Ok I searched... how many gallons does the fuel tank hold... I think I ran out of gas, engine died. .. need to fill , gauge says full...
Thanks,
Craig 3757
Location: Brea, CA
Posts: 602
My VIN: 3757
Ok I searched... how many gallons does the fuel tank hold... I think I ran out of gas, engine died. .. need to fill , gauge says full...
Thanks,
Craig 3757
Location: sacramento
Posts: 1,418
My VIN: 1768
Club(s): (NCDMC) (DCUK)
13.2 if its bone dry
Location: Brea, CA
Posts: 602
My VIN: 3757
Way cool, thanks... I got the car today.. drove a block... it died... I put 2 gallons in and it ran... need to fill tomorrow... Gauge says full... what to check for the gauge? And.. thanks...Originally Posted by vwdmc16
Location: sacramento
Posts: 1,418
My VIN: 1768
Club(s): (NCDMC) (DCUK)
Do you know if there have been updates performed? original fuel senders can go bad, it could be as simple as the float being jammed and needing cleaning. like wise a poor connection between the sender and gauge. There is an access panel in the spare tire compartment to get to the fuel pump and level sender. Do NOT fill the tank full if you are going to be accessing the pump or sender as it will over flow and make a mess. Download the service manual here: http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?102-Workshop-Manual
Location: Brea, CA
Posts: 602
My VIN: 3757
How do you know if updates were done... owner died... it has been stored for years...?? I hope it is just a float-gauge issue...
Location: Purmerend, Netherlands
Posts: 747
My VIN: 06513
Club(s): (DCN)
Others already answered your question on the capacity of the fuel tank.
However be aware that, because of the tan'k's bottom, not all fuel can be sucked up by the pump.
In another thread I mentioned to be able to get approx. 45 liters (approx. 11.84 gallon) out before the car gave the "do it yourself now" and starve the engine.
Martin G. from the UK doubted that and said it usually is less than that figure.
To make sure you know when the pump can get no more fuel from the tank, I advise at every (full) refill to zero the day trip counter.
After the first fill and reset you start driving until the engine starves.
Note (mind or paper) how many miles you have gone and this will be the range you can travel maximally (best conditions).
- Make sure you have a spare tank (filled!) with some 2.5 gallon of gas with you so you can make it home.
- If you day trip counter does not work, repair it. It's a "lifesaver".
- Always make sure your tank is filled before making a long trip.
If you note the current mileage of the counter after each filling up you also can keep track of the car's fuel consumption.
This also may help to check on the car's engine condition as increase of the fuel consumption may point to wear of parts.
Hope this also helps.
Welmoed
Black D 1981-11 sold
Toyota Prius III 2009-07 (sold)
Mazda MX-30 (BEV) 2020-09
Posts: 4,858
My VIN: 3937
Hey Mr. SilverBullet!!
How's the fuel gauge issue going? Just to clarify, is it showing full, or is it pointing straight up? Straight up pointing at 12 o'clock generally means something isn't working correctly with your fuel sender, but if it is showing full, i.e. is pointed at like 2 o'clock or so, would mean something else.
Like others said, fuel senders are pretty easy to fix. Once you get into your access cover in the front trunk, you might quickly see one of the wires is corroded way or something. Let us know how you make out...
I find the working volume on my fuel tank is about 40 litres.
Sept. 81, auto, black interior
Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Posts: 3,047
My VIN: 16510 and carbureted
Club(s): (GCD) (SEDOC) (DCUK)
Drive it every day and you will soon find out what updates weren't done. Back to the fuel gauge, it isn't too big of a deal if the fuel sender if broken beyond the float. Many people successfuly fix their senders but you can get a new one from Hervey (www.specialtauto.com) for just $89. Installation takes about 15 minutes.How do you know if updates were done... owner died... it has been stored for years...?? I hope it is just a float-gauge issue...
Location: Brea, CA
Posts: 602
My VIN: 3757
Ok, the needle is pointing to 4/4 Like 1 or 2 O'clock... I was hoping it lost power and died cause it was just out of gas... I will look at the wires... the the gauge is pretty much ok, normally?
Craig "Delorean is a sports car...you need to be a real sport to own it"
Posts: 4,858
My VIN: 3937
Ok, cool. Good to know. It is likely that the electrical on your fuel sender is okay. My guess is that the floating part inside the sender is stuck in some way. You are right, it is just a contraption with a floating piece inside that rises and falls depending on how much gas is in the tank (or how big the hill is you're driving up!).Ok, the needle is pointing to 4/4 Like 1 or 2 O'clock... I was hoping it lost power and died cause it was just out of gas... I will look at the wires... the the gauge is pretty much ok, normally?
Craig "Delorean is a sports car...you need to be a real sport to own it"
If you access the fuel sender, you can take it out and inspect.
1) Empty your trunk
2) Remove the carpeted board from the trunk
3) Remove the spare tire
4) Under the spot where the spare tire was, you should see an access hatch. It is an odd shape and follows the contour of the round depression along the edge nearest the windshield. You need to be able to remove that hatch, which if you are lucky and someone has already worked on this in the past, could be just a set of screws holding it in place. It could be riveted in there too. Get to this step and report back if it looks strange or you're not quite sure how to get in there.
5) Once you have the hatch removed, you will see the top of the front of the tank. It is somewhat triangular and you are looking at the wide side of the triangle. You'll see the fuel pump boot/hoses on the passenger side, and beside it on the drivers side will be a smaller hole which has the fuel sender stuck in it. The wiring connections are on top, so check those while you're looking at them.
6) You can disconnect the fuel sender carefully from the wiring quick connect, and then loosen the retaining ring/clamp holding it in place. It is pretty straight forward. It is threaded, so you should be able to "lefty loosey" it and then pull it straight up. Don't get fuel all over yourself, but once you have it out, you should be able to tip it up and down type thing to get a feel whether the inside sliding/floating piece is stuck or not.
The fuel sender is supposed to be in there pretty snug with a gasket preventing fumes from escaping. Be conscious of that gasket material as you pull it out as you'll have to put it back when you go to reinstall it.
Try that and see what you find...
EDIT: and actually, once you have access in there, you can play a bit with what you see on the gauge while you're progressing. If you disconnect the sender, and then go to turn your car key to accessories, you should see the fuel needle go to 12 o'clock. Along those same lines, if you have it still connected to the wiring, but you take the sender out and tip it up and down, you should see the fuel needle move, so long as the floating piece in the sender is moving. This would also be a good time to see if your "idiot" light saying your fuel tank is low comes on. It is orange (or red maybe?) and the warning light is on the right side of the instrument cluster. You'll need a helper to do this with unless you have REALLY long arms!
Last edited by Jonathan; 07-24-2012 at 01:41 PM.
Sept. 81, auto, black interior
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