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Low Fuel light - false positives


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Its not just subarus, other cars do it also, but realize that we also keep our cars much longer and much more aware of what they do then other drivers are.

 

It also happend regionally. Now with cleaner fuel its less of a problem, but there have been a few incidents of fuel with too much sulphur in them (happened in FL and TX) that ruined alot of fuel senders and the gas supllier had to cough uup money for repairs.

 

Soobys with over 150,000 miles on them is common place, as oppsed to almost any other brand (excluding volvos). I am sure if you had a bunch of nissans or chevys rolling around with that many miles on them in large numbers, they would show the same issues. Usually by that time any other car has so many things falling off them, no one notices the gas gauge as much, if it even works.

 

nipper

 

Yeah, I can only comment on my Subarus vs. my other vehicles, that's for certain. However, I don't tend to keep any given make any longer than another. My highest-mileage Subaru was my XT6, which I sold at ~105,000. My Baja is approaching 99k. My Neon had 75-80k when I sold it (no issue), the Outback (which had the problem) had under 60k when we sold it. My farm pickups were nearly all Dodges, and all the but the last one was over 100k when they were sold.

 

I agree that sulfur levels in fuel are primarily a result of what refinery made the fuel. Here, 80%+ of the fuel comes from Salt Lake City, with a bit out of Wyoming. The SLC fuel is remarkably low sulfur, at least in the summer, based on UOAs (easy to see fuel sulfur levels that way). I normally buy Wyoming-made stuff 'cause it's higher octane at the same price (ethanol blend). It is definitely higher-sulfur, though that's not negatively impacting our Mazda thus far.

 

It's just odd. Curious as to whether Subaru uses a slightly different alloy, or whether the sensors/senders are differently placed or shielded compared to other makes, or something like that. As was said higher up, one can simply learn that the gauge doesn't mean what the marks say, and also use the trip meter. It's just odd and uniquely Subaru in my experience.

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i've used the techron with pretty good results. would it help or hurt to remove the senders and soak them in straight techron?

 

Hurt. It would be too strong. Remember that little can mixes with 15 gallons of fuel. I am sure at some point it may even damage the sensor bodies if it is too strong.

 

Use a pencil eraser if your going to yank the senders.

 

nipper

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I read Nipper's comment about the senders being wired in series with each other. I was thinking they were in parallel. Interesting. Thanks Nipper.

 

I also noticed a comment about the Techron possibly clearing the problem with the low fuel warning light. I don't think that is going to happen. The thermistor may be mounted a little too high on the fuel sender mechanism and is turning the light on early but cleaning the sensor body isn't going to solve that trouble in my opinion. Hopefully it will clear any gauge level indication problems though.

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I read Nipper's comment about the senders being wired in series with each other. I was thinking they were in parallel. Interesting. Thanks Nipper.

 

I also noticed a comment about the Techron possibly clearing the problem with the low fuel warning light. I don't think that is going to happen. The thermistor may be mounted a little too high on the fuel sender mechanism and is turning the light on early but cleaning the sensor body isn't going to solve that trouble in my opinion. Hopefully it will clear any gauge level indication problems though.

 

 

I had to check the manual on that as i wasnt sure myself.

 

I did the clean with a pencil eraser thing for the sender. It helped, but didnt cure it. I do the techron thing once a quarter as maintanence. I just know that if its 230 miles on a tank its time to get gas. I can go farther but thats my comfort zone.

 

Otherwise I just fill up on E (about 10 gallons).

 

nipper

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