Fuel light range
 

So the fuel tank is 50L, but when I drove to the point where the needle was *exactly* at E, and the fuel light had been on for about 45km, I only put 45L in at the pump. Has anyone run their car right down to the wire, and confirmed that there's really about 50L in the tank?

I ask because the range of the car is not so great and I have some ambitious road trips I am thinking of doing. Yes, I know what a gas can is, and yes, I intend to get at least one.

Not sure about metric conversion but I believe the total fuel capacity is 13.2 gallons. For my first tank I tried to use every last drop of fuel to gauge the cars fuel economy and still ended up only using 11.449 gallons. My range was 315.8 miles on the first tank (95% city driving- non spirited driving) In the last 4 fill ups, the most fuel I've used on a tank has been 11.749 gallons.

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Found this, seems legit:

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2...-on-empty.html

The shape of the fuel tank and location of the pickup will more than likely preclude you from ever getting every drop out of the tank.

It's really not good on the fuel pump to run the tank low. I normally fill up at the light (Which is normally 10-10.5 gallons -US), or the soonest gas station after the light comes on if I'm on a trip and I know the route. You're just encouraging premature wear/failure of components running it so low.

Just fill her up! You're going to have to anyways right? Just my opinion/advice.

Ken

This. The "E" doesn't stand for "enough".
There are plenty of gas stations positioned across highways. Just start hunting when you're a quarter full and you'll be fine. No need to carry a gas can.

I run down to the light on every tank of every car I've owned and have never had a failed or whiney pump. No harm.

I went 30-40 miles after the light came on and pumped in 12.3 gal.

When the light comes on I'm able to pump in about 11.4.

I think either @Slick or @Pbrown documented his adventure with the fuel gauge last year.

I don't remember how low he got, but it was a lot lower than I would have been comfortable with.

I really can't wait for this particular automotive myth to die - unfortunately I fear it never will.

We aren't knocking around in the old family Duesenberg or even something from the eighties. Modern car tanks are designed that the fuel pump will not cavitate unless you run the tank completely empty. The only exception might be if you are running at near empty on the track and the Gs slosh the tiny amount of gas out of the pocket.

Filling up when the light comes on will still have 2 to 2.5 gallons of gas left in the tank.

one time when i was forced to, i took the car to a little bit below the E line...
Still had more than 1 gallon in the tank when i filled up

Found the thread/post. My memory isn't that bad.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showt...71#post1305071

Filled up yesterday, 31 miles after the light came on. 12.04 gallons.

The most I've ever filled up was 12.97 gallons. I don't know how far I went on the light, unfortunately.

It's not cavitation. The fuel cools, and in some cases lubricates the pump.

I ran 60 miles on the highway after the light turned on averaging an estimate of 30mpg. Switched to and filled up 12.65 gallons of E85.

When I switched back to 93, ran 35 miles after the light turned on average an estimate of 23mpg. Filled up 12.77 gallons of 93. It took another 5-10 miles before my fuel trims settled on my 93 tune, which aligns with the 13.2 gallon capacity pretty well.

Ran it down to around 12 gallons/13.2 (45L to fill up), the needle was past the 'E' mark so I could have run another 20-30 miles if necessary. I've got no qualms running down to the line when looking for a fill, ideally I'll have a station within sight before the needle drops below E.

Oh hay, just checked my Fuelly and I've got 3 tanks >12 gallons (45L), almost exactly what the OP describes.

http://www.fuelly.com/car/scion/fr-s...tcaster/177974

Also agreed that the fuel pump thing is nearly an old wives tale at this point, it's a good habit to fill regularly so you're not stranded but I think fear mongering an 'expensive fuel pump replacement and possibly more damage is imminent if you run past the fuel light!' is silly.

I have had the fuel light come on at different points on the gauge. Once just under a quarter full, once just as it touched the red E line. I think it includes the avg mpg in it's workings. The time it came up at near 1/4 full I had 24mpg (UK) on the gauge, the time it came on just above the red line I had 42mpg on the gauge.

That was slick for sure. he was on fumes when he filled it up.

B-but... the sediments at the bottom of the tank! Don't be a baka neeee~!

A little precautionary tail. I starved my old 1 series engine of fuel. The car went into limp mode & felt seriously rough. Got BMW assistance out, car to nearest dealership etc. A day or two latter I get a call from the garage, I'd killed off 2 injectors. Because it ran out of fuel replaced at my cost, not cheap I can tell you!

Now when i see the 1/8 of a tank left I start looking for the cheap petrol stations and when see the empty light it's fill up at the first one find regardless of cost.

Most I've put in was 49.95L. I was quite worried though.


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I take it as far as I dare toward empty every time I switch between E85 and gas. Whenever the empty light comes on you have about 2 gallons left. I've gone as far as 50 miles after the light comes on with gas and sweated like hell but didn't run out.

Wrong forum dude! BMWs are NOT the same as the Twins.

Fuel pump sucks gas from the bottom of the tank...

OP

When I bought my car, fuel needle barely budged from where it sits when car is off... still managed to drive to a fuel station... I've had the needle below E a few times.

Failure modes of running injectors dry are fairly universal.

The theory is stuff which clogs the fuel filter tends to float on the top of the fuel so it's only when you get to near empty that it gets sucked into the fuel delivery system.