A malfunctioning fuel-sending system breaks the fuel gauge, which does not show the gas levels. Due to its failure, the tank runs out of fuel, and the car stops.
How to check how much gas you have with a broken fuel gauge? You can check the remaining gas in your car with a broken fuel gauge with a dipstick method or a metal ruler. In addition, you can assess the standard levels with the manual and read the miles covered on the speedometer.
You can use different techniques to assess the remaining miles per gallon when the gauge does not work. It protects from sudden vehicle failure, traffic jams, and accidents.
Use a metal ruler
In emergencies, you can use a metallic ruler to check the remaining gas when the fuel gauge is not working. It is a straight ruler with imperial units and metallic composition.
Select it according to the size of the tank. Remove the cover of your gas container and put it aside.
You can detach the covers when they have no permanent connection with them. Now, wipe the surface of the metal ruler with a soft cloth.
Also, you can use a rag or soft towel to clean the dirt from the ruler. Put the ruler inside the container and keep its starting point on the bottom side.
Keep the movement slow, and do not leave the ruler. Push it slowly until it strikes the bottom of the gas tank.
The diesel leaves its mark on the metal-based ruler. Pull it out from the liquid and mark the point.
To avoid errors, you can adjust a measuring tape that has a metallic composition. For a specific measurement, the ruler becomes wet with diesel.
In these conditions, you can compare the obtained values with the capacity of the container. Assess the liquid by diving the resultant on the tank’s height.
It provides the retaining gasoline volume inside the storage container.
Assess the standard levels
The vehicle manual contains all the relevant information and standard gas levels. Moreover, it indicates the total fuel-holding capacity of the built-in container.
Due to a broken gauge, you can check the fuel level with the assistance of the manual. According to research, large car tanks have a capacity of about 18.5 to 19.9 US gal.
The smaller vehicles have a tank of around 12.6 to 14.9 US gal. Check the standard capacity of your car from the manual.
It indicates the number of miles with a full tank. In these conditions, fill the tank to its top and drive the car according to the number of miles.
You can estimate the remaining fluid volumes according to the covered distance even with a broken fuel gauge.
Check the covered miles
The fuel supplier cannot send enough input signals to the fuel gauge. Due to malfunctioning, it indicates false values and triggers the light.
You cannot check the gas levels with the damaged gauge. In these conditions, use an odometer and read the number of traveled miles.
Record the traveled miles and divide the resultant with the tank capacity. In these procedures, you can divide the covered miles by the total number of gallons a tank can hold.
The resultant values provide an estimate of the miles per gallon. With the calculation, you can access the remaining miles and fill liquid to avoid sudden car failure.
Use a dipstick
It is one of the traditional methods to check the gas of a car tank. Moreover, it is a safe manual technique that can calculate the retaining gas within a few minutes.
A dipstick is a long measuring stick that is available in automotive shops. Moreover, it has different measuring units with graduated levels.
You can calibrate it with the standard dipstick. With the calibration, it provides precise gallons of gas. For this method, select a long and straight dipstick.
Pull it from the cover and clean its surface to protect against fluid contamination. Then, hold its broad side and push it into the container.
Dip it with steady and stable movements. Never drop it in the container because it can break the dipstick. Instead, approach a specific interface between the dry and wet sections.
Read the dipstick by checking the distance between the lower wet line and a line above it. You can estimate the remaining fuel gallons with the calculation and correct reading.
In the calculation area, dry the stick and repeat the procedure. In this way, you can tell the remaining gas in your car when the fuel gauge is broken.
With a dipstick, you cannot check gas after long-distance driving. In such conditions, the fluid requires settling time and does not provide precise gallons with the unsettled fluid surface.
Check the remaining fuel with the tank tender
You can use a tank tender to assess the remaining fuel gallons and the number of retaining miles when the gauge malfunction. However, it is a measurement system that provides accurate results.
A tank tender is a measuring device or a meter. It comes with small tubing and utilizes pressurized air to measure the liquid.
According to its specific design, it does not comprise electric or wireless connections. Moreover, it has more precision than other measuring methods.
To assess the diesel level, it uses the imperial unit. However, it does not measure in inches for gasoline.
It can determine the fluid volumes in different tanks. Furthermore, it provides results in 2 to 5 seconds.
It is a reliable, efficient, and less time-taking method to check the levels. In addition, it has a monitor that shows the gallons of fluid.
To use it, select the container and push air in the hose through the tiny pipe. Then, pump the pressurized air from the monitor to the diesel-containing container.
However, you can push air by pressing the prime button, which has a plastic composition. Now, push the primer to the tank down and up. Continue the movement around 3 to 4 times.
In these conditions, do not put additional pressure on the plastic button because it causes damage. Primer buttons are delicate and require skilled control.
On the tender monitor, assess the movement of the needle. Moreover, give it a settlement time of around 3 to 5 seconds.
Once it stabilizes, check the inches of diesel inside the container. You can calculate the diesel level by dividing it by the height of the tank.
For example, the monitor shows 10 inches of diesel, and the container’s height is about 20 inches. Therefore, it indicates that the tank has half the fuel than its top level.
According to the shape of the tank, you can check its height and other dimensions through the vehicle’s manual. Use this division formula, and you can tell the remaining gas in your car with a broken fuel gauge.
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