Premature low fuel light

[DeeezNuuuts83]

But driving with the low fuel indicator on for an extended period of time is the precursor to being empty. The tank doesn't have to be bone dry to have that problem.

[The359]

I think it's fair to say that everyone here can figure out when to fill their gas tank. If they can't, they shouldn't have a car in the first place. You have to be trying hard or completely oblivious to run a car completely empty.

[Sarlacc]

Originally Posted by DeeezNuuuts83

But driving with the low fuel indicator on for an extended period of time is the precursor to being empty.

Did you really drag the "but it leads to harder drugs" argument into this?

[DeeezNuuuts83]

Not the same thing. But you can keep pushing the limits if you want and continue to drive with the light on for a while if you want.

[cmspooner]

I look at the reserve this way: If you are getting ~30mpg then the light comes on with about 60-70 miles left; but if you are in bad traffic or are flogging it and getting ~20mpg you have 40-50 miles left which is enough time to plan a trip to a gas station of your choice not the first crappy one you see.

[Draco-REX]

Cars in the US usually have 3+ gallons left when the light comes on so that people out in the boondocks can make it to a gas station. We have a LOT of open space that you don't want to be stranded in.

[jakev9041]

Originally Posted by DoomsdayJesus

If you see your fuel gauge at the off position, that's pretty much the empty position. I ignore the fuel light until I actually dip right below the redline. Even then I've never put 13 gallons in. Like a pilot does, trust your gauges.

Keep in mind, running a car until it's dry can be bad for the car.

I'm a pilot and no pilot will EVER trust their fuel gauges, visual check is a must. Further, every tank has a certain unusable fuel quantity as in there is a certain volume of fuel remaining in the tank that cannot be used to supply the engine, airplane manufacturers have to publish these numbers in the pilot operating handbook, and some even put it in the brochure. Just look at this web site: http://www.diamondaircraft.com/aircraft/da42/specs.php
Fuel capacity, total / usable 79 gal / 76.4 gal

Cars are no different, but manufacturers have not ever published or made known the usable fuel, so a word to the wise: a certain % of the total fuel capacity of your fuel tank is unusable & to drill it in, any pilot who trusts a fuel gauge ought not to be a pilot.

[shiumai]

i zero out the trip meter A when i fill up the gas tank. when i notice the low fuel light come on, i zero out trip meter B (since i don't really use it for anything else). it helps me keep track of how many miles i've driven since the low fuel light came on since i've a bad memory and wouldn't remember what trip meter A said when the light came on.
i know what my average MPG is, so i have a good idea of how much i have left. i usually fill it up around 12 gallons.

[Freude am Fahren]

I've been used to having about 50 miles left when the light comes on from my last two BMW's. Without a range feature on this car, I haven't had the desire (or need) to test just how far it will go on low. I've gone maybe 30 miles with the light on at the most, and usually don't get more than 11 gallons in. I keep an eye on my trip and avg mpg once the light comes to guess how much I have left.

[carbonBLUE]

Originally Posted by WolfpackS2k

Does anyone else think their low fuel indicator light comes on way way waaaaaaaaaay too early? If I fill up as soon as the light comes on the car only takes just over 10 gallons. I just filled up an hour ago, after driving around with the fuel light on for the last 40 miles, and the tank only took 11.1 gallons. Since our gas tank holds 13.2 gallons (50 liters) it would be much more helpful if the light didn't come on till somewhere around 1.5-2.0 gallons were left.

I'm trying to learn to ignore or or just go another 50 miles before filling up but I feel like this is going to burn me eventually

Anyone else notice this?

When the car is in the "off" position, that is true empty. I remember going to a subaru dealership to check out a friends BRZ before it shipped out. Started it up and the gauge literally moved 1-2 mm above its standard "off" position. and i just laughed in amazement. (my last gas gauge was also digital so i wasnt used to seeing a reading below E lol)

you can run it well past the E line but i wouldnt advise it because fuel starvation around corners can and will happen. If im on E and my drive home is 30 miles and ill miss traffic if i go right then... then i know i can make it... before i wouldnt let it touch E cause i had no idea where true empty was.

[Sarlacc]

Originally Posted by carbonBLUE

fuel starvation around corners can and will happen.

Interesting. Have you experienced this in the BRZ/FRS/GT86 or seen documentation on this being a problem with this car?
I know it's a problem with some cars, like old Corvettes, but I've never heard it mentioned with the BRZ/FRS/GT86 before.

[carbonBLUE]

Originally Posted by Sarlacc

Interesting. Have you experienced this in the BRZ/FRS/GT86 or seen documentation on this being a problem with this car?
I know it's a problem with some cars, like old Corvettes, but I've never heard it mentioned with the BRZ/FRS/GT86 before.

its been reported in the autocross section of the forum, the fuel tank is a saddle shaped tank and when the fuel is low under medium - heavy turning dependent of the fuel level, it will starve the fuel system for a split second until the car settles. It isn't a defect, just physics. ive had it happen a couple times drifting at or around 1/4 tank and the autocross guys have seen it too. if you are out tracking. do it with a full tank.

[Sarlacc]

Originally Posted by carbonBLUE

the fuel tank is a saddle shaped tank and when the fuel is low under medium - heavy turning dependent of the fuel level, it will starve the fuel system for a split second until the car settles. It isn't a defect, just physics.

That is a shame, I had thought they would design the fuel tank with high G-forces in mind.
Thanks for the info.

[carbonBLUE]

Originally Posted by Sarlacc

That is a shame, I had thought they would design the fuel tank with high G-forces in mind.
Thanks for the info.

if there were a way to run a drive shaft through a fuel tank, then it would have been done, saddle shape tanks have solutions, a pump system or relocate the fuel tank to the trunk with an aftermarket option.

it just depends, if you are over 1/4 full you probably wont see problems on the street. only people tracking the frs/brz see problems and there are solutions for them depending on how serious they want to apply the car.