Gas Guage vs Fuel Tank

Just ran my ‘22 TRD OR down to 3 miles left and filled up with 19.1 gallons. The tank is 21.1 gallons (80 L) so empty still had 2 gallons left. Once full, the range was just 350 miles (I get about 20 MPG average).

Not looking to fix anything, just want to know what others see?

 

Toyota has always had crazy conservative reserve/warning light levels.

Range miles are usually just the computer guessing at best.

 

In all fuel tanks there is an air pocket designed into it. Youll never really pump 21 gallons into a 21 gallon tank.

 

For many years I never let it get below a 1/4 tank. Empty was 18 gallons and change. Then I ran it to less than 10 miles a few times in a row, so that empty is now 19 gallons and change. I've never had a 20 gallon fill up.

 

Another aspect of this is the fuel cools and lubricate the pump running the tank to complete empty overtime. Will damage the pump I rather costly and pain in the ass repair

 

In my experience, this tidbit from the manual checks out. Light comes on when distance-to-empty (DTE) is about 20 miles. If I fuel up right then and there, I get about 18 gals pumped in.

The numbers check out.

 

I usually fill between 1/2 and 1/4 regardless. Never have gotten low enough to see the light come on. My neighbor has a second gen and that fool didn’t make it 20 miles to his favorite fill up point after passing gas stations. Got close, but had to push it to the pump to fill up. Also complained it ran really rough for few miles after filling up.

 

This!
There’s extra margin of error built in for dummies. No need to overthink it, top off often

 

I don’t like to push it till the gas light comes on, but it is important to know the limits of a vehicle in case of emergencies. Then I work to avoid those emergencies.

 

I rarely get below 1/4 tank…….winter I don’t let it get below 1/2

 

A fuel gauge is not a precision instrument. It lets you about what is left. The only way to know for sure is to run it out.

 

In my second gen I put a gas can with 1 gallon in the bed if I was pushing the distance...Just because...I knew my mileage...Time to figure out the 3rd gen. I have a 70ish mile commute 5 days a week...So if I can get 350miles I don't have to stop....

 

Yeah man…I reset my trip ODO each tank and keep a close eye on how many gallons I take on each fill up. Long story short, the tank still has 2+ gallons left even when the range deal says 0 mi. Keeping track of your miles per tank on the ODO over time will give you a good gut feel for where you’re really at. I don’t really get antsy until I hit 400 miles based on my past experience and driving habits.

normally I still fill up below a 1/4 tank, but knowing where the limit is comes in handy…closest I’ve ever gotten (in the Tacoma) is 1/2 gallon left in the tank

 

I pretty much follow the same philosophy. However, one time in my 1991 4Runner I wanted to make it to a particular gas station and was not worried because my trip odometer showed that I had at least 50-75 miles left. Well, I ran out of gas and could not figure out why. It turns out that my oxygen sensor went south and unbeknownst to me, I lost about 5 miles per gallon. I replaced the oxygen sensor and my mileage per tankful went back to normal.

 

On most vehicles the pump itself actually sits down in a cylinder roughly the size of a large Mason jar. The fuel return line pours straight into it so it's constantly full and the pump is submerged. Even when there's only an inch of fuel left in the tank the cylinder is full and the pump is submerged

 

Letting tanks drop below 1/4 (especially in the summer) is a big no-no at our house.

 

did you read the manual?

 

Something else to remember. Not all fuel in the tank is actually usable. My old WRX had about a gallon and a half in the tank when I ran out trying to push my luck on a road trip once. 16 gallon tank, put 1 gallon in on the side of the road, drove 1/2 mile to the gas station, and pump cut off at only 13.5 gallons.

 

i’ve been told that, I’ve also been told that you run the tank empty and that causes damage to the pump impeller because it runs dry.

 

Running empty makes no sense just because you can stop moving in a place that is at best inconvenient and at worst deadly (think: North Dakota, middle of a -40 degree F blizzard).

But I know this is less technical fact about the pump/tank than personal-safety-opinion.