Trust low fuel light or miles to empty?

I drive 8 miles to work and pass two gas stations so I could wait too. Both of them even sold diesel fuel too so it wasn't an issue with my last vehicle. I just like to have fuel to know for sure if I need to leave in a hurry I can go 20-30 miles before the needle hits E. It's something I think my dad and grandfather taught me when I learned to drive.
When I'm traveling in an area I don't know it was even more of a big deal. Not sure where the next fuel stop was and previously if they had diesel or not, so some places did not but more do now. Of course truck stops were always garrinteed to have both.

 

Traveling cross county,half a tank means pay attention for a gas station stop, 1/4 tank means finding fuel is top priority.

 

@Mas Olas - nothing wrong with trying to get an exact science out of those gauges. I think I saw one person here mention a 2-gallon tank. Is there any reason why you can't or won't carry a 5gal jerry? Not too-much space in the bed, and it'll prevent that lonely walk through the desert...with no beer

 

https://youtu.be/TuEdU_lrtZk

 

A wise man once told me "It's easier to keep gas in it, than it is to get gas for it".
(as he was bringing me a can of gas one evening...)

 

No, carrying fuel is an option but rarely needed. I knew my Tundra in/out and never ran out of fuel. I know every rancho that stockpiles their fuel in barrels as well. I like to know my limitations is all. New truck, fuel capacity, etc.... Cell phones outside of towns with a traffic signal (95% is open range) is non-existant. Self sufficiency is required as the price of admission!

 

My math cant make this correlation. I’ll continue to learn. 20+ mpg with approx 10 gallons left in the tank and it says I can only go 158 miles? I’ve already gone 230 miles on half a tank.

 

My experience in most vehicles has been about 2 gallons remaining when the light comes on. Now keep in mind, the tank is 21.1 gallons and I'm pretty sure that doesn't count the little bit of extra than can take up the filler neck or fuel lines. The buffer helps to save your fuel pump and lines from running dry.

 

The trip computer is a rough estimate. It can change based on driving. Mine will tell me I can get 385 miles on a tank, but I end up pushing 400, or the other way around.

 

It can't predict the future, period, full stop. And if it's going to be wrong (it is) the engineers have to choose.

Choice 1, be a bit conservative and low ball it a little bit to insure that the owner doesn't end up stranded. Because they freaking hate getting stranded and my ass will get chewed out 8,000 times if this happens to more than three people.

Choice 2, try to be super accurate, but we know with certainty this will strand some people. And owners/drivers hate this with a burning passion, and you know they will complain loudly and publicly on every possible social media channel.

They pick choice 1 every single time. But we as drivers can "peek behind the curtain" and get that accuracy we really want.

 

Agreed. I’m not a hyper-miler just trying to know my limitations.