13 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHFuel Gauge Faulty Reading
Leading reported evidence
Fill tank whenever i put any fuel in
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
I've always filled the tank whenever I put any fuel in.
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
Another point to note (which it doesn't say in the manual) is that if you disconnect the car battery when you have less than 1/4 tank, when you reconnect it the gauge will show 1/4 tank.
Leading evidence: 'Fill tank whenever i put any fuel in' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Disconnect car battery' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
Another point to note (which it doesn't say in the manual) is that if you disconnect the car battery when you have less than 1/4 tank, when you reconnect it the gauge will show 1/4 tank.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
I always reset the trip when I fill up and rely on that instead.
These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.
Disconnect car battery
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion
Another point to note (which it doesn't say in the manual) is that if you disconnect the car battery when you have less than 1/4 tank, when you reconnect it the gauge will show 1/4 tank.
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
13 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Porsche Club GB: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261027T035758Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Hey Hey,
I have owned my 996 just coming on to 12 months now and every time I have fuelled up I have filled it....Until yesterday.
I only had 20 quid on me, the light had been on for a few miles and the digital reading gave me 20 miles.
After leaving the petrol station the gauge and digital reading didnt alter? I was expecting to get 1/4 of a tank atleast!
I was only a mile or so from work so off I went. I left work and drove home via the petrol station again. This time a filled up and the gauge went to full and digital reading went to +330 miles. It only took the £45ish pounds I expected with putting in £20 earlier.
Anyone else had this problem and got any fixes? It is in for service soon so I can get them to look into it.
Many Thanks
David Newman
Not sure its curable. Mine is exactly the same. Is yours a C4? It's to do with the mechanical float in the tank only working when the tank is over 1/4 full because of the shape of the fuel tank, the rest is then down to computer guesswork with the guage giving a prediction of what's left based upon recent usage.
I have never managed to put more than 55 litres of fuel in mine (I always fill it) as I can't stand driving around with the low fuel light on and the computer reading zero miles to go - even though the tank is really 1/4 full...
Yeah its a 1999 C4 Cab TipS
Normally the light never even gets a chance to come on! I can live with it, like I said I always fill up anyway, this was just a one off. Never been one for sticking in a few quid here n a few more there. Just fill it up and have done with it!
Thanks Rob
David
Hi David. This is a common problem. I have a C2 996 (M2003). I've always filled the tank whenever I put any fuel in. If I let the fuel run to less than a quarter of a tank the gauge doesn't register that I've put any in at all! I originally took this to my OPC when the car was still under warranty and they said that it was common - but didn't really provide a solution to the problem. The problem just rights itself after I've left the car for about half an hour or so. There was a thread on here at some point relating to the route that the breather pipe takes. Someone said that it was due to this that the fuel was not being registered and that there was an alternative route for the pipe. I know that the C4 has problems due to the horseshoe shape of the tank. Try a search on this forum, failing that Richard may be along soon. Adrian.
It's been discussed before on this thread
http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=335942&mpage=1&key=񓀂
It is indeed a common problem that can't be addressed.
Rob and Adrian are correct. The C4 has a saddle-shaped tank, and the 'float' doesn't go into the sump at the bottom of the tank. Once fuel level drops below the point where the float stops reading, the computer calculates the level and range based on the fuel consumption and miles travelled. If you do a 'splash & dash' and don't fill above the sump level (approx 1/4 tank) the float can't read, so the gauge and range won't increase. As soon as you fill above the sump the gauge and range will read correctly again.
It's been discussed plenty of times before, and I'm sure it tells you in the owner's manual too........[
] [
]
My Bad...should have had a scan thru previous posts first.
Cheers for all your replies though!
David
Ps Maybe worth putting something in the 996 FAQ's about it?
Good idea. Another point to note (which it doesn't say in the manual) is that if you disconnect the car battery when you have less than 1/4 tank, when you reconnect it the gauge will show 1/4 tank. It makes it easy to run out of fuel.
EDIT: Added to the Technical Articles section.
This fuel gauge 'problem' is common I understand, but it should be noted that if you have filled up and have had a continuous run, the guage and computer is very very acurate (as I have round out).
I went on a run up to North Wales, filling up before I left home (Kent) and thought that I could do the trip on one tank. When the gauge said 10 miles to go, I had 12 miles before reaching Hollyhead. Needless to say, the car didnt get to the journeys end without the help of a friendly AA man with a Gerry Can.
The moral of the story goes, splash and dash is fine, but its best to keep the fuel level up to keep the car and ego secure. Mine was well dented and I am only getting over it now!
It amuses me that with all the wondrous features of the car, Porsche can't make a fuel gauge that works. I always reset the trip when I fill up and rely on that instead. Who says the modern water cooled 911s don't have character?
Got caught out the other week with this. Have you been talking to Tony, Richard? [
]
Put £20 in with not many miles left to go and the gauge didn't move. I did the natural thing in this situation: blamed the garage and tried to get my £20 back.[&:]
