VZ Fuel Gauge Problem

[RKZ234]

I am fairly sure that the standard ute fuel tank has a 70 ltr capacity and the one tonner has 68 ltrs. Thats what the little holden book says that came with my car. Maybe the books are as accurate as the fuel gauges...?

According to the Holden website, you are quite right about the standard ute having 70lt capacity, but the Crewman has a 64lt tank!

 

[commodore_vy]

Including the filler pipe there is pretty close to 78lt capacity.

I've personally put 74.5lt into a VY ute at Moree (nice and flat driving up the Newell Hwy - no hills) without driving it till it stalled. Not sure how much difference there is in fuel tanks (if any) between VY & VZ.

Remember, the One Tonners and Crewmans only have a 70lt tank.

Several companies now make long range tanks for the Commodore Ute and the idea of a 120lt tank is a good one, especially considering all the space under the load area going to waste.

A few years ago Ford had a twin tanks in the now discontinued Outback spec Ute.

Has anyone out there imitated this concept in a Commodore ute by fitting a second 75lt tank??

Ive had a good look at my tank.....it would be a easy thing to do but the current 70lt tank takes up more than half of the space so there is not a whole heap of room for another 70L..... all ute owners should check out a site that ive found www.utez.com.au ... it seems to be an awsome ute club.....give it a go its free... and everyone is welcome...have so good info too..

 

[old mans ute]

Out of Fuel

At least Holden Assist Works but at $2 per litre.

Ran out of fuel with 520kms up at an average of 11.3 l/100 kms.

This calculates at 58.76 litres

5 litres from the Holden Assist (NRMA) for $10

Drove 25 km to Service Station.

Took 56 litres to fill and that was after several minutes squeezing in the last half a litre. A few litres of unusable fuel is acceptable, but almost 20 litres. (Glad my Honda bike hasn't been built this way).

Dealer tells me there are two pickups in the fuel tank and that they have seen the lower fuel pickup incorrectly mounted too high so that much of the fuel is not available to the fuel pump.

So I have a wildly inaccurate fuel gauge and apparently a tank installation that can't use all the fuel in it anyway.

So looks like my tank comes out anyway.

Don't you just love Holdens

 

[Utester]

At least Holden Assist Works but at $2 per litre.

Ran out of fuel with 520kms up at an average of 11.3 l/100 kms.

This calculates at 58.76 litres

5 litres from the Holden Assist (NRMA) for $10

Drove 25 km to Service Station.

Took 56 litres to fill and that was after several minutes squeezing in the last half a litre. A few litres of unusable fuel is acceptable, but almost 20 litres. (Glad my Honda bike hasn't been built this way).

Dealer tells me there are two pickups in the fuel tank and that they have seen the lower fuel pickup incorrectly mounted too high so that much of the fuel is not available to the fuel pump.

So I have a wildly inaccurate fuel gauge and apparently a tank installation that can't use all the fuel in it anyway.

So looks like my tank comes out anyway.

Don't you just love Holdens

This is out of control....

I go in for my 3000kms service on Friday, I have asked them to "fix" my fuel gauge, I will let you all know how it goes.

Was that the lowest you have taken the fuel OMU?
What was the gauge reading when you ran out?
I can only guess empty because mine reads empty after about 500kms.

 

[David B]

Did I start all this?

This is out of control....

I go in for my 3000kms service on Friday, I have asked them to "fix" my fuel gauge, I will let you all know how it goes.

Was that the lowest you have taken the fuel OMU?
What was the gauge reading when you ran out?
I can only guess empty because mine reads empty after about 500kms.

Hello

I have done 10200k's since taking delivery of my standard VZ ute with auto.

The guage has been dodgy since day 1.

The dealer ran a "program recalibration" (which made no dfference) at the 3000k service.

I spoke to the service manager this morning and he said there is a wait on the instrument clusters that have been installed lately to "fix" the problem. He intimated that this wasn't working and the engineers at GMH are reworking this angle (inst clusters) to fix the issue.

The bent sender arm issue I thought had "legs" but practically that would just alter the gauge reading up or down depending on angle of bend. (It may cause it to stick though - funny how they all seem to stick in the same place and give the same readings though!!

I ran out of fuel on the way to get fuel the other day at about 590 k's and put 63.16 litres in after squeezing the nozzles for ages going slow at the fill.

I have carried five litres ever since I ran out the first time.

This means there must be 6.84 litres of unuseable fuel left in tank.

The trip meter generally reads about 350 -370 when the low fuel alarm goes off.

The other thing is that the 10000k service advice alarm is on and I checked the Log book and the next service is not scheduled untill 15000ks.

This is my fifth holden ute (previous HZ, Rodeo 2600 MPI DLX, VSII, VSIII & VZ) and I am dissapointed in GMH's attitude and I agree that the dealer is the meat in the sandwich and if I were a dealer principal I would be annoyed at the attitude from GMH.

I will join an action if it will work or participate in any form of publicity.

This problem apparently has been around since the VY ute came out.

David B

 

[Boeing777]

.

The other thing is that the 10000k service advice alarm is on and I checked the Log book and the next service is not scheduled untill 15000ks.

Yeah I think thats a known issue because after mine went in for its 3000K service they said they reprogramed the software error that was causing that to happen.

 

[Phreddy]

Yeah, I've had some real oddball fuel gauge stuff going on too. The low fuel warning seems to go off WAY too soon (like it goes off at 450Ks or so with supposedly 80Ks to go, within driving 10 Ks it's down to about 15-20), and when I pull up to fill it takes maybe 50 litres to fill to the tippy top.

As for the gauge readings, I seem to have the opposite problem to most here - it'll read 1/4 tank when I switch off at the office, then when I get in the car to go home the needle hardly moves off empty! It's a bit of a pain in the arse, 'coz the way I head to/from work there's a distinct lack of fuel stations - if I run out, it means leggin' it for a while.

The car's been in for the first (3000K) service, but I guess I'll get 'em to have a look when it goes in for the 15000K job.

Cheerz!

 

[Utester]

Yeah, I've had some real oddball fuel gauge stuff going on too. The low fuel warning seems to go off WAY too soon (like it goes off at 450Ks or so with supposedly 80Ks to go, within driving 10 Ks it's down to about 15-20), and when I pull up to fill it takes maybe 50 litres to fill to the tippy top.

As for the gauge readings, I seem to have the opposite problem to most here - it'll read 1/4 tank when I switch off at the office, then when I get in the car to go home the needle hardly moves off empty! It's a bit of a pain in the arse, 'coz the way I head to/from work there's a distinct lack of fuel stations - if I run out, it means leggin' it for a while.

The car's been in for the first (3000K) service, but I guess I'll get 'em to have a look when it goes in for the 15000K job.

Cheerz!

This sounds like a common story, mine does the same as yours and it appears others are experiencing the same. :ranting:

 

[Troy711]

well here is the story from the dealer i took my car to today for the 1st service. basiclly he said that there is no problem with them. he said he hasnt heard of a single VZ with a problem. i asked why my cars fuel gauge and trip computer were so far out and his reply was that it will always show the DTE with 10 liters to spare so that people dont run them out of fuel

 

[Utester]

well here is the story from the dealer i took my car to today for the 1st service. basiclly he said that there is no problem with them. he said he hasnt heard of a single VZ with a problem. i asked why my cars fuel gauge and trip computer were so far out and his reply was that it will always show the DTE with 10 liters to spare so that people dont run them out of fuel

Tell him to come here for a read, he will see that nearly all the VZ Ute owners here are claiming problems with the fuel gauge!