Miles to empty and Fuel light

My fuel light is always on

 

Yeah, I never let my rigs get down below a 1/4 tank. I am just testing this out since the truck is new and wanted to see what happens. My wife, on the other hand goes down to fumes often. I am surprised her needle hasn't broken off .

 

The miles to empty and estimated stuff sucks on these trucks.
Because I idle a lot my estimated to empty is like 260 after filling up.
It’ll say I got 40-50 at 1/4 tank.
By my actual trips while driving are like 23ish.
I just get gas at about 1/4 tank running out sucks!!!!!

My wife does the same piss’s me off just get gas. If it’s a cold a gas station on my street actually still pumps it for you just go there.

 

I let mine get too low once, and I think the light came on around 30 miles. Not sure though, and not trying to find out again.

 

Yep, mine came on at 28 miles left this morning. I have about an 1/8 of a tank left. Got crappy mileage this tank since I have been messing around a lot with ECT, S mode, hills, etc.

 

Not a technical answer, but ... in winter while I lived in snowy areas at 1/2 tank is good time to fill up. Certainly fill at 1/2 while traveling long distances in winter.

 

Just be sure you don't make this a habit. Having your warning light come on is very bad for your fuel pump.

 

yo op, rtm ymmv

 

What a novel way to admit drinking on the job! I admire your honesty.

 

These threads always baffle me. The 'bad for your fuel pump' thing, the 'fuel light' thing, the 'miles to empty' thing.

It's so simple.
You have a 21.5 gallon tank.
Reset your odometer when you fill up.
When you get lowish, multiply your dash's estimated MPG times 21 and that's how far you can go with a little cushion.
For me that's typically 420ish miles.
I stopped doing the math when the trucks estimate turned out to be extremely accurate.

I almost always get 20 plus gallons in. Fuel pump is fine after 110k miles on this truck, was after 170k on my 2nd gen, and after hundreds of thousands of miles combined on every car I've ever owned from Dodges to Fords to Hondas to BMW race cars (that ran quickest when the fuel load was lightest)

 

Ooooooooohhh. Oh no!

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/estimated-miles-till-empty-feature-is-incorrect.820250/

 

It's like day-jah-voo all over again

 

I see. Thank you. This is an interesting discussion though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qh0Ara0zfA

Maybe I should continue riding my bike without a helmet. I mean, I'm still ok, right?

 

There's some things a man can't fix.
By default, I will take my GF's keys and refill her 4R when I go to the gym.

 

if your tank is low for an extended period of time the sending unit will dry out and could not work.
happened to me on a old dakota.
watched that awful video and the say the fuel acts as a lubricant but did not explain past that.
damn that video was annoying!

 

Recently had the light come on and put 18 gallons in the tank to refill. So about 3 gallons should be close. I think you can safely assume 50 miles to drive until you’re close to out of gas.

 

I went from Phx to Boston and my truck didn't even use a gallon of gas.

 

Folks are making it sound like it's one of the worst things letting your fuel light come on. Unless you're running the truck down to a few miles left to go on a tank I doubt it's as bad as people are making it seem. There's still at least 2 gallons left I believe when the light does come on.

 

Would not the estimated range at fill up be determined by the previous tank m.p.g. ? Idling would certainly lower the range.