Forum Discussion

Popsie's avatar
Popsie
Explorer
Oct 31, 2016

Dipstick for diesel fuel tank

My fuel gauge seems sort of flaky lately.

Is their a good way to come up with something like a dipstick to measure the true fuel level?

The fill port is on the side, and goes a couple of feet sort of horizontally before it opens into the tank, so I think I need something flexible that will dive down once inside the tank, and show where the fuel level really is. It has to sort of collect fuel or change color or something to show how deep it was into the fuel.

Any ideas???
  • agesilaus's avatar
    agesilaus
    Explorer III
    Oct 31, 2016
    There are crayon like fuel indicators that you can rub on a dipstick that change color in the presence of hydrocarbons. We used them in the power industry. But I would not use them with my $30,000 fuel system on my truck.

    I see this thing: Amazon

    But not the indicator I was talking about above.
  • GordonThree's avatar
    GordonThree
    Explorer
    Oct 31, 2016
    Use miles per gallon or hours per gallon calculations. Should be able to get a feel for it after a few fill ups.
  • Johnny_G1's avatar
    Johnny_G1
    Explorer
    Nov 01, 2016
    GordonThree wrote:
    Use miles per gallon or hours per gallon calculations. Should be able to get a feel for it after a few fill ups.
    Have used that system since my first few tanks of fuel and have got to within needing fuel in the next 50 miles, consistant checking of fuel mileage pays off.
  • woody's avatar
    woody
    Explorer
    Nov 01, 2016
    My sending unit quit some time back also, but my
    solution was easier than yours, I just use a 3'
    wood yard stick and each 1" represents about 4
    gallons of fuel that is in the tank. I believe
    you might find something flexible that would show
    up where the fuel was on it and fill tank and
    see where it came to on whatever you use and
    figure the gallons from there.
  • mkirsch's avatar
    mkirsch
    Nomad II
    Nov 01, 2016
    The fill tubes on vehicles are designed to make it difficult if not impossible to shove something down them (think fuel thieves siphoning fuel). You're not going to get a dipstick in there to do anything useful.

    Best bet is to get the gauge fixed, even though it might cost some money.
  • Charlie_D_'s avatar
    Charlie_D_
    Explorer
    Nov 01, 2016
    Are you saying it's flaky because it does not agree with the dash MPG and gallons used or for some other reason?
  • Popsie's avatar
    Popsie
    Explorer
    Nov 03, 2016
    Charlie D. wrote:
    Are you saying it's flaky because it does not agree with the dash MPG and gallons used or for some other reason?


    The fuel gauge goes all over the place, high and low. I plan to get it fixed when we get home next year.

    In the mean time, I don't want to end up out of fuel with the gauge saying half full.

    My current plan is to stop and fill up every few hundred miles. I've gone over 900 miles between refueling in the past, but it just bugs me to look down and see the gauge down by empty when I think it can't be.
  • johntank's avatar
    johntank
    Explorer
    Nov 03, 2016
    Popsie wrote:
    Charlie D. wrote:
    Are you saying it's flaky because it does not agree with the dash MPG and gallons used or for some other reason?


    The fuel gauge goes all over the place, high and low. I plan to get it fixed when we get home next year.

    In the mean time, I don't want to end up out of fuel with the gauge saying half full.

    My current plan is to stop and fill up every few hundred miles. I've gone over 900 miles between refueling in the past, but it just bugs me to look down and see the gauge down by empty when I think it can't be.


    I would go with 5 too 600 miles going by the info you gave. JMHO

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