Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) ran out of fuel

[ftb87]

Wednesday evening about 7:00 PM . My truck started spurttering. I look over at my wife and said "I must be out of fuel, but my gauge shows I have a 1/4 of a tank of fuel".



We were six miles from the nearest fuel station and no one in sight. Luckly a nice family picked us up and drove us to and from the station (I put in 4 gallons of fuel) and tried to fire it up. Without any tools (and I told the family who picked us up to leave, bad mistake) I tried to start her up.



After bumping the starter and no fire, I knew it wouldn't start. So, my wife and I waited and waited and waited (during this time I tried to flag down some cars that passed, but no one would stop). I just kept thinking, if only I had an 7/5" open in wrench I could bleed the fuel lines.



Finally around 9:00 pm a nice gentleman stopped and asked do I need any help. I asked do you have any wrenches? He said sure and gave me a wrench (5 minutes later, I got it started). The man looked at me and said "when I was your age, nobody would help me when I was by the side I the road and broke down". I tried to pay him, but he also said, "please help someone else who is broke down in the future" and I said I would!!!!



Morel of the story. Don't go by the fuel gauge and always carry an emergency tool kit with you!!!

 

[Pit Bull]

I would check your lift pump and see if it got damaged. I bet you carry some tools in the future I alway set my trip odometer and use it to determine when to fill up. I never like to get below 1/2 tank. Read somewhere it was better for the VP44 if you never get below 1/2 full. Good luck

 

[Chipstien]

Sounds like you need a new module for the fuel sending unit. Look at the brite side... . Many people loss a injection pump by running out of fuel.

 

[Turbo Trucker]

My fuel gage has always been messed up, I always keep track of fuel by miles driven.

 

[lschultz]

That happened to me when I had my 2000. Nobody would stop so I had to wait for tow truck to come. I had my wife with me to so I heard:-{} about it. They had to replace the module on mine.

 

[jman]

Dodges fuel gauges suck!! I always drive by the trip odometer. When mine was new you could run it down to the E and then only put in 25 gallons. And then one day it decides this isn't working and changes the scenario. Now you better be looking when the gauge nears a quarter. Mine was weird because it didn't get gradually worse it just changed one day.



I took it to the dealer for warranty repair and imagine there answer. "We couldn't get it to duplicate the problem". They drained a little fuel and the needle dropped a little so they said it was fine. Thats, that. Nearly 50K and still driving by the odometer.

 

[Sticks]

I used to watch the first quarter tank against the mileage real close. After fill up I could get near 200 miles before it even crossed the quarter mark. Drove 15 miles on some bumpy back roads in Moab, now it only gets to 150 when I hit the quarter mark. Must have shook something lose in the tank.



Typical Dodge gauge. Making fuel for the first 1/2 tank/350 miles, then you can watch it drop the other half in 100 miles.

 

[Hale on wheels]

My truck is the same way. One day the fuel gauge just stopped registering correctly. My dad borrowed my truck and ran it out of diesel. I thought about getting it fixed, but then decided why, just so it can fail again?

 

[Pit Bull]

I never use the fuel gauge. Alway use the odometer. I try and fill up when it gets to around 180-200 miles. That's around 10-11 gallons. I like to keep it full, helps the lift pump & VP44 last longer (got this out of the TDR). Not a problem for me since I drive around 40 miles a day.

 

[jmtandem]

out of gas, bad gauge

ftp87,



Was your low fuel warning light on or is it affected by the faulty gauge, also? Mine comes on at about 9-10 gallons remaining, I usually take about 25 gallons at the time the light comes on.