VZ Fuel Gauge Problem

[RKZ234]

So where is this "back up" tank located?

 

[SHAUN2]

I was having a chat with a Holden dealer mechanic and asked about the fuel gauge isssue.
Apparantly I will have to book the ute in for an all day session and there is every chance that the fuel tank will be removed to fix the problem. There is a sender unit in the tank that measures the level of fuel and they are having the following problems with it;

1/. The float is "possibly" being bent during installation.
2/. The unit is being affected by sulphur in the fuel ( I wasnt too sure about this explanation...) but apparantly Toyota are having a similar issue.

The dealership that he works at is fixing about 10 fuel guage issues a week almost all of them involve removal of the fuel tank. Most cant be solved by recalibration.

I've just booked my car in for Wednesday this week so I'll see what the outcome is and post it on this thread. Maybe an "urban myth"...maybe not?

i have had this done . it has still not fixed the problem...

 

[shrapnel]

So where is this "back up" tank located?

It's under the bonnet. What happens is, as you know, Europeans drive on the wrong side of the road. Due to the tilt of the car on the road being opposite to australian conditions, the following safeguard is void. The backup tank is located under the bonnet and it is in fact your windscreen fluid tank. When the car is tilted the other way the petrol occasionally overfills into the windscreen tank. When the main tank runs out of petrol, the car automatically switches to the windscreen tank due to European market calibration program. Now if this program is in the australian vehicle the windscreen fluid tank never fills up and you can run out of fuel as many others did. Get the right software put in at your next service or start driving on the wrong side of the road. My experience is that it can be equally challenging.

 

[old mans ute]

ECM calibration

Have checked with Holden. Unless you have a German or other European passport in your pocket while you are driving, the fuel guage will give an inaccurate reading.

They also added that it would give a different inaccurate reading if you did have said passport in your pocket

Further, we believe that Holden are soon to be prosecuted for either torturing or brainWashing their mechanics.

This can be the only answer for holden_mechanics evangelical faith in the "fixes"

If the tank holds say 58 or 59 lites of usable fuel.... I filled up with 58.8 litres after running out of fuel then program this amount as full. The program is certainly told that 70 litres if full in my S ute Just have a look at the readout after filling up the tank. I WISH

 

[VZGEN4]

Yup fuel gauge was up the shite. They re calibrated it saying that some of them are set up for the european market... What ever the hell that means??

The laws of physics must be different over there.

Anyway we'll see how it goes this week

cheers!!!

Well they certainly made a difference with the calibration! hehe By about 5 litres. Takes 50 litres to fill it from empty with 50km till empty running around 10.5L/100kms... Seems the gauge is out by around 15L

Next step might be to shred a european passport and stuff it down into the petrol tank. :rofl:

 

[88GreenVN]

The Advertiser reports the last VZ being made today making way for the new model! Thats a lot of VZ's out there with defective fuel readings.

Has any one put a 3 window dash in to a VZ storm to fix the problem? Is the 3 window trip computer programable like in the VN Calais?

My brother was talking about his VZ Storm and the none usable fuel. Holden have just given him the run around.... And 300+ posts is a lot of reading...

 

[VZGEN4]

It's under the bonnet. What happens is, as you know, Europeans drive on the wrong side of the road. Due to the tilt of the car on the road being opposite to australian conditions, the following safeguard is void. The backup tank is located under the bonnet and it is in fact your windscreen fluid tank. When the car is tilted the other way the petrol occasionally overfills into the windscreen tank. When the main tank runs out of petrol, the car automatically switches to the windscreen tank due to European market calibration program. Now if this program is in the australian vehicle the windscreen fluid tank never fills up and you can run out of fuel as many others did. Get the right software put in at your next service or start driving on the wrong side of the road. My experience is that it can be equally challenging.

Thats it! Would clean the windscreen well... Not so sure about the run off onto the paint!

 

[precentor]

Has anyone had this Fuel issue fixed or are we still waiting on Holden? :bang:
Any updates?

 

[ChrisJ]

I reported this problem when my ute was in for 30k service last week. The dealer installed the latest patch and it seems to have fixed the problem.
I filled up and did 560km on a tank (70L) at 10.4 L/100km with distance to empty showing 90km. The low fuel light came on at 160KM DTE.

 

[shrapnel]

Has anyone had this Fuel issue fixed or are we still waiting on Holden? :bang:
Any updates?

The new software did stop the erratic behaviour of the needle in my case. But what it hasn't fixed for me is the exponential nature of it -- it's inaccurate at the top and gets more accurate towards the bottom of the tank. As far as I'm aware this is as good as it can get without getting Holden to fiddle with hardware, which they are unwilling to admit it's required.

The other (unrelated problem, but discussed in this thread) is that a lot of people have only approximately 55l of useable fuel due to pickup in the tank installed to high up, by Holden. As above, Holden says it's all normal to have 15l (!) at the bottom of the tank. Holden is waiting for our warranties to run out

For comparison, I owned an Alfa with a 60l tank. When the needle was dead on zero, I'd fill up 59.8l at the servo...