This is a video of my fuel gauge on my 2005 Honda S2000 while I'm filling up the tank.

• 2005 Honda S2000 Fuel Gauge Issue

A second after the video starts is when fuel starts flowing into the tanks. You can hear when it is complete which is about 5 second before the video ends. You will notice that it will fill up very quickly to about 1/3 of a tank and then will will up the rest at the rate in which it should be increasing. I've filmed this because it's the only way I can illustrate a problem I am having other than leaving a camera on the gauge while driving around and burning fuel. If you reverse this video, you will understand how the gauge displays the rate at which fuel is consumed under normal driving conditions. The gauge will drop at a normal rate to 1/3 of a tank. That will usually be around the 240 mile mark. It will then drop extremely quick down to empty for the last 20 miles and land somewhere around 260-265 total miles on the tank. This has been happening for years. As far back as I can remember. I've just never taken the time to address it.

So some questions now. Is this a reoccurring issue on these cars? Is their a way to check for anything faulty? If it is faulty, how would you recommend going about fixing it? Also, I've never understood if there was more fuel in the cell (meaning that if it really is around 240 miles at 2/3 of a tank, mathematically, I should have a range of around 360 under normal driving conditions) or if the range should really be around 265 and the gauge is getting stuck somewhere.

Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

I'm not certain there is a problem here. This is how most of the cars I own operate. It has to do with the placement of the sensor. It seems the last 1/3 of any tank goes faster. Used to drive a domestic that would go almost 80 miles before it came off full.



FYI 360 miles is very hard to do on 11gal of usable gas you're trying to get more per gal then is typically possible. 300-320 is about the best I've ever done and put 12.xgals in the tank.

 

I don't necessarily agree with that at all really. I've been up close and personal with over 7000 new vehicles over the last 14 model years and have had extended time with about 500 of those vehicles. Perks of being in the automotive media and a part of the Motor Press Guild. None of those vehicles exhibited what my car's gauge is doing. And I'm not saying I should be doing 360 miles. I was using that to explain the discrepancy.

Anyway, are other S2000 owners experiencing this?

 

I have an 09 with 38K. Stock. I have noticed a couple of times the gauge has taken a minute or two to register all the bars after a fill up. That is it will stop a few bars short of full. Most of the time it does go all the way to full. In addition, I generally go about 40-50 miles before it comes off the full mark. It does seem that the last third falls faster (perhaps I am looking for the next gas station as I almost ran out of gas in the desert) but that a change in slope can make a bar or two change.

Two weeks ago I went over the just opened Tioga Pass (Yosemite) with a freshly topped off tank. Once we got up to elevation I drove pretty slow: 25-35 mph as the scenery demanded it and we made frequent stops for pics and hikes. I was surprised when I went over 100 miles before the gauge came down from full. I watched it all the way home. I hit a little over 200 miles and was just over a half tank on the gauge. I was convinced I had an erroneous indicator. I filled up ( and really made sure gas went to the top of the standpipe) and I did the math; I could not believe it was just over 34mpg. The gauge was indicating correctly just barely over half. I usually get 28 on the freeway and 24 in town.

I have had quite a few cars in my time and like you notice the differences. I have a 94 T Bird with 130K that has the most accurate gauge ever. A half a needle on the E Mark means something precise. A bare tick below means fumes. For the S I am pretty conservative and look at both miles and gauge.

 

Mine wasn't reading anything. Putting gas, no lines. I just had to guess where I was at. And just yesterday the meter started reading. S2Ks have always had something weird going on with their fuel gauge. My past 01' showed different levels when parked on a sidewalk and driving it.

 

Excellent. At least I'm finding this isn't a rare instance. Any idea what could be causing it? Any countermeasures to address it?

 

Seems normal to me. I'd be willing to bet that's the design of it.
FWIW, once the gas light comes on, you have 50 miles, roughly, left in the tank.

 

By no means are gas gauges linear. FYI, I took a corner at about 1G and the tank went from 1/3 to full. Took about 20 miles to calm down.

 

Maybe it's a normal occurrence for these specific cars, but it's definitely not a normal function in the industry for a gauge to act like that.

 

Is there any other feedback?