It seems to be a Toyota design philosophy in recent years to overestimate the amount of fuel remaining. The issue or complaint ends up being lower than expected driving range (Toyota even issued a TSB for Grand Highlanders and maybe other models). My wife's Toyota gets 25-26 MPG so when filled up, the range should be over 440 miles. We have never seen over 390 miles. More often, we see a range closer to 350 miles, which equates to closer to 13-14 gallon fuel capacity.
Remaining Fuel when your vehicle shows “E”
- Thread starter The Critic
- Start date
My commute works out to where I am pretty much empty at a convenient place to refuel. Doesn't take me out of the way and add an extra 10-15 minutes to an already 1 hour commute. Car has 317k on the original fuel pump so it can't be that bad
and you'll suck up that bad gas if it goes too low...
Patman
Staff member
I don’t believe that at all. I’ve never had a fuel pump go bad in 40 years of driving and I’ve run a lot of my cars down below 1/4 tank quite regularly
My Grandpa always said " it cost the same amount to keep it full as it does to keep it off of E"
I lived in MT, when you hit 1/2 tank you had better be looking for a place to fill up, sometimes it's a long ways between stations.
I lived in MT, when you hit 1/2 tank you had better be looking for a place to fill up, sometimes it's a long ways between stations.
My wife will run hers down to 1 mile to E.. the current PHEV is a16 gal tank, and I have put 17 and some change back in before... Never had an issue regarding the fuel system in any of her cars.
Well I have experienced it multiple times with one daughter and 2 different cars GMC truck and a BMW. Almost everytime i get in her car its below 1/4. I had a mechanic explain that the fuel actually keeps the pump cooler and to low it may suck air on hills or turns.
You all do what ever you want.
You have to buy gas anyways might as well keep the level up.
You must live in a flat area w/o a lot of traffic lights and have a light foot. Or both. 250-ish is what we typically see.
When vehicles came out with electric fuel pumps in the tank, I was taught to not let the tank go below a 1/4 tank. Allegedly, fuel lubricates the pumps. So, I stuck with that, and haven't had a fuel pump failure yet. Don't know if it's a myth or not, but whatever.
She works 3 days a week and her commute is 25 miles one-way. Google says it takes 33 minutes, so ~45 mph average speed. I can literally count the traffic lights she encounters.... (2) to get out of town, (2) more right before getting on the 'highway', then (2) when she gets off the off-ramp. Many of them she may catch green too. It's worse in the winter (winter fuel ?), though I attribute the lower MPG to remote-starting it and letting it idle so it warms up inside the car for her.
Patman
Staff member
It is somewhat of a myth. The fuel pump does need fuel to keep it running cool but it doesn’t need to be totally submerged in it. It’s cooled by the fuel going through it. So if you run it completely out of fuel you can damage it but as long as you have a measurable amount of fuel in there you’ll be fine.
I’m not telling people to run around with low fuel here, I’m just saying that you don’t need to fear it. People who make a habit of waiting for the low fuel light to come on are no more likely to have a fuel pump failure than someone who never lets the tank go below the half point. You’re way more likely to have a fuel pump failure from bad gas at a sketchy station.
4wd
$50 site donor 2026
Nobody is running vehicles to E in my ladies kingdom 
If I go to 0 DTE it takes on ave 14.5 gal to fill. Advertised furl capacity is 13.8. Mmmmm
My '25 F150 has a 36 gallon tank with 6 gallons in reserve.
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
My 2014 Lexus ES350 has 3-4 gallons of reserve at 0 miles remaining. I’m not afraid to take it town to zero. And with 500 miles a week I put on it, I try to squeeze them all in as much as I can. I get 29-30 mpg.
Last fall on my way to Costco
I never understood people who fill their tank before it's necessary.I never understood the group of people who drive around on empty. They are a strange bunch of people that's for sure
I typically wait until the gauge is reading E. Tank is 12 gallons, and I can typically get 10.5 or maybe 11.0 when filling. I do this with every car I've ever owned, and I have never run out of gas yet. Regarding damaging the fuel pump, never happens. You would have to run the tank dry for that to happen.
+1
....plus mine run on fumes regularly. As a teenager, I ran out of fuel a few times and not one pump was ever changed.
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