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Range to empty would say 0 then just "--" ... I know that's bad but the engine never stalled so there was still some left. Done it twice. I really need to get into the habit of filling up at 1/4 to empty but I hate pumping gas so often. In case you didn't notice it's expensive - mentally.
I run it down at times. Never had a problem. I did have an old Buick that ran out of gas at 1/4 on the gauge. Found out the hard way with that one that if you didn't fill up by at least a quarter you would be walking!
OP, you do not have to run your tank down to get an accurate mpg calculation. Start from full, run it however much you want, fill it back up and do the math. The key is filling it to the same "full" amount.
I've never unintentionally run out of gas in a car. I used to have a gas can and just run a car until it died, just so I'd have an idea of where that was. I haven't done that on either of my past two cars. On a motorcycle, I've had less luck. I tend to forget that I turned the petcock on when I refuel, so I go around minding my own businesses. Splutter splutter, reach down for the petcock valve as I'm going up a mountain leaned over. Oh sh--. And then you stand on the side of the road looking pathetic until someone stops and gives you a lift to the nearest gas station and bag. I've done that three times.
Now when we travel I try to never let it get much below 1/2 a tank...we do a lot of traveling and several times we (me) have lost track of the gas gauge due to scenery being fantastic, once on the Pacific coast in Oregon I had let it run down before I noticed that the light was already on, man did I panic but luckily found and old store in a small town (only one). Same thing happened leaving the North Rim of the Grand Canyon one night, lucked out again as the park gas station was almost ready to close.
Love the stories! Miss seeing spectacular scenery like that!
Quote:
Originally Posted by kerafaith
In my 02 Mustang, yes all the time. In my 05, no never.
I simply don't want all of the drama associated with running my 05 lower. If I do run it below 1/4 more than a few times then my check engine light will come on. We will take it to the dealership & they put it on the computer & nothing shows up on the computer but the check engine light goes off anyway. After we get it back from the dealership though my fuel gauge stops working. To get my fuel gauge working again I have to run my battery down. Which means that we then have to jump start the car.
That's a lot of drama all right.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thegonagle
The 10% ethanol in most of today's gasoline also takes care of any small amount of water. It gets absorbed by the alcohol, which then mixes with the gasoline. Unless you pour water in the tank, that problem is effectively a thing of the past.
Good information!
Personally the only time I ever came close to running out of fuel was once when I lent my car to someone else. Thanks pal!
Like most here I try to fill them up at around a 1/4 full. I've run them all lower in the past but I try and avoid it. I keep some fuel in cans in the garage for the winter for the 4x4 but that's the only one i'll fill on the way home every time it's used, it's the winter/'survival' car mainly.
Also like I saw mentioned earlier my wife just runs them until the low fuel light comes on and then fills it, or more often tells me it's nearly empty and that I need to fill it.
There are lots of different viewpoints of those that say you should not let the tank run below 1/4 for fear that trash and sediment may clog up the sock, and that the pump itself can be ruined overtime because it may get hot and overheat.
Gas tanks are pretty much sealed and there is very little chance in trash getting in the tank. Gas pumps usually have filters when you pump the gas. If the trash was such a concern sitting in the tank there would be alot more clogged fuel pump strainers and fuel filters. In fact, after I had pulled the old tank and examined the inside, I still had a gallon left over with no trash at the bottom, plus the original fuel pump sock was still very clean.
Here's what I think. Since I have just replaced my gas tank yesterday I have put in 5 gallons of fresh gas from the container and put in a bottle of the Chevron Techron to give the fuel system a good cleaning. So as of now the needle sits at 1/4 tank. The pump from what I know is cooled with the gas going through the pump itself. And with the sock being at the very bottom, I think that as long as the pump is pumping the gas, it will stay cool. Besides, once you truly run out of gas the engine will stop anyway along with the pump, so no danger in harming the pump in running dry.
When I pulled the old tank, the gauge indicated it was empty, but there was still a gallon of gas left in the tank. I remember in the owner's manual in the 84 Olds that said "Tank is not empty when the needle is on E, as there is built-in gallon reserve". Maybe this was done to where if the needle was on E or close enough to it, you should go fill it asap before you run out from the last gallon. of course this can always vary depending on the driving conditions and whether its stop and go vs highway driving.
The new Spectra tank I installed has a square baffle that surrounds the float and sock, so I think this minimizes having fuel sloshing around and preventing the gauge from moving so much. Plus there is a small hole in the back of the baffle that gas would go in and out of to minimize the sloshing.
What are your thoughts regarding the fuel capacity? Do you guys always fill at 1/4, or let it run low? At least now in my case that whenever I see my gauge at 1/4 I know that I have about 5 gallons left (confirmed from a completely new empty tank), with a new sending unit and everything I think filling it at 1/4 it would be tougher to get an accurate MPG calculation since usually if you go by a near-empty tank and fill it up you can get a better MPG calculation.
I try not to, but do every now and then. I have a 40 gallon tank, so 1/4 is still 10 gallons.
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