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Fuel Gauge issues.

SS FORCE

SS FORCE

Active Member
Messages
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Location
West Jordan utah
I have read several fuel gauge story issues where the gauge reads low or empty and there is still several gallons of fuel in the tank. Well... found out mine is the same way. Ran it for 30 miles after the "LOW" displayed in mileage left, filled it up and it only took 20 gallons. I have read that you can fix this with EFI live by re-calibrating it. I currently don't have the money for efi live, and when I do I will be doing the LP first. Anyway my question is this, would unhooking the batteries accomplish the same thing? Only reason I even had the thought was I ended up draining a weak battery on a Subaru last week tinting the windows, had to jump the car and in turn had to re-calibrate the auto window rollup feature because the battery died.
 
Nope, it is GM's crappy calibration for the fuel level unit in the ECM that causes it. This should give you an idea of why the factory gauge sucks so badly. As you can see it just drops at the end of the scaling instead of tapering down.
LBZ fuel gauge scaling.jpg
 
The above graph allows tolerances for "full" and "empty" between sensors on a production run. So the voltage out of a sensor at the extremes will vary, but, the gauge will look the same on all trucks made at full/empty. Same allows for aging of the sensor even though accuracy is out the window.
 
btfarm said:
Both mine have been the same. You get used to it.
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I have tried to get used to it haha its just so shocking to me to watch my gauge drop so fast. Does the messed up calibration transfer over to the other display functions such as giving you a bad average MPG?
 
My average MPG was totally inaccurate until I loaded the predator tune and didn't enter the tire compensation size correction
Now it's pretty accurate if I manually correct for tire size. Not very much help to you but it works for me. The temperature gauge works fairly well for me. It does fluctuate quite a bit in cold temperature conditions.
 
Thanks BTfarm. Glad to know its not just my gauges. Been used to correcting for tires size with the old rig so I will just do that. Can't wait to get EFILIVE and correct the fuel gauge issue. My go fast parts list keeps getting bigger and bigger. Going to try and clean the maf sensor this weekend and see if it helps the lag on the truck, and maybe fuel mileage too. Transgo JR came in last week. Will be going on the truck shortly. Then some one off ladder bars (gotta build my own for this truck now).
 
If you are a little sluggish, be sure to change the fuel filter. And keep up with the preventative maintenence. Maybe run some fuel supplement or a little biodiesel to clean the injectors, and your fuel system prior to changing the fuel filter. Don't worry about gauges. You don't want to ever run out of fuel.
These 2006 trucks are very stout!
 
RI Chevy Silveradoman said:
If you are a little sluggish, be sure to change the fuel filter. And keep up with the preventative maintenence. Maybe run some fuel supplement or a little biodiesel to clean the injectors, and your fuel system prior to changing the fuel filter. Don't worry about gauges. You don't want to ever run out of fuel.
These 2006 trucks are very stout!
Click to expand...

Fuel filter is next on my list. I was hoping to hold off and save for the upgrade lift pump but not sure ill have that money in time in time. I plugged the resonator cab and that seems to have changed the throttle response. Not so hesitant anymore or choppy. Makes me wonder if it was leaking or wasn't sealed tight. I have some fuel supplement from the ol 6.5 and will add that next tank. Thank you for the input.
 
So, cleaned the maf, changed the oil in the rig and fuel filter, I don't trust the dealership one bit with them telling me they changed the oil and it passing emissions without a cat because the 06 doesn't come with one. Yeah, right :shifty:. Anyways, my piece of mind knowing its all changed. Cleaning the maf was super easy and beneficial, fuel economy is climbing according to the dash and the truck actually responds to my foot now. Much better than before, the maf electronics were black and now they are shiny chrome. That random ticking noise you get after an oil change scared the hell out of me until my buddy assured me its a common "thing" and not a problem. Still waiting on funds for the install of the transgo but it will be soon. I gotta say I love these trucks, I can't believe the power they have, just waiting for the money to make it everything I want it to be :D
 
I've found that ROTELLA T6 5W40 synthetic oil gets rid of the tick. I had it REAL bad with 15W40 ROTELLA, and still notice it with MOBIL 5W40 synthetic, but I never heard it with the ROTELLA 5W40 synthetic. And the 06 DURAMAX came with a cat from the factory, but many pass without them.
 
I didn't want to go synthetic but changed from Rotella to Mobil Delvac 15w40 and that solved the tic. That was a couple hundred thousand ago. With Rotella I was using about a quart in 5k. With Delvac no oil usage
 
Can't believe you sold the beautiful 6.5!

The LBZ is a beast though!

Mine skips from 1/4 to E sometimes (wear and tear of sensors) and I only get 15-18 gal in it.
 
tanman_2006 said:
Can't believe you sold the beautiful 6.5!

The LBZ is a beast though!

Mine skips from 1/4 to E sometimes (wear and tear of sensors) and I only get 15-18 gal in it.
Click to expand...

I am still only seeing right around 13 in my truck, thinking now its the bully dogcrap tune, im going to change it back to a lower level or even stock and see if it increases. I'm babying the throttle for that 13mpg too

Its hard to see the ol 6.5 drive by, even seeing the old body style has me missing it. The guy is taking good care of it though. I told him I'd beat him up if he didn't haha.

I love the lbz, just trying to decide what all I want to do with it, saving for go fast parts and rims and tires and now maybe a little bit of upgrading to the bose system. Who knows, I can't not do stuff to my vehicles, atv's, whatever has a motor really.

RI Chevy Silveradoman said:
Good to hear.
Don't worry about the "typewriter tick". Lol
What did you do to clean the MAF? Just spray it?
Click to expand...

I just pulled it and sprayed it a couple times with maf cleaner.

I changed the new truck and put in delo 400le (chevron) oil, rotella is only starting to become more common here in UT. I ran delo in the old 6.5 and really liked it until I later upgraded it to the mobil one synthetic 5-40 with the fancy turbo diesel label. It really helped it with cold starts, not so worried about that with the new truck, it came from wyoming and the guy never even used the block heater, its still zip tied in factory location.

the tick I had only lasted about the first 100 miles, still enough to scare the hell out of me though.
 
That is common wth the typewriter tick. It comes and goes mysteriously. I really haven't heard it in my truck in a few years. I run Mobil 1 5W-40 Synthetic.
You should be getting much more than 13 to 14 mpg under Nirmal use. I get between 18.75 and 20 mpg in the summer months under normal use. I run a Hypertech 3 tune.
 
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