FSX Lockheed Constellation: Fuel gauges always read zero (tank contents not shown)

Connie fuel gauges stuck at zero – a few things to check

On most FSX aircraft the fuel quantity gauges don’t have a separate “power switch” of their own — they’re driven by the sim’s fuel quantity variables. So if they’re glued to zero, it’s usually one of these situations:

1. The aircraft is actually loading with empty tanks (or a saved flight is overwriting the default fuel state).
2. The gauges are tied to a custom system and that system isn’t initializing (common with older/complex panels if something didn’t load right).
3. You’re looking at a gauge that’s showing a specific tank (and the selector/switching is set to a tank that’s empty), even though other tanks have fuel.

Step-by-step (quick troubleshooting)

1. Go to FSX’s fuel/payload screen and confirm you actually have fuel onboard.
   • From the top menu in-flight: Aircraft -> Fuel and Payload.
   • Set the tanks to something obvious (like 50% or 100%), click OK, then re-check the Connie gauges.
2. Rule out a “bad saved situation”:
   • Don’t load a saved Connie flight at first.
   • Start with a default FSX aircraft (like the Trike at Friday Harbor), then switch to the Constellation after the flight loads.
3. If the Connie has any kind of tank/gauge selector on the panel, cycle it through tanks and see if any come alive. (Some Connie panels indicate individual tank quantities rather than total fuel, depending on how the panel was built.)

A couple targeted questions so I don’t send you down the wrong path

• Which exact Lockheed Constellation is this (developer/name of the package), and is it a “native FSX” model or an older FS2004/ported one?
• Are you using FSX boxed, FSX:Steam, or Prepar3D?
• Do the fuel gauges stay at zero even after you set fuel in Aircraft -> Fuel and Payload?
• Any other gauges dead (electrical instruments, radios), or is it only fuel quantity?

Answer those and I can narrow it down fast — especially if it’s one of the Connie packages that uses custom gauges tied to a specific panel state/startup sequence.