I was driving home this evening and out of nowhere a FUEL DATA Error message was displayed in the cluster and I had blank lines on where the mileage was. The steering wheel was also getting very tight as if the car was going to stall. I parked the car, restarted it and drove the rest of the way home with no issues. Anyone know what this could be related to? Thank you.

 

i believe this error can occur when the is a problem with the fuel level sender (the part that measures how much fuel is in the tank) not working and therefor no data for the computer to read.

did your fuel gauge also show empty when you had this issue ?

i'd check for a bad connection on the fuel level sender

 

Also check:
1. battery is working, as you get weird errors otherwise
2. no damp in trunk (check under spare, too)

 

What I know of the "Fuel Data Error" message is as follows.

We have an option that most do not have in our S Type. I have a talking gas gauge. The message has appeared 3 times in Joyces cluster over the past few years. Each time it has popped up, my loving wife never noticed other than the fuel gauge being on dead empty. Heres where our talking gas gauge comes in, "honey my car is low on gas, would you mind???".

Fuel Capacity:
Tank - 18.4 US Gallons (69.7 litres)
Low Fuel Light - 17 US Gallons (64.3 litres)
Reserve Capacity - 1.4 US Gallons (5.3 litres)
Talking Gas Gauge - your looking around 18.5 to 18.7 US Gallons to refill! Yes this is true.

Now fellows, I know what your thinking.... And yes I have stated on many, many occasions what kind of damage and $$$ we are looking at when I will have to replace the fuel pump, but I guess I assume that just because the fuel gauge can talk it does not hear so well!

-Make sure you have gas in the vehicle
-As mentioned by police, check fuel level sending unit.

 

Rick,

You are not alone in your trials and tribulations. I have a talking gas gauge as well. But the subsequent repairs will be far more expensive in her XK8 vs. our S-Type. I keep telling her to fill up at no less than a quarter-tank remaining. My words continue to fall on deaf ears....

 

Just to tag along with the other guys here, I also have experienced this issue, however, no talking gas gauge or visual sign of "running out of gas".

Was on a drive home from a business trip been on the road for 4+ hours and had just stopped to fill up the tank as it was showing low, no low fuel light or anything just between 1/4 and 1/8...

Filled the tank, drove off got about 20 more miles down the road and suddenly had the feeling of running out of gas... Steering got hard, car was sputtering, no throttle response... Got about 2 blocks further when the car gave up the ghost... Engine died and coasted to a stop.

Wouldnt start, cranked over but as I suspected NO fuel to the fuel rail... had the car towed to a local import mechanic NOT the dealer... guys were great considering I was stranded in a strage place and they technically had me over a barrell...

Fuel pump just up and quit like that no signs no previous issues just up and quit. New Airtek fuelpum from Autozone $549 for the drivers side feul pump another $699 for the passengers side sending unit / pump...

An expensive and unpredictable fix... Hopefully this is not what you are experiencing, like I said never had a problem until is just konked out and left me stranded... The only time my STR has ever left me on the side of the road in 10 years...

 

I don't know but the odds of two fuel pumps failing at the same time is a bit of a stretch??

Glad you got it fixed but I don't think both were bad. But with the miles you have on the car it's probably for the best that you changed both.
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I don't trust the fuel gauge. When a 1/4 tank is reached, in goes fuel.

 

You are correct sir! Just the driver side main pump was bad, but I figured we were already in there so may as well change both sides. The right side sending unt is a real joy to change out BTW!