Are our tanks really 21 gallons?

Someone please explain, I thought most fuel pumps were fixed in place and thus always sucked in gas through a fixed inlet location. This would mean they always have to draw from near the bottom of the tank, if you want to be able to use all the tank.

 

I never know when I'll get called out so I tend to park the truck in the garage full of fuel almost every time. For me it's very inconvenient to take off and have to stop en route for fuel - I'd rather start off full. For better or worse, that concept carries out to all the vehicles - RV, boats, ATVs, wife's car, etc.

Pat in Menifee, CA

 

HEY! If you feel that you must bring logic and reality into this thread then I'm going to have to ask you to step away from the keyboard. You're not adding anything to this thread that anyone wants to use,,, fantasy and hearsay is what we believe in...

 

Amen to fantasy! It's what keeps me going.

 

Helpful and good to know. Thanks for posting this!

 

Got any pictures/diagrams of the Tacoma fuel tank/pump setup that show that? I can't picture a design that works that way and isn't more complicated, more expensive, and more failure prone than just pumping out of the bottom of the tank like most vehicles do.

 

Was gonna post the same, thanks Dave.

 

Lets never run out... or suck the bottom dry to figure if our truck is different than all the other Tacomas!

I also zero my trip odometer when I fill up so I can (at a glance) see how my gas mileage is doing as I drive...

For me, 16 mpg is the bench... and while I have gotten less than 16 a few times, usually I get between it and 17 for my daily driving (see my Fuelly.com thing below)...

AT 16 MPG, My Odometer reads:

Full: 0 miles
3/4 Line: 80 miles
1/2 Line: 144 miles
1/4 Line: 208 miles
Light: 272 miles
E Line: 288 miles

At 17 MPG:

3/4 Line: 85 miles
1/2 Line: 153 miles
3/4 Line: 221 miles
Light: 289 miles
E Line: 306 miles


Just today, I passed the 85 mile point and my needlle was just touching the 3/4 Line... So, for the first 1/4 tank of fuel, I am getting better than 17 MPG.

 

http://www.tacomahq.com/643/toyota-tacoma-fuel-pump-replacement-failure/
And who ever said most vehicles pump from the bottom of the tank? You're more prone to failure by sucking from the bottom of the tank than you are the top unless it's a gravity fed system like a dirt bike (even a lot of those tanks have lips on the bottom so you can't pull from the absolute lowest spot of the tank).

 

Ok but that diagram shows it goes in from the top...which every fuel pump I've ever installed has gone in from the top of the tank. The pickup however is in the bottom of the tank. Why would it pickup from the top of the tank? When your tank was less than 3/4 full you would run out of gas.

 

The Airtex fuel pump (part # E8756M) for the 2.7LTacoma has the pickup at the bottom. I have not seen the original Toyota part, but I assume that the Airtex part look pretty much the same.

 

Just 'cause this guy thinks he's making sense on the internet doesn't mean you're right. That site is not affiliated with toyota.

The pump doesn't get lubricated and cooled by the gas surrounding it like he thinks, that happens by the gas pumping through it.

And the pickup is always on the bottom, no way to avoid picking up junk at the bottom. And your site doesn't say the fuel is picked up on the top like you are believing.

Further, the idea that you would get less condensation by keeping 1/2 full doesn't make sense either. If you use 100 gallons of gas it doesn't matter if you top off 6 times or 12 times, the same amount of air(moisture) goes in. But modern tanks function with pressure or vacuum so air isn't being drawn in anyway.

This makes more sense to me and doesn't mention running the tank low.

http://www.autohausaz.com/html/fuelpumps.html

Why Fuel Pumps Fail

Electric fuel pumps run constantly, so after many years of service they can experience wear in the armature bushings, brushes and commutator. Pump vanes, rollers or gears can also wear causing a gradual loss of pressure and flow.

Accelerated wear may also occur if sediment or rust gets past the inlet filter sock. In some instances, a pump will fail because contaminants entered the pump and jammed it, causing the motor to overheat and burn out.

Your fuel pump relies on fuel passing through it for lubrication and cooling. Consequently, fuel starvation can be another factor that accelerates wear and may even cause pump damage under certain operating conditions.

Don't run out of gas.

 

The diagram in your link shows the fuel pickup at the bottom of the pump assembly.

Me. Every single car, boat, motorcycle, lawnmower, snowblower, etc I have worked has the fuel intake on the bottom of the tank. Chainsaws and weedwackers are the only things I know of that don't, however they have flexible fuel hose inside the tank with a weighted filter that is always close to the lowest point of the tank no matter what angle the tank is being held at.

I think pumping a tiny amount of tiny debris through the pump is less likely to cause a fuel delivery failure than a floating fuel pickup system getting stuck. Besides, driving would stir up the gas in the tank enough that any debris would constantly be sloshing around in the tank anyway...

 

21.1 sir. if it was 21 exactly, i would have run out of gas. ive filled up at 21.08 gallons one time

 

In post #8 in this thread:

Yes, it is an 80 liter tank... so divide 80 by 3.785 and you have 21.136 gallons... Naturally there is some distance up the fill tube to where it can spill out!

 

Nope, your FP always pulls from near the bottom of the tank. If it didn't that would have the same effect as reducing the capacity of the tank. If the tank holds 21 gallons, the pump has to pull from the bottom of the tank in order to access the whole 21 gallons.

Some vehicles actually have a sump in the fuel tank, to maximize the pump's access to all available fuel.

 

No explanation needed. You are correct.

 

All correct

 

No way does my brand new 2011 have a 21 gallon tank, unless there's still 6 gallons left when the warning light comes on. I bought my truck on Tuesday. They assured me up and down that they would fill up the tank and send me on my way with a full tank. The next morning on the way to work the warning light came on (driven approx. 5 miles). It took 15 gallons to fill it up. When I called to complain they were very apologetic and cut me a check for the $60 I spent on gas. But still, the sales manager swore up and down that the tank holds 21 gallons AND he very emphatically stated that there's 2 gallons left when the warning light comes on. Do the math. This cant all be true. Either I have a more or less 18 gallon tank or there's still about 6 gallons left when the light comes on. Only had the truck three days, will pay close attention on future fills.

 

The fuel light comes on at approximately 4 gallons remaining, not two.