OK, here's the skinny on what I'm trying to figure out....

I'm trying to determine whether or not I have a bad sending unit in the gas tank (long story here about a local national brand name gasoline selling some tainted gas (high sulfur content which eats away at the electronic contacts in the sending unit).

Generally speaking the gauge does operate as necessary telling me when the tank is full (at fill up) and when the tank is empty (Low Fuel Light turns on) and the miles per tank are about normal (about 315 or so 50/50 city/highway driving). However, anyone ever notice that the gauge doesn't necessarily reflect how much gas should be in the tank (based off of miles driven?).

It seems like it take a while for the guage to drop from Full to 3/4 of a tank (usually I get about 125 miles before it hits 3/4) Then from 3/4 to 1/4 it goes down as normal, then when you hit 1/4 tank it drops pretty quickly (~ 50 miles left before fill-up).

I ask this because I recently took a road trip (~260 miles round trip in one day) and when I got back home, the gauge was still showing 1/2 tank. I put an additional 50-60 miles on it before it was around the 1/8th mark.

Anyone else notice this weird operation?

P.S. I can take it to the dealer and have it (the sending unit replaced) free of charge (assuming it is faulty) as the gasoline company is paying the cost up front. But at the same point in time, I don't wanna have the dealership dropping the gas tank to install a new sending unit if it's not necessary. God only knows what new rattles and squeaking noises may surface then.

Tony