How do cars measure fuel level accurately when the fluid is constantly sloshing around?

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How do cars measure fuel level accurately when the fluid is constantly sloshing around?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

“Accurately” lol

In the old days they steadied the gauge by using a very slow moving needle. It would move but not quickly, it’d take half a minute for the needle to get where it was going. So as the fuel sloshed around, the needle wasn’t quick enough to catch the peaks and valleys, and would effectively just report an average.

Today’s digital gauges just replicate this behavior. Take an average over time.

Fuel tanks often have baffles to limit the sloshing, but yes they do intentionally slow down the reading so it doesn’t fluctuate on you.

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