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Originally Posted by rooflessVW
Light comes on, I fill it up.
me too
Light comes on, I fill it up.
me too
How nervous do you get when the gas gauge is at E?
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Originally Posted by ZeeOSix
Since I didn't see anyone post the classic video.
Ya didn't look hard enough. Post #5259534
Since I didn't see anyone post the classic video.
Ya didn't look hard enough. Post #5259534
Originally Posted by Astro14
First thing I do with a new (or new to me) car is drive it until it's on E and measure the fill. Then I know exactly what I'm dealing with. I don't have to worry after that, because I know, I'm not guessing at, the remaining fuel.
For example:
1981 Mercedes 240D. Capacity, stated in manual 17.2 gallons.
Stated in the manual that the fuel low warning (yellow triangle on gauge) comes on at 2.5 gallons.
Drove it until the warning came on, found a station within a mile.
It took 14.7 gallons of diesel.
Dead on accurate gauge. 2.5 gallons, precisely, remains when that triangle illuminates.
Remove the guessing.
And then you remove the worry.
This^^^
Know what "E" on the gauge really means as well as what the low fuel warning really means and you'll have no further worries.
Bear in mind as well that is that if you give the tank a real fill and don't just stop at the first auto shutoff of the dispenser, it'll take a gallon or two more than rated capacity.
Put a max of 19.7 gallons in our 18.5 gallon Gen 8 Accord and as much as 13.1 gallons in our 12.9 gallon Accord Hybrid.
In both cases the low fuel warnings were on and in both cases I had a plan of when we'd be low and where we'd stop. Anyway, as wifey said, you could always select EV mode and drive a few more miles in the hybrid.
Doesn't this damage the car's evaporative system?
It hasn't in the four decades I've been doing this.
To Astro, I would swear that our '78 123 240D held more like 21 gallons.
Ours was a US car imported by MBNA.
Did you maybe have a grey market Euro car, or is my memory just fading?
First thing I do with a new (or new to me) car is drive it until it's on E and measure the fill. Then I know exactly what I'm dealing with. I don't have to worry after that, because I know, I'm not guessing at, the remaining fuel.
For example:
1981 Mercedes 240D. Capacity, stated in manual 17.2 gallons.
Stated in the manual that the fuel low warning (yellow triangle on gauge) comes on at 2.5 gallons.
Drove it until the warning came on, found a station within a mile.
It took 14.7 gallons of diesel.
Dead on accurate gauge. 2.5 gallons, precisely, remains when that triangle illuminates.
Remove the guessing.
And then you remove the worry.
This^^^
Know what "E" on the gauge really means as well as what the low fuel warning really means and you'll have no further worries.
Bear in mind as well that is that if you give the tank a real fill and don't just stop at the first auto shutoff of the dispenser, it'll take a gallon or two more than rated capacity.
Put a max of 19.7 gallons in our 18.5 gallon Gen 8 Accord and as much as 13.1 gallons in our 12.9 gallon Accord Hybrid.
In both cases the low fuel warnings were on and in both cases I had a plan of when we'd be low and where we'd stop. Anyway, as wifey said, you could always select EV mode and drive a few more miles in the hybrid.
Doesn't this damage the car's evaporative system?
It hasn't in the four decades I've been doing this.
To Astro, I would swear that our '78 123 240D held more like 21 gallons.
Ours was a US car imported by MBNA.
Did you maybe have a grey market Euro car, or is my memory just fading?
Entirely possible that my memory is fading. I inherited the 240D on my father's passing in 1991. That anecdote is from a long time ago. I think my numbers are right, but I won't swear to it...
The car had a 4 speed manual, but electric windows. A bit of an odd duck for equipment in a W123. Maybe W123s came with different size tanks??
The car had a 4 speed manual, but electric windows. A bit of an odd duck for equipment in a W123. Maybe W123s came with different size tanks??
I had a 1998 windstar that the low fuel light came on with 9 gallons left in a 20 gallon tank. From that point on, you relied on dead reckoning. Drove my mother-in-law up a wall, which was some consolation.
I took it to the dealer under warrantee to no avail. Various comments from '98 owners that had the same problem. For the '99 model, they corrected it and it was too accurate and people complaining they were running out of fuel.
I took it to the dealer under warrantee to no avail. Various comments from '98 owners that had the same problem. For the '99 model, they corrected it and it was too accurate and people complaining they were running out of fuel.
My 2002 Tahoe will refuse to start if the fuel gauge down around 1/8th tank or less due to insufficient head pressure for the pump. I'll have to dump a couple gallons in the tank so it'll start. I don't let it go below 1/4 tank anymore. The wife's Nissan gauge is messed up as it's accurate from full to 1/2 tank, but below 1/2 tank, it's all over the place, so we fill it up at 1/2 tank.
Very nervous. I'm told on the Mustang forums that Mustang gauges don't play. E means E, not "you better start thinking about getting some gas".
The bottom 1/4 of this tank seems to go very quickly. One needle's width below 1/4 and the light comes on. That's when I get gas, because before you know it, it's touching the E.
The bottom 1/4 of this tank seems to go very quickly. One needle's width below 1/4 and the light comes on. That's when I get gas, because before you know it, it's touching the E.
Every time I bought a vehicle, I filled up my gas can and carried it along to see how far below "E" it will go.
Yes it's nice to know how many gallons are left when the light comes on, but the pickup cannot get all the gas out.
I just like to know real world conditions for each vehicle.
Yes it's nice to know how many gallons are left when the light comes on, but the pickup cannot get all the gas out.
I just like to know real world conditions for each vehicle.
I get nervous below 1/2 tank! Only seen E once after I drained the tank and put it back into the Cherokee. Had to drive it 1/4 mile to get gas. It took 20 gallons to kick off!
My truck never gets to E. I fi up every week regardless where the needle is. Most of the time between a qrt and half full. My wife on the other hand in her Pilot as she tells me I know my vehicle. Most of the time she fills at a qrt tank.
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My Chevy still has 3 gallons left when E light comes on.
I don't panic at all - pretty much every car I have owned usually has about 2 gallons left when the light clicks on. I usually fill up every payday, sometimes I may be at ½ tanks and others I may be just above the range where the light clicks on.
Only time I ever got nervous was in my old 2010 Mazda 3 GT - fuel range blanked out and I was deep in the reserve. I think I went another 7 miles after fuel range went to -- or 0, when I filled up I still had prob .5 gallons left, prob enough to go another 10-13 miles before it went dry.
Only time I ever got nervous was in my old 2010 Mazda 3 GT - fuel range blanked out and I was deep in the reserve. I think I went another 7 miles after fuel range went to -- or 0, when I filled up I still had prob .5 gallons left, prob enough to go another 10-13 miles before it went dry.
JHZR2
Staff member
Originally Posted by Astro14
Entirely possible that my memory is fading. I inherited the 240D on my father's passing in 1991. That anecdote is from a long time ago. I think my numbers are right, but I won't swear to it...
The car had a 4 speed manual, but electric windows. A bit of an odd duck for equipment in a W123. Maybe W123s came with different size tanks??
Turbos got 21.1gal tanks.
4 cyl and NA 5 cyl engines had 17.2 gal tanks.
Wagons had some other size.
Manual 240D cars are common, but electric windows on them we're more rare. Did it have automatic climate control as well? Cloth seats?
Entirely possible that my memory is fading. I inherited the 240D on my father's passing in 1991. That anecdote is from a long time ago. I think my numbers are right, but I won't swear to it...
The car had a 4 speed manual, but electric windows. A bit of an odd duck for equipment in a W123. Maybe W123s came with different size tanks??
Turbos got 21.1gal tanks.
4 cyl and NA 5 cyl engines had 17.2 gal tanks.
Wagons had some other size.
Manual 240D cars are common, but electric windows on them we're more rare. Did it have automatic climate control as well? Cloth seats?
JHZR2
Staff member
Originally Posted by pezzy669
I don't panic at all - pretty much every car I have owned usually has about 2 gallons left when the light clicks on. I usually fill up every payday, sometimes I may be at ½ tanks and others I may be just above the range where the light clicks on.
Only time I ever got nervous was in my old 2010 Mazda 3 GT - fuel range blanked out and I was deep in the reserve. I think I went another 7 miles after fuel range went to -- or 0, when I filled up I still had prob .5 gallons left, prob enough to go another 10-13 miles before it went dry.
+1. Pretty straightforward to know what you have from the manual and a simple test. But the new car computers with a DTE value can give false security or a real scare!
I don't panic at all - pretty much every car I have owned usually has about 2 gallons left when the light clicks on. I usually fill up every payday, sometimes I may be at ½ tanks and others I may be just above the range where the light clicks on.
Only time I ever got nervous was in my old 2010 Mazda 3 GT - fuel range blanked out and I was deep in the reserve. I think I went another 7 miles after fuel range went to -- or 0, when I filled up I still had prob .5 gallons left, prob enough to go another 10-13 miles before it went dry.
+1. Pretty straightforward to know what you have from the manual and a simple test. But the new car computers with a DTE value can give false security or a real scare!
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