Rep Power: 257

sometimes my gas needle is on red(empty) n gas lights on, 10 mins later itll go up to half a quarter tank with no light on, n vice versa. anyone know what the problem is and if its DIY type of fix(for someone faily limited in auto knowledge)?

 
Rep Power: 0

Not buying crappy gas, have ya? I've had issues with off-brand gas and "bottom-of-the-tank" crap that's all old and gummy, sticking the sending unit.

Try a full tank of good name-brand gas from a high volume dealer + a bottle of Techron concentrate.

-- Kane

 
Rep Power: 329

its normal. our fuel senders are pieces of ****.

 
Rep Power: 275

if i park at my gf's house my guage shows about a half tank less than it does when i park at mine. its not trustworthy. gas guages are best guesses anyway, none of them are accurate. my grandpa had a oldsmobile that never got below half a tank for about 8 years, the low fuel light started to come on at 3/4 of a tank. they are all so far off.

 
Rep Power: 307

I think all of these generations do it, The first time mine came on solid at about 1/8th tank. I then found it would go back on and off. I tend to not run mine that low anymore. I have never needed more than 10.5 gallons to refill tank on the Honda.

 
Rep Power: 275

word

 
Rep Power: 452

its your fuel sending unit. Have it replaced. Just had mine replaced and everything works fine now.

 
Rep Power: 0

yup, Ive got an 04 Coupe and had the problem since day one. I just never let the gas get too low.

 
Rep Power: 0

glad to see my needle isn't the only one

 
Rep Power: 303

ok ive had the problem before, but in Honda's Service news sometime back, in july 2002 an article "Fuel Guage Slow to Read. Full:'01 - 02 Civic"

it says the 01-02 civic is designed to be refuled with the ignition switch turned to lock. This puts the fuel guage CPU in the "fill mode." In this mode, the fuel guage updates instantly when you turn the ignition witch to on.

If you refuel the vehicle with the ignition witch turned on (II), the fuel guage CPU is in the "drive mode." In this mode, the fuel guage needle movement is dampened by raising the needle one graduation every 60 seconds. In the "drive mode," the fuel guage can take (bold)20 minutes or longer to read full

then it says
the drive mode thing is triggere when you do these while refueling:
Turn the ignition switch on
or, leave the engine running
or, turn the ingition switch to on, start refueling, then turn the switch to lock
or, turn the ignition switch to lock, start refueling, then turn the switch to on.

but yeah i have the same prob, and this is an article my friend gave me while he worked at honda. but yeah i found that parking on a hill with the front of the car facing up the hill, and not just a hill mut any incline. so everynight, i began to do that and when i start up my car instead of saying i have less than half a talk when i know i have only gone 25miles, it now says i have more than 3/4 a fairly accurate reading.

then again thats my 2 cents...

 
Rep Power: 0

Theres a bulletin about this it seems. Just had my sender replaced, still had the problem. So they replaced the dash cluster and problems all fixed now. Just that my odometer reads 0 now...gotta start working it back up Theres a sticker on the doorjamb about it though that thats not the actual milleage. It just feels weird having the mileage so low.

 
Rep Power: 452

I guess it is different with honda. Usually the dealer will program the new cluster with the same miles.

 
Rep Power: 332

i have the same prob as well

ex coupe, auto.
always 76' 87 pump gas and maybe 89 once every month.

 
Rep Power: 318

There is a TSB for inaccurate fuel readings on an incline. Are you driving up and down hills when this happening? That could cause some issues, here's a link to the TSB:
http://www.geocities.com/pfeifferper...eFuelGauge.pdf
I would say take it to the dealer and see if it covered under a warranty or something before tring anything yourself.

 
Rep Power: 0

The problem arose because they couldnt' set the new cluster for some reason. Thats why they left it at 0 and stuck the warning sticker on the door jamb instead.

On my recipt:

Fuel Gauge is inaccurate completed bulletin v-2-05, replacement of odometer and meter/cluster

1031 WS 0.30
1 78120-S5A-C56 case assy.
1 NS909 Speedo Label

(note that the speedo label code might be different from yours. Mine is an automatic for a sport model. There is a large speedometer in the center with the RPMs on the left goign up about half way and then the gear labels inside that. It is the basic sedan blue lighting.)

 
Rep Power: 0

Mine does that, just as long as the needle is around that level, i guess its normal.

 
Rep Power: 0

If you want to call defective normal... My gas meter was wayyy of before. It would read full until about 300 km. Then it would just plumet to the halfway mark allofa sudden.