Gallons in the tank when needle at 1/4 line.

Some TWers have been recording how many gallons to fill a tank when they get gas at various gauge levels...

So far, the 21 gallon tank has (+/- 0.5 gallon):
16 gallons at the 3/4 full gauge line (down 5 gallons)
12 gallons at the 1/2 full gauge line (down 9)
8 gallons at the 1/4 tank line. (down 13)
4 gallons at the E-LIGHT (down 17)
3 gallons at the E LINE (down 18)

E line to empty tank is 3 gallons ('reserve')

Today, I was able to get to a pump when the gauge was right on the 1/4 tank line... and it took 13.5 gallons to fill. Which is within the 1/2 gallon margain in the chart above we have been working on. So, today at 1/4 line there was 7.5 gallons in the tank.

1/4 of 21 is 5.25, so when the gauge shows '1/4 tank' it is that 1/4 (5.25) plus 2.25 extra gallons (reserve), at least today!

 

1st gens have a 21 gallon tank as well, correct?

 

I love reading your articles, they're always super informative. I can always count on learning something new when I click on them. if I run out of gas bc of this article I'm going after you though...

 

if they put the mpg meter like they have in the tundras so it would tell you how many more miles you have on the tank, we wouldn't have to do this. oh well, the old way it is

 

Be nice Manny!

You (and others) should try to pop into a gas station the moment your gas gauge needle is right over the various lines and see if your gauge reads the same!

There are a couple other threads this past year that some of us have replied on with some numbers... and it seems consistant (+/- 1/2 gallon) with the numbers I posted above.

There have been more than one time I was able to pop into a gas station soon after my E light went on... and that has always been when I was down 17 gallons or 4 in the tank, +/- 0.5 gallon.

At 16.2 mpg, that 1/2 gallon margain is = to 8.1 miles. I always zero my trip odometer when I fill up to check my mileage, too (Fuelly.com). At 1/4 tank line, I drove 218.2 miles, put in 13.5 gallons which makes my mileage 16.2 mpg.

If I am within a few miles of a gas station, I note the distance beyond the needle mark and correct for the gallons when on that mark. For example, if I drove 8 miles past the 1/2 tank line to get to a station to top the tank... that is a half gallon (at 16 mpg). If I put 9.5 gallons in the tank, then there was 9.0 gallons 8 miles earlier.

 

Haha. Well I've got an FJ now with a 19.0 gallon tank rather than the 21 that you guys have but your findings are accurate, the gas light usually comes on with a few gallons left in the tank and The 1/4 tank marks are more like 1/4 tank + a few more.

 

OK... filled up again today at 1/4 tank line (well just after) as soon as I could get to the Costco Gas Pumps...

The needle was clearly over the 1/4 line at mile 218.

The gas station was at mile 231.

The fillup was 13.8 gallons, giving me 16.7 mpg.

The distance from where the needle was over the 1/4 line to the fill up was 13 miles. 13 miles requires just under 0.8 gallons of gas (at 16.7 mpg).

The fillup of 13.8 gallons less the 0.8 gallon to get back back to mile 218 (where the needle was over the 1/4 line) is 13.0 gallons!

Once again, 13 gallons (+/- 0.5) is the amount from the 1/4 tank line to full/ top off.

21 gallon tank less 13 gallons = 8 actual gallons in the tank at the 1/4 line.

In math, 1/4 of a 21 gallon tank = 5.25 gallons.

So, 8 actual gallons less 5.25 gallons = 2.75 gallons 'reserve'.

=====================================================

Won't you share your results too?

 

1st gen is 18.5

 

That is fine, but this is a second gen. forum... Go ahead and start a similar thread in the 1st. Gen forum.

 

I just filled up 2 days ago......My low fuel light turned on while driving. So I continued to the gas station, which was about 2 -2.5 miles down the road.

17.05 gallons and the pump auto clicked off.

19.654 gallons topping it off....and I MEAN TOPPING IT OFF...the gas was right up to the top of the fill spout, right where it starts to flare out.

 

I have made some notes in my fuelly log about needle position on the gauge, maybe you could ad that to your stats.

 

.

Excellent post and I love this "precision splitting hairs stuff" too. ...

FWIW ... I used to check my mileage like this ... until I kept screwing up charcoal filters. ...

After 2 charcoal filter replacements in another vehicle, dealer told me to let nozzle do the auto shut off ... to keep fuel from going down into the charcoal filter.

.

 

Nice info !!

 

Why do people have to be ahole's? Noneck - if you don't care about a post move on - no need to comment negatively. I generally just troll but I get tired about negative comments to people who are just trying to help.

Thank you for the information Mr. K. I have been wondering this for awhile.

 

It is probably universal, but I would still like others to try and fill up right when the needle is over specific points on the gauge... that would confirm we with the 2nd. Gen. Tacomas have the same gauge measuring of our tanks.

Glad you like it Shaggy! Noneck needs to come down to the Lower 48 and warm up... got to be cold in that igloo, eh?

 

wow dude. that guy was just answering another guys question. Its not like you second genners dont post crap in our first gen threads.

 

I dont go by my gauge anymore- its to quirky. Im sure its a problem with my Taco but the light often comes on going 160-180 miles and needle sitting on "E"- then will jump back to 1/2 tank later on. Im believe the sending unit is going south or has a loose connection. I fill up around 330-360 miles and average 18 gallons. Maybe 1 day I will look into it more and fix it but I typically do same commute so know how far it will go. Not done any extended HWY trips in it yet.

 

Interesting, I've always wondered about this. I always try to gauge how well I'm doing mpg-wise on a particular tank by reading what my trip odo indicates at the instant when the fuel light goes on (I always reset my trip odo when I fill up). I find that 320 miles is about average, anything above 340 miles is great, and anything below 300 miles is sucky. I think the most I've ever seen at the light turning on is about 360 miles, which ended up being over 21 mpg for the whole tank (pure highway driving on cruise control).

I generally try to use my fuel light to give me an idea of how many miles I have left. I have stretched it out 50 miles after the fuel light has gone on before and still had 1 gallon or so of reserve left, so I generally use 50 miles as a safe estimate.

 

Well... that is a different story, for sure! IF he had quoted the person he was answering (like I did answering you here), then I wouldn't have said a thing...

I didn't know what he was talking about or why he would post that, and that is why I was letting him know this is a second gen. gas tank thread, it wasn't meant to bite his head off... I don't like that happeneing to anyone... so I am sorry!

PS I did have a 2001 Taco once... seemed to me it had a 20 gallon tank? Were the 4WD/ Off Road 1st Gen. equipped with a bigger tank?