Vz fuel gauge error

[stevenbaus]

Hi I was parked on a hill today and the fuel gauge started to show empty. After about 5 mins of driving it returned to normal but then went to empty and have a message saying fuel gauge error contact dealer.
1. If I was to replace the sender unit if it a easy job or should I get it done at dealer. I have changed radiator in other cars brakes etc.
2. Will petrol go everywhere when changing. I have a manual on DVD so will check if I can find it.
3. Is there a way to reset the sender unit before replacing

The digital distance to empty works ok

Cheers

 

[diysv6]

Generally the VZ fuel gauge is a bit flaky.

I get the first alarm up and have 20 -23 litres in the tank. So at 12l/100km maximum is about 200kms to empty. At some point, the fuel level sender's logic circuits in BCM/ECM seem to take over and say that 80kms are available in the fuel supply when it is better than 150km. Then starts the crazy chase for fuel, if on a long trip, and you don't trust your fuel injectors, O2 sensors etc. because the fuel DTE does not give real distance, but works in relation that only 80kms were available. The computer starts to count down against the 80km reference, not the real fuel in the tank. I have had 20km to empty on the dash screen, and the tank fill was about 65 to 68 litres from memory.

When the fuel alarm takes over the rational relationship between actual KM/L and distance to empty, it becomes a guessing game in my car.

I took it under warranty to Holden and they said that it is not their problem to fix. I think a lot of VZ owners found this outcome.

Get to know your fuel consumption and the gauge's response's screen-wise and computer-wise before you replace the sender unit. The new unit may be not much better than the old sender unit.

There appears to be no guarantee that you will get an accurate fuel level indicator assembly. The ginning about with 75 litres of raw fuel is a real issue during the replacement/calibration process. House insurance, contamination, bulk fuel handling, fire safety and personal safety are real risks when compared to sorting out and adjusting for Holden's sender's design variability.

 

[stevenbaus]

Hi, was working fine until up to today

It is just showing empty now; I just filled up and still empty

I will juts book it in and get it replaced as I hate the alarm sounding each time I now start the car and driving along looking at a E sign

The distance to empty works so it is not an urgent thing

cheers

 

[routier1642]

My experience of the fantasy land the VZ fuel gauge inhabits is similar to that of diysv6.

I had a brand new VZ Commodore Wagon in 2005; the fuel gauge never worked properly; it always started screaming like Chicken Little if I was pointed uphill or at 20-25 Litres left.
I did ignore the warning once, and it actually ran out of fuel! (maybe I ignored it for too long)

I now own a 2005 Adventra, and it does exactly the same thing - I never put more than 55L in it at the station.

Crazy that they didn't have the technology to make an accurate averaging gauge system (sender front and rear) in 2005.

 

[Gaiter]

Yea I have the same issue in my 06 SS Thunder. Empty but still has 20L left in the tank. I have done some reading and there is a fix but that person took it to Holden and was not done under warranty, and I am sure everyone has had their own experiences with Holden dealerships, but I refuse to step into one. So I have just learnt to deal and know that empty is not truly empty....

 

[Don123]

The dreaded "fuel gauge error contact dealer". It happened to me about every 6 months, everything else worked okay except the fuel gauge. I was going to replace the sender unit but because it was so expensive and because I was told it might not be it, I left it and just cleared the fault every time it happened. I found out that there's a computer update that would fix this, I went to a Holden mechanic and it took about 20 minutes to update the ECM via a laptop computer and never had this problem again, it's been 2 or 3 years now.