gas tank size?

[Diceman]

i just bought a 96 suburban about a week ago. i noticed the gas tank was almost on the red last night so i stopped for the dreaded full tank fillup. i have the original sticker and it said i should have a 42 gallon tank, however i only put 19.996 gallons in, and that was after pulling the lever again and letting it click off again automatically. after that, the needle only registered 3/4 full. im thinking that the sender is faulty and the tank just isnt registering the entire tank of gas. is it possible that the tank is not really 42 gallons? as much as i dreaded the $100 fillup, i wanted the tank cause i'll only have to fill up like every other month(i dont drive a ton).

i also realize that the sender could also be the reason that it registered empty, even when it might not have been. the other option is that maybe the needle on the dash needs recalibrated. anyway to do that?

[Crawdaddy]

The vapor recovery on the fuel pump at the gas station may have been temporarily messed up, from someone "bouncing" the pump before you got there (doing the whole filling up past it clicks off 10-12 times). So, there may be nothing wrong with your 'burb, but with the gas pump at the gas station. Try a different pump at the gas station and see how you do. It could also possibly be the vapor recovery on the gas tank of the burb, but I'm guessing it was the gas pump's problem. Hope that helps.

[TrailLeadr]

Sending unit and needle recalibration are definitely possibilities. My needle is off about a 1/6th of a tank. So when it's full it reads way past the "F", and before it hits "E" I'm dead in the water.

Try another gas station first. Rule out the easiest solution.

Good luck, and keep us posted on what you find out.

[Diceman]

i dont want to put more gas in for a little bit so i get an idea of what kind of gas mileage im getting. didnt think of it being a problem with the pump. we'll found out soon enough.

[Diceman]

just filled up today, put 35 gallons in. seems like that pump was jacked up.


i know the numbers are wrong for this since i was only able to put 20 gallons in last time and this time i put 35, but the normal calculation for MPG says i only got 6. that better jump to around 15 by the next fillup or this truck may not be in my possession for very long.

[GaryL]

I regularly get 12.5 to 13.5 around town and around 15-16 on the highway in my 99.

[Diceman]

i accelerate like a grandma right now, i keep the rpm's below 2k the entire way until i hit about 50mph which is around 1800-2000 rpms. i should be getting some killer gas mileage. what is hurting me right now is that it is so windy and that is causing the truck to work harder depending on which way im driving, but the wind should end soon i hope.

[brownbomb]

Mine holds 42 gals bone dry & believe me I've had it that way more than once.

[mr.copenhagen]

Mine holds 42 gals bone dry & believe me I've had it that way more than once.

haha i got the same thin and iv had the same prob..but iv walked down long dirt roads in hott weather with a gas can b4 lookin for a station haha o well