Gas Tank to small??

Just bought a 1990 Jeep Cherokee Limited Edition from a crooked salesman!! One out of many concerns is that my gas tank only holds about 45 Litres of fuel!!! When it is full the gas gauge reads about 3/4 of a tank. Could it be the tank is too small or would my float be out of whack??

Well, if my metric decoder ring is working OK, 45 liters converts to just under 12 gallons (US). According to my Haynes manual, fuel capacity is either 13.5 gallons standard or 20 gallons as an option. I'm guessing the Limited came with the 20 gallon tank. Since not all of it is usable (there is sediment space at the bottom), I'm guessing (again) that your gauge is reading correctly (I have a 20g tank but have never been able to put more than almost 17g into it).

So how do you know the tank is full?

I would suspect it is the sending unit of the gauge itself! Unless the dealer put a large dent in the tank of swapped it out with a smaller one (not sure how) I would not....gulp..blane the used car salesman....that hurt!

It might also be the gas tank venting is not correct, so the tank does not fill up all the way, because there is an air pocket at the top.

So how do you know the tank is full?

When gas starts coming out!! No matter how slow I pump it in, it won't take any more than 45 Litres! I thought it might be tempermental but I guess it's not!

I would suspect it is the sending unit of the gauge itself! Unless the dealer put a large dent in the tank of swapped it out with a smaller one (not sure how) I would not....gulp..blane the used car salesman....that hurt!


Let me assure you this salesman was a crook. If I was a mean person, I could get him into alot of trouble. My e-test was fudged( one hose from valve cover was pointing to the ground dripping oil out of it when it should have been connected to the air filter box!!, holes in muffler), and the safety certificate......holes in the floor don't pass safeties!!!

I'm sure there are honest salesman out there, I just haven't met one yet!! With me, honesty goes a long way. I would rather purchase something knowing it has problems than be told it is A-1 condition.

It might also be the gas tank venting is not correct, so the tank does not fill up all the way, because there is an air pocket at the top.

How would I fix this??

Well, take a look at the fuel tank and see if you can identify any large dents. Use your hands to feel around places you can't see very well. Maybe someone drove it over something that bashed in the tank.

If the dealer did falsely certify the car, you should consider reporting them. There's no telling what else they may have done to the car. You just need to make sure the items you describe, in fact, are grounds for failure.