4th Generation Maxima (1995-1999) Visit the 4th Generation forum to ask specific questions or find out more about the 4th Generation Maxima.
View Poll Results: Does your Low Level Fuel Light ever come on for you?
Yes, my gas light comes on (at or just above the bottom bar)
40.45%
Yes, my gas light comes on (only when below the bottom bar)
25.84%
No, I think it's broken
30.34%
I didn't know I had a low level gas light...
8.99%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 89. You may not vote on this poll

Poll: Does your Low Level Fuel Light ever come on for you?

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Old 11-15-2011, 04:09 PM
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Poll: Does your Low Level Fuel Light ever come on for you?

It's bothering me more and more lately that my gas light doesn't work, hence the thread. I'm curious how many of you orgers have a functioning low level gas light.

On both of my Maximas, the light never comes on.

FWIW, I've put 16.5 gallons of gas into my daily driver multiple times and the gas light never came on.

Now go answer the Poll.
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Old 11-15-2011, 04:13 PM
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Nope!

Not once!

I usually only run it about 400mi before filling up, around 15gal, but still.... NO LIGHT!
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Old 11-15-2011, 04:17 PM
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I've seen mine come on while taking a turn hard when low on fuel, but never on its own... of course I've never had to put more than 16 gallons in my tank at fill-up. I'm guessing you have to have <1.5 gallons left in the tank (18.5 gallon capacity) before it comes on.

(factory struts/springs still going strong)

Last edited by BenL; 11-16-2011 at 10:19 AM.
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Old 11-15-2011, 04:19 PM
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Need a "When it wants too' option lol... When I first got the car from the previous owner the needle was almost at E. When I drove it home there was no light. Started it up the next day and light binged on, let it run for like 10 mins it went offXD.
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Old 11-15-2011, 04:25 PM
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Mine has a mind of its own lol
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Old 11-15-2011, 05:22 PM
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Yup it has come on before
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Old 11-15-2011, 05:22 PM
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Ive had my maxima since may of this year and have noticed that the light never comes on until its too late to make it to the gas station. quickly found out that I need to keep an eye on the gas gauge instead of relying on the lgas light..
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Old 11-15-2011, 05:30 PM
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When I had a 97 it came on the first day I got the car and never came on after that, even the guy who bought it from me reported he ran out of gas and it hadn't come on.
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Old 11-15-2011, 05:52 PM
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My light comes on when I get down to about 2.5 gallons. I've never ridden over 15 miles with the light on so 16 gallons is the most I've ever put in.
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Old 11-15-2011, 06:03 PM
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The light is a function of the fuel level arm in the tank.

So it's not an exact science of when it's supposed to come on, in my car the conditions vary when it comes on, but usually it comes on between 2-1 gallons left.
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Old 11-15-2011, 06:08 PM
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friggin comes on with 3 gallons left.
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Old 11-15-2011, 06:12 PM
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Mine comes on all the time always trying to see if I'm getting better gas mileage with different Mods...
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Old 11-15-2011, 06:42 PM
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My light comes on within 2-3 gallons before empty
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Old 11-15-2011, 06:50 PM
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Originally Posted by 4GFIRSTMAX
Nope!

Not once!

I usually only run it about 400mi before filling up, around 15gal, but still.... NO LIGHT!
dang, must be nice with that mileage.


I babied it for an entire week and a half trying to get the best mileage possible. I was at 385 and the light would come on dimly on big hills or sudden stops but then went off. So i headed to a street with a buncha gas stations on it and just made loops till I hit 400. It came on solid when I pulled up to the gas pump at 400 miles. I filled up 17.2 gallons... It does warn me a little earlier though.

Also on a trip to Houston from Dallas I had the gas light came on 25 miles outside of the next city and I still made it going 80-85 so its hard to say how much gas is left when it comes on.
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Old 11-15-2011, 07:23 PM
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mine will come on and off in both of my max's. for maybe 3 seconds. I ran it all the way empty at idle once and it came on for about 12 seconds before the car died. I like it though. It has personality
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Old 11-15-2011, 07:44 PM
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in the three years I've had it it has come on just once 2 weeks ago
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Old 11-15-2011, 07:50 PM
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The light on my 97 comes on pretty consistently. As noted above, it will glow in and out for a while before glowing steady. I frequently run it down low on road trips, but rarely when on low mileage duty as I don't like to leave an empty tank in which to condense moisture. I've put up to 17.5 gallons in it before, but don't run it that low more than a couple of times a year. When the light starts to glow steady it will take about 16 gallons.

Last edited by iDuty; 11-15-2011 at 07:53 PM.
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Old 11-15-2011, 08:01 PM
  #18  
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nope not once in the five years ive owned it i thought i was the only one lol
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Old 11-15-2011, 08:08 PM
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Originally Posted by VisciousMo
My light comes on within 2-3 gallons before empty
Same here.
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Old 11-15-2011, 08:16 PM
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I've owned her for 3+ years, and still have not had the light turn on either, I even drove her until she had to filled up to 16.2 gallons

EDIT: There should be, it refuses to turn on option
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Old 11-15-2011, 08:44 PM
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Mine used to come on when I drove to the very bottom of the gauge but I guess after over-doing it so much it just told me to go effff myself and stopped working. sad face.
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Old 11-15-2011, 08:49 PM
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Mine used to function prefectly right above the lowest bar. Nowadays it has a mind of its own, goes on and off... then on again (most of the time when its suppost to be on it turns on for a few seconds and back off). I run it almost empty all the time (I know I shouldn't but wtf ever).
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Old 11-15-2011, 08:50 PM
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Mine has always worked. It'll blink for a few miles. It comes on steady with about a gallon left so you don't have much time after it's on.
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Old 11-15-2011, 09:14 PM
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The light in my 97 comes on when I need 15 gal to fill up. My 2000 needs 16.5 gal when the light comes on but the needle is at the same point as my 97. The 2 gas tanks have the same capacity.
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Old 11-15-2011, 10:29 PM
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Originally Posted by The Wizard
It's bothering me more and more lately that my gas light doesn't work, hence the thread. I'm curious how many of you orgers have a functioning low level gas light.

On both of my Maximas, the light never comes on.

FWIW, I've put 16.5 gallons of gas into my daily driver multiple times and the gas light never came on.

Now go answer the Poll.
its because both of your maximas are lowered and sit pretty level now
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Old 11-16-2011, 02:47 AM
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mines comes on mid empty bar i have gone 30 miles or so after that then i put 15.890 gallons in it and i am on that tank now 40 miles into it and the gauge hasnt moved yet
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Old 11-16-2011, 04:07 AM
  #27  
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yeah mine functions the way its supposed to, although i try to usually not ley it run that low
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Old 11-16-2011, 04:10 AM
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mine comes on at about 16 gallons
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Old 11-16-2011, 05:47 AM
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will it come on at at average a quarter tank left? ive been under a quarter tank and i never seen my light come on..had it for about 2 years now...usually always fill up once i hit quarter mark tho, so i guess ill never find out!
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Old 11-16-2011, 06:02 AM
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for two years i thought mines didnt work even when i was tryin to see if the light would illuminate if low on gas. Light never worked. Then like 2 or 3 wks ago, i was low on gas and the ligth came on! I was wicked surprised
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Old 11-16-2011, 06:21 AM
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I think it works...well, last time I think it may have come on....


I did run out of gas once, I thought it was because I missed a bulb harness after reinstallation of my guages?

IIRC, there's a specific, small harness that plugs in specifically for the gas light? Anyone.....?
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Old 11-16-2011, 06:45 AM
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All this time I've been adding blinker fluid when that light came on.

Who knew?
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Old 11-16-2011, 08:02 AM
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I took a stab at looking into this light issue last year and apparently on the sending unit, there is a small grey device at the botton of the unit that the wire leads to if you trace it. The part is not available separate and would have to replace the entire sending unit to get the light back unless someone can figure out exactly what that device is.

The light on both 95's come on when the line is below the E line.
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Old 11-16-2011, 08:07 AM
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When I first got my car it used to come on, I think...

I been meaning to replace the bulb but never feel like taking the cluster out (kind of a PITA IMO). Now I just make sure to put some gas in when the needle starts to creep below 1/4 tank
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Old 11-16-2011, 08:17 AM
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My low-level gas light shines when I have 2-3 gallons left of gas. I don't go below 2 gallons, I just fill up again.
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Old 11-16-2011, 09:13 AM
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my light comes on
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Old 11-16-2011, 09:29 AM
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I never had my gas so low for the light to go on and i have this car for more than 10 years. I usually fill in once a week so I never have to worry about empty tank. You should have another option in your poll. "Don't know, never ran out of gas to find out"
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Old 11-16-2011, 09:33 AM
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on my pre-96 it doesnt work on everything above it does, i dunno how that works
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Old 11-16-2011, 10:04 AM
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Like i summed it up in post 25. gas light depends on how the fuel level sending unit floats. on stock suspension the front end is higher than rear and most of the gas collects behind the unit's mechanism so the light comes on between 1/4 and E. once you drop the car pretty level then the floating arm sits accordingly with the gas in the tank and it comes on later.

when my suspension was stock, it came on between 1/4 and E. then i dropped the car on coilovers and it would come on at E or lower, when there was literally 1-1.5 gallons left instead of 4. it took me a while to conclude this because I hardly ever go under 1/4

it all boils down to that, your responses in this thread dont conclude anything else you include your suspension setup.

/thread

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Old 11-16-2011, 10:11 AM
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My light comes on, but it usually means I have less than a gallon left in the tank. It will come on and go off and is very dim and hard to notice. I have run out of gas once trying to make it to a gas station because of this.

There have also been times where I have filled 18.1 and 18.3 gallons without the light ever coming on.
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