raulcruz01@earthlink.net Posted May 26, 2006 Share Posted May 26, 2006 The other day we were low on fuel and about the right time (3 or so gallons left), the low fuel light came on. Then it went out and when I put gas in I had about .9 gallons left in the car! I know, I know: not smart. But since then I let it go with about 1 gallon left and the light never came on. It's rare for us to let the tank get this low, but being my first sub I think I'm not used to the gauge readings. Anyways, I'm wondering why the light is not going on anymore. is this a fuse issue? Thanks for your expertise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted May 27, 2006 Share Posted May 27, 2006 There's a way to test the light. What year and model car do you have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raulcruz01@earthlink.net Posted May 27, 2006 Author Share Posted May 27, 2006 thanks for your response! 1996 obw, 2.2 (if that matters) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted May 28, 2006 Share Posted May 28, 2006 Crud.....I can't seem to find the diagram that shows which pin to ground to check the light. Anybody else have the info? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsox f.f. Posted May 28, 2006 Share Posted May 28, 2006 I had this problem on my 93 accord and actually ran out of gas. My light was good. I checked this by connecting a jumper wires from two of the terminals at the sending unit. I think this tricked the car into thinking that the tank was empty. Also the instrument cluster is SUPER easy to remove. You can check the bulb that way just make sure to not turn on any electical or just disconect the negative at the battery while the cluster is out. I bought a new sending unit and this fixed the problem. My understanding is that subies have two sending units and I think you will need to check both but I am not sure. You can remove the sending unit and hook up an ohmmeter. The resistance should be 50 at empty and should change steadily as you move the float to full. At full the resistance should be one ohm. I would recommend buying the factory manual for your subie. I had one for the honda and it helped me out a bunch with these very specific problems. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hklaine Posted May 28, 2006 Share Posted May 28, 2006 thanks for your response!1996 obw, 2.2 (if that matters) I would also love to know. I have the same problem and while I try not to go too low I would still like to have a light just in case! My "manual" signature: -------------- '96 BG 2.2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagleb Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 I've never seen my low fuel light... but I usually fill up before 270 miles... so i don't even know if the light works, and would like to know how to check it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subarian Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 I've never seen my low fuel light... but I usually fill up before 270 miles... so i don't even know if the light works, and would like to know how to check it It only comes on when your tank has about 2 or 3 gallons left. My gauge doesn't work, but the light does, so I use the odometer and the light to make sure I don't run dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fnlyfnd Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 I have a 96 obw also. I have let the gas get pretty low and never had a light come on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericem Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 I have a 93 leg 2.2 and i drove more than 30km with the gas needle below the bottom part and no low fuel warning light. ANd i still made it home. Then we filled up the following day because we forgot the wallet. Yankers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotshot Posted May 30, 2006 Share Posted May 30, 2006 Do the low fuel lights typically come on when the needle is lower on the gauge than other cars? I have run my obw a little below the empty mark, and no light showed up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fnlyfnd Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 I dont even know where the light is....does the little gas pump icon light up?? I was starting to think i didn't even have one till this topic came up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuBrat84 Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 in my 94 svx the low fuel light used to come on around ~5-6 gallons left (if you can believe that!) It has an 18 gallon tank.. and when the needle hits "E" I have 4 gallons left. Then for a while the light was on ALL the time unless I was almost out then it would go OFF. Now it doesn't work at all but the gauge still works fine. I know it just adds to your mystery.. but there ya go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 i have 2 legacys 95 sedan, 97obw. both hit empty long before the fuel light comes on. the tank holds 15.9 gals. if you're only pumping 12 gals you've got fuel left. my light comes on around 14.2 gals gone. I dont even know where the light is....does the little gas pump icon light up?? I was starting to think i didn't even have one till this topic came up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theflystyle Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 i have a 94 legacy l... the manual says its a 15 gal capacity tank but never have filled up more then 11ish or so. i have never seen the low fuel light and hit the e with usually around 300 or so miles.. (been averaging 32ish for hwy) i would love to find out if my light works Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 put a gal of gas in a gas canin the trunk. drive the car till it hits empty, then drive it till the light comes on or it quits. put in the 1 gal. check the light. then fill up with gas. if you don't want ot be on the road when it runs out, let it idle in the drive way. on the hiway my light comes on around 330. i avg. 25 mpg a little better on the hiway. if you're getting 32 mpg on a 15 gal tank, you can go 32mpg X 14gal = 448 miles and still have a gal left. try driving 350 miles befroe fill up. i have a 94 legacy l... the manual says its a 15 gal capacity tank but never have filled up more then 11ish or so. i have never seen the low fuel light and hit the e with usually around 300 or so miles.. (been averaging 32ish for hwy) i would love to find out if my light works Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theflystyle Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 i know i should bring a gallon along with me one day and see where i go kaput, but never got around to it as well. does the low fuel light come on when the car starts and the other lights on the dash light up?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 i know i should bring a gallon along with me one day and see where i go kaput, but never got around to it as well. does the low fuel light come on when the car starts and the other lights on the dash light up?? Nope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 I know there's a way to test it. I gotta dig through my manuals some more to try and find that procedure to test it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forester2002s Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 I've dug through the Factory Service Manual for my 2002 Forester, and found the following: - Low-Fuel Warning Lamp comes on when fuel tank sensors read 9.0 L (2.3 USgal, 1.9 IMPgal), but only if the reading is consistent for either 10-minutes or 10-km of driving. - this setting corresponds to a resistance across both fuel-tank sensors (in series) of approx. 80 ohms (or more). - the actual lamp is embedded in the printed-circuit board of the combination-meter, and there doesn't appear to be a way of testing the lamp. I suppose that one could take the lamp out and test it with 12V, but that wouldn't confirm that the rest of the wiring was OK. - the lamp is NOT tested when starting the engine (one could ask WHY NOT?, but Subaru, in its wisdom, has not included that feature). - as far as I can tell, the ONLY way of testing this lamp is to run low on fuel (as others have suggested). EDIT: Just had another thought... Try disconnecting the two fuel-tank sensors, and apply a known resistance of more than 80 ohms (say 100 ohms) across the wiring terminals (and wait 10-minutes too). This might fool the combination-meter into thinking that it should illuminate the low-fuel lamp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmanaenk Posted June 3, 2006 Share Posted June 3, 2006 Decided to test the light too. Came on at a traffic light on a slight upgrade, went away when I reached hilltop. Did not light up for a few hills after that. Came on again when I was driving in a parking lot at the mall. Did not come on when I started the car after shopping. The car took in 13.4 gallons after that. I wonder if it is supposed to stay on once gas level drops below smth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy777 Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 Found the info I was looking for today when I was testing my own fuel sender issues. The test does work, I tested it on my car. The only issue I can see is that it sounds like the newer cars do not have a separate device to turn on the low fuel warning light like the older cars. Anyway, here's the scan http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/subaru_manual_scans/FSM_Scans/Legacy_Low_fuel_warning_light_test.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theflystyle Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 where exactly is this connector r22 located?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericem Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 ya same question here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forester2002s Posted June 4, 2006 Share Posted June 4, 2006 Bear in mind that any test and/or wiring arrangement will be specific to a particular model-year, and maybe model-type as well. Which model and year is the above test designed for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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