Class Action, gas tank not showing gas level

The needle just needs to show full and almost empty. If you want three decimal precision then you're going to need to calibrate it against a certified check standard annually. There isn't a thing in this universe that gets precision calibrated and then holds that calibration without additional maintenance, except for a ruler.

So either you can install a sight glass and tape a ruler next to it, or you can pull the ISO9000 cheat and slap a sticker on it that says "relative reference only." This would identify the equipment as a nonreportable.


Or you can sue. It's your money.

 

I think a lot of folks would appreciate a better fuel indicator, but I don’t think a suit is going to accomplish anything.

I’ve filled my Tacoma 28 times so far. It’s really apparent now that there are 3 gallons left in the tank when the empty light comes on.

How far you go on 15 gallons is highly variable. I don’t get the best gas mileage due to my tires and driving behavior.

I have yet to do any long freeway speed trips so I have no idea how far I can stretch things at 70-75mph.

It would be great to have precise prediction but that is left to the driver. Experience with the vehicle teaches that.

 

That’s an ugly dashboard. So glad I got the upper trims.

 

You certainly have that right but when possible I like to solve problems in a most effective way. For ones like this, I don't think law firm percentages retained and little bits of money going to consumers if at all are good engineering or product fix solutions.

With 49 years of automobile ownership, at least 17 personally, and fleet management experience, that's 49 years of knowing lots of poorly performing fuel gauges. It has me guessing your lawsuit could be "tilting windmills".

For sure I'd like a bigger gas tank, but except for a few trips into big headwinds in remote areas nothing has been any worse than needing to be reasonably mindful.

 

Are you talking about when you’re filling up the gas tank and the gauge doesn’t read correctly? I think that happens to everyone. My gas level gauge will sit at the miles to empty number until the tank is filled up and I start moving again is when the new miles to empty updates. There is a lag there.

 

Much as I think the lawsuit stuff is stupidity and impotence, I think the OP is talking about an inaccurate gauge (reading low or no fuel when full and visa versa) and not complaining about a small tank. Like in the linked thread. It has been an issue on the tundras as well.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/gas-gauge-showing-the-wrong-level.837436/

 

My post also intended to say a whole lot of inaccurate gauges in those 49 years of owning several and work or rental assigned vehicles with same issues on top of that.

Sure this is less than ideal, but my pickup here is pretty darn good and also in that many vehicles and years context. I'll admit a younger me would likely be more bothered.

 

Back in yesteryear as long as you had an empty bed you just hopped looked at the front walk around the passenger side took a look at the back and depending on how much the Taco was leaning to the driver's side you knew how much gas you still had in the tank. All the tech on these things and you can't get an accurate fuel level reading?

 

I’ve let my low fuel light come on 3 times. I can only get 15 gals into the tank.

 

THis isn't like an old gauge that reads a bit off. This is a computer issue where you fill the truck up an it might say you only have a quarter tank, or you dive half a tank out of it and when you start it up the next morning it says you have a full tank when you really don't.

I was just trying to clarify that it's not a range complaint about a small tank or the complaints about the reserve in the tank that we see all the time on Toyota trucks. It's a glitch in the gauge that makes it impossible to tell how much fuel you actually have. That said, the old trick of resetting a trip odometer and getting fuel every 200 miles would make the issue navigable.

 

Does this mean we have a total of 18 gallon tank if there is 3 to 4 gallons left when the low fuel light comes on??

 

Google is your friend.

 

I actually googled it right after I posted my comments. Thanks though.
I also ChatGPT it too

 

Did the Tundra have this same issue? I read something before about fuel level readings, or was that a different issue? Sharing components I could see why if both trucks are effected by the same issue. All I've ever done is go by the gauge and put gas in when the gauge goes down.

 

Yeah, over on Tundras.com there were several complaints and I think there was TSB for a reset procedure. Some of the tundras gauge issues might have been related to parking it at an incline, but I don't fully remember. Been a while since I saw a thread on it.

 

The current gen Rav4 had major gas tank/filler neck issues that limited fill-up volume to ~20% less than stated capacity. Toyota was forced to fix that. I suspect if there are enough complaints they will fix any issue with the Tacoma tank/gauge as well. The ~3 gallon reduction in fuel capacity is arguably the biggest shortcoming of the current Tacoma.

 

has anyone ran the truck completely out? like engine died out and then filled up? if not your all guessing and the gauge is prolly ultra conservative. i dont have any problems with mine. make it over 300 miles lots of times.

 

Wouldn’t that hurt the fuel lines? I always refill at a quarter tank left of fuel per the gauge reading and I usually get about 260 - 280 miles. I get an avg 18 - 19!mpg on my drives.

 

Again, this isn't about capacity. It's about the fuel gauge saying it's full when it's not or saying it's low when its not. Nothing to do with the reserve built into the tank.

 

el turks is deffly complaining about range. which would be capacity... now i could see if he keeps running out of gas because the gauge is displaying wrong.. but that doesnt seem to be the case. its the perceived lack of range and fuel gauge inaccuracy.
now if the story goes i ran out of fuel and it said i had a 1/4 tank left. or i was at 1/8 tank on display and it would only take 6 gallons of gas then i would say he has a problem.
theres a post of mine on here somewhere where i did 340ish miles on tank and burried it on E with gas light on and put in like 16 gallons in. do that a couple times and you know exactly how far you can drain the tank.