Ran out of fuel but gauge shows I have petrol

[sujitroy]

As an experiment, I let my car run out of petrol and I wanted to see what the gauge would read. I'm not worried too much about the fuel, but more about temp.
This is where the needle sits when out of fuel. I'm aware the voltage regular drives both the fuel and temp. gauge. Can I assume the temp. gauge also reads high? What should I check /change or can do to get the needle to read more accurately?
Sujit

[trunt]

As long as your sender is ok You can calibrate it.. there are two small adjusters on the rear covered with cork that tweak the calibration. Even though they look like it they are not like pots, they don’t turn, they slide.. so a special tool is needed. I ground down a hex bit to adjust mine. Even so it has 4 gallons in and is still nailed to zero! I’m going to try a new sender.

You can use the sender or I prefer fixed voltages.
here’s a good description

https://www.triumphexp.com/forum/tri...-fuel.1405143/

there are many other methods if you do a search on smiths gauge calibration

Terry

[dasadrew]

Felt tip marker on the gauge glass?

[Niss]

I have never taken much notice of the exact position of the fuel gauge since I started driving in the '70s. I always zero the mileage after filling the tank and go by that. The gauges in my cars back then were never accurate.
I did change to a digital voltage regulator on my Stag recently and before this the needle was hard up against the stop when full. Now it is just below full so reading more conservatively than before which can't be bad.

[mallardstag]

As an experiment, I let my car run out of petrol and I wanted to see what the gauge would read. I'm not worried too much about the fuel, but more about temp.
This is where the needle sits when out of fuel. I'm aware the voltage regular drives both the fuel and temp. gauge. Can I assume the temp. gauge also reads high? What should I check /change or can do to get the needle to read more accurately?
Sujit

With the ignition off does the gauge move to the bottom stop? If it doesn't then the problem is mechanical within the gauge.

Connect the input and output wires from the voltage regulator together does the gauge (and temperature gauge) read a higher value than before? If the values don't change then you have a fault with the voltage regulator.

Remove the sender from the tank and move its arm to the lowest fuel level position. Does the gauge now read empty? If it does then you need to bend the sender arm to adjust the empty level.

[flying farmer]

I once bought a cheap Dolomite 1850 with a suspected overheating problem. I only actually wanted the car to fit a V8 as I had just rolled my V8 Toledo.
I needed to put a couple of gallons of fuel in it to get home and this was sufficient to "fill" the empty tank.
I replaced the voltage regulator and fixed the overheating problem and was able to sell the engine to a bloke in the pub who had a Sprint with a knackered engine.

On one of my Stags the low fuel light starts flashing early, on the other it starts flashing late. On the one that starts flashing late, when it stays on all the time there are about 2 pints left in the tank

[sujitroy]

I took a look at the gauge this morning. Without ignition, fuel gauge pointer sits just below E. Temp gauge, which folks have said is the same guts but different face is way below C. Never noticed in the last 20 years of ownership. Will investigate further. I have a spare gauge.
Thx.
Sujit

[barkerwilliams]

I think you have the "courting" optional gauge fitted, this was apparently often specified by male owners.

Alan

[jbuckl]

I expect many stags are a bit different but once the green light flashes, my car will only be 15-20 miles from running out. so I try not to go too close to 1/4 on the gauge.....light flashes just below 1/4.

[wilf]

I think you have the "courting" optional gauge fitted, this was apparently often specified by male owners.

Alan

I bet that goes over the head of all clean-minded forum members. I got it, so I guess that just goes to show...................

[sujitroy]

The article Terry pointed to helped. I calibrated my gauge on the bench. My son 3D printed a tool for me. A fellow Triumph guy sent me this article he wrote. Its here if anyone is interested.
Sujit