Re: gas tank issue
I need to recast my vote from early last week. I experienced the fuel guage issue Sunday evening. What's bizarre is what you'll see from the comments below. To me, it's more "odd" than a "problem" but I agree from the postings that it could be a significant issue at the low end of the fuel guage. And, something that shouldn't be happening regularly, at all, or at this magnitude.
Returning to the cabin mid-afternoon, I recall the fuel guage displayed about 3/4 full or so. So, I think, since gas is least expensive on the way home to DC, fill Acadia up on the way. But, when we're ready to leave about 8 pm, I note that upon starting the Acadia, the fuel tank shows full. I recall this thread and decided to watch it systematically.
Here's the sequence. Note that the Acadia fuel guage has 20 ticks on it above Empty. So, realistically, about 1 gal/tick.
Start car: fuel guage shows full (or, really, "fuller than full"; south of the F side of the E-F horizon axis)
About 4.5 minutes into the drive -- down 1 tick
About 7 minutes into the drive -- down 1 more tick
About 10 minutes into the drive -- down 1 more tick
About 13-14 minutes into the drive -- down 1 more tick and settles in.
This transpired over about 10-13 miles going 35 - 45 through back road that was twisty level to rolling to climb through a pass and out of the National Forest.
From there, based on DIC info, the fuel guage is reducing properly on the drive over the mountain and on to Front Royal to get gas, and then does fine the rest of the way home.
However, started Acadia up this morning and she registers full again. Should have been about 3 ticks down from the 65-70 miles from filling the tank to home, driving on freeway at speed. Parked at home in front of the house overnight where it does slope down toward the hood (rear higher than front). Same for where it was parked in the drive at the cabin before leaving to return home. Today it's rather level in my garage at work.
If you've looked at the fuel tank on Acadia, yes, it's plastic (and from other threads here). Looking under Acadia from the rear, the gas tank runs basically to the left of the center driveshaft between the front and rear axles. Makes me wonder a few things. I'm guessing that tank is more like a shallow bathtub--long and not too deep. I wonder if fuel system pressurization takes some time to standardize. And, I wonder if the float or fuel level sensor is near the front of the tank, so that when Acadia is on a downward slope toward the front, it floats to a more full level than it should be.
I can understand it being off after resting on an incline up or down, or being off a bit before the fuel system pressurizes. But, a full 1/4 tank difference??? And taking almost 15 minutes of driving to settle in to the correct fuel level???