Low Fuel Warning Light Question.

Fellas:

My low fuel light has consistently come on when I have burned 16 of the 21 gallons in the tank. In every other vehicle I've ever owned, they came on when the tank had only 1 or maybe 2 which is what I prefer.

My gas gauge seems to stay above full for the first 80-100 miles then it goes down rapidly but what is consistent is that with 5 gallons still in the tank, the light comes on. Anyone else have similar results?

 

Acually i have noticed the same thing, i wouldnt worry about

 

Totally normal. All tacomas do that. I tried adjusting mine when i did my gauge colors but no luck.

 

I think it's because the fuel pump is inherently designed to be cooled by the fuel in the tank, therefor if you drive your vehicle with less than 16 gallons in the tank, the fuel pump is subject to running hotter than designed, and thus lessen it's lifespan.

 

Normal. Mine does the same thing. When I first got it I thought I was going to get 400 miles to the tank after getting over 100 on the first quarter. Wrong! After the first quarter it falls rapidly. Also the low fuel light comes on at about 16 gallons.

 

Actually, the light comes on when you have burned 17 gallons (+/- 0.5 gal.)... If you guys are topping off the tank when you 'fill-up'.

Several threads on the subject... Here is what most of us have observed:


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 an empty tank is 3 gallons ('reserve').

 

Okay. Thanks. I will not worry about it any more.

 

you can always remove that annoying light bulb

 

Good to know, thank you David.

 

I noticed that same gallons at each mark as well with my 4 cyl.

 

Not necessarily true. That's kind of an "old wives tale." The only time I have heard of failures such as this were in some 90's model Chevy's. I always run my vehicles down about 25-30 miles with the light on. I have never had a fuel pump failure, even when i was running a Walbro 255lph pump in my turbo accord I used to own. My last accord had over 200k miles on it when I sold it. 91k Miles on the Tacoma now...no fuel pump issues.

 

i fill up anywhere between 1/4 to 1/2. it makes me "feel" like i am spending less $$ on fuel.

stupid mental games i need to play on myself.

 

If I did that, I would be filling up every other day. I fill up about once every 4 days.

 

De nada!

As you can see, we have the most gallons in the first 1/4 tank (5) and the last 1/4 tank (8)... and just 4 gallons from 3/4 to 1/2 and again from 1/2 to 1/4 tank lines.


This is why the needle seems to move faster after the first 1/4 tank is burned... it does! At 16 mpg, you go 80 miles to the 3/4 line from full but it is only 64 miles from there to the 1/2 tank line.

Hopefully none of us go to where we run out of gas, but from the 1/4 full line to an empty tank is 128 miles (8 gallons x 16 mpg).

 

drove a ranger for 16 years always ran it to empty (18+ to fill) the fuel pump was the only thing i never had a problem with

my tacoma I usually run to E 19 gal fill-up, put 20 in it once
http://www.fuelly.com/driver/dan0h/tacoma/log

 

Why?

 

why not ?

 

Ran it to E, or ran it dry? Fuel pumps are cooled by fuel. E on the gauge still leaves a few gallons in the tank, which allows for fuel pump cooling during most driving conditions.
Running it to E is just asking for trouble. Sometimes it's unavoidable, but you're not leaving any room for error.

 

did not read all the comments. but i have put almost 17 in and i still did not have got the light. and put almost 18 and the light was on. i have DCSB

 

I replaced my standard 1st gen gauges recently with SR5 which had a tach and noticed a difference in the fuel gauge position as well.

Previously, it would run about 100 miles buy the 1st quarter tank and run better than 80 after it hit the E. Everyone who ever rode with me used to panic when they saw just how long we would go before getting fuel.

Now, with the new cluster installed, I get 100 miles before it comes down to the F.....then it runs out within 10 miles from hitting E. The truck was suppesidly not equipped with a Low Fuel sensor but funny thing....when I installed the new gauges, the one in the cluster now works!!! So there must have been one in the wring harness all along??