[carman5200]

Hi,

This is my first time posting to this forum but after doing some research on here and the internet, i've not found a good solution.

My brand new 2017 MKC 2.3L (2 weeks old) with 700+ miles, has a fuel gauge that seems to think it has a 13 gallon fuel tank. Now, the first time i filled it up it was at 1/4 tank and it went FAST. I thought, wow this mileage is terrible. Then i filled it up, and it took like 9.3 gallons, and i thought wow this is a really small tank (~13 gallons). Then i looked it up and it says online 16.3. Odd. Happened again the next time, except i got better fuel mileage. OK. So then after i monitored the MPG and miles used, i saw that even though i was getting 20+mpg, it would always show a very low gas reading. Most recent example is 66 miles, 22mpg, and the fuel gauge is reading 71% (The app tells you %) when 66/22 is 3 gallons, 3/15.7=19%, so it should be showing 81%. The MTE also seems to be calculating off of this smaller fuel capacity.

I brought to the dealer (after initially they tried telling me it needed time to 'calibrate'), and they found nothing. No error codes, they drove it, calculated usage, and concluded that 1) gas tank is really 15.7 (the 16.3 includes expansion) 2) the gas pumps have errors and could throw it off.

I don't buy it since this is literally the first car i've ever had that's had this problem. I looked it up and sure enough there's a TSB for 2015's that had this issue, which involved replacing the fuel level sending unit. I brought it up to the dealer and he said doesn't apply to your car since it's 2017. I said i know but maybe you can use the same diagnosis process. No luck. They said nothing we can do except rip out the whole bottom of the car and don't wanna do that for a brand new car with just a low fuel gauge. I've also seen that there's a TSB for 2017 MKX that has same issue and they seem to just reset the computer somehow. I'm escalating this with the managers at the dealers who told me to call Lincoln directly so we can start to get an engineer to look at the car.

I've seen some folks on here have had this issue. Has anyone successfully had it resolved? It seems crazy that if ran the car until empty it would only take like 13 gallons! Makes understanding your range really difficult! I also don't buy the "fuel pump" for the direct injectors excuse, as i read the Ford Escape had the SAME PROBLEM, and it was fixed with a software update of some sort for that car.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[MKC4ME]

carman5200:

Most vehicles I've had tended to have a fuel gauge that read low - usually had between 10% and 20% of a tank at the E mark.

I filled my MKC at about the 40% (actual) level for the first 1,500 km - usually because I was heading somewhere out of town and wanted to start with a full tank. On my first longer trip the MKC starting giving me warnings about low fuel and I ended up filling it up when it was at about 18%.

I now have about 14,300 km (~8,900 miles) on it and am comfortable with how it works - knowing that when the gauge reads empty there is still enough gas to go a ways. I reset one of the trip meters at every fill-up. I multiply the fuel consumption by the distance travelled to get an idea how much gas I will need and am usually within about a litre (~ 1/4 of a gallon).

I suggest you need more time and experience with it.

 

[todd92]

Mine has 2 gallons left when it says 0 miles to empty. Most cars leave a cushion so that those who aren't in tune won't run out. There is no way to recalibrate it. It's not a Ford issue either, as my 2015 F-150 is out when it says 0 miles to empty. But I would agree that for whatever reason the MKC gives the appearance of being especially bad in this regard. But once you know it, it shouldn't bother you.

 

[blankster]

It is also intentional to show "E" with some fuel in the tank since the fuel cools the fuel pump.. They really don't want you going real low with the fuel level in the tank.

 

[ddsski]

Most I have ever been able to get in a fillup is~14.9 gallons and that was on a trip where I knew I could fill up if the surprise occurred. BTW I drove it 35 miles past its reading 0 miles till gone. At zero miles left which I routinely get to on my long trips, I typically take ~13.6 gallons. So you see going 35 miles more and taking 14.9 is pretty accurate. I have done 375 miles on that tankful which was 25.19 mpg at 75-80mph and back road driving /passing. NO COMPLAINTS!! So if you were in an emergency and no gas was available you could make 400 miles if cruising at 75mph easy.

 

[countryguy]

Ever since I bought my first car in 1979, I have always kept track of the gas mileage at every fill up. I've had my 2015 MKC for 28 months and occasionally when I fill the tank, the gas gauge would only read about 7/8 full. A couple of weeks ago I filled the tank and purposed filled it to overflow the spout so I knew that it was indeed full....the gauge still read 7/8 full. I read on another thread that someone else had the same issue and had to get the fuel sending unit replaced. I reported the same issue to the dealer yesterday, they removed the tank and determined that a new fuel sending unit is required which they have ordered.

 

[ddsski]

That is indeed a sending unit failure