electronic fuel pump is immersed in gasoline, it will last longer. The fuel lubricates the pump.) Ask your favorite tech about this.
1. Techs tell me that: Walmart and Costco gasoline sometimes have a negative effect on today's highly electronic and complex engines.
I use that gasoline in my Buick, but not in my Cadillac or BMW.
2. Anyone who even lets their vehicle down below 1/4 tank is just asking for an expensive repair if that happens on a regular basis.
(As long as electronic fuel pump is immersed in gasoline, it will last longer. The fuel lubricates the pump.) Ask your favorite tech about this.
Between the 2004 and 2005 CTS cars, Cadillac did away with the "dual warning" system where the "Low Range" warning was preceded by a "Low Fuel" warning. I discovered this the hard way. My 2005 CTS-V no longer had a "Low Fuel" warning and went directly to the "Low Range" warning which meant that you only a few miles to go before the car ran out of gas. However, in very short order Onstar brought me gas at no charge. Now, whether or not the same thing applies to DTSs, I do not know as my wife, who is the driver of the DTS, has never seen either message since she always gets gas long before the fuel level ever gets that point. This might be the explanation for the absence of a "Low Fuel" warning on the 2006 DTS.
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