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Where on the gas gauge is truly empty?

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by jstyle, Sep 21, 2017.

  1. Sep 21, 2017 at 9:12 PM
    #81
    Jimmyh

    Jimmyh Well-Known Member

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    Note to the wise. It doesn't cost more to keep the tank full rather than empty.
     
    Grindstone and T4RFTMFW like this.
  2. Sep 21, 2017 at 9:32 PM
    #82
    tetten

    tetten Cynical Twat Waffle

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    On my trips I routinely hit the warning light and even driven past "Emtpy" a handful of times. On my truck it appears that the needle stops all movement just a bit past the last line. I may have adding around 18gal a couple times or maybe be little over but have never been able to put more than 19gal in the tank. I don't exactly seek out doing this, but with shitty miles per tank and fucking around the desert it happens from time to time.

    I won't argue that running a pump dry is dumb. I also won't argue the fact that having a pump submerged in a liquid held in a tank that has air constantly blowing by it will keep it cooler and remove heat.

    Now, until some one proves that a fuel pump creates more heat than the fuel flowing through can remove I'm going to consider that "Don't go past 1/4 tank" a rule from a bygone era.

    Keeping the tank above a 1/4 for the purpose of preventing dirt/debris from getting in the pump and keeping it clean is fucking stupid, the pump takes suction from near the bottom of the tank anyway. There's no more chance of picking up dirt at 1/4 tank than when it's full.

    http://walbrofuelpumps.com/why-fuel-pumps-fail
    This website specifically talks about fuel returning to the fuel tank.....I'm not even sure why it's talking about that, the fuel systems in late model vehicles don't "return to the tank" the fuel that isn't used never leaves the tank. Maybe that company makes pumps for systems other than late model vehicles? Am I missing something here?

    http://www.aa1car.com/library/returnless_efi.htm
    This website specifically mentions older style EFI that returned fuel all the way from the engine(where it was heated up in the engine bay) back to the tank, modern systems don't do that, and as far as I know 2nd gens don't to that(or do they?), so this would be a non issue for modern vehicles. And the only heat input into a tank would be the pump itself.

    Does anyone have any actual proof that a fuel pump creates more heat than it loses through pumping fuel?

    Feel free to start the shit fest, cuz IDGAF.

    :bananadead::bananadead::bananadead::crapstorm::bananadead::bananadead::bananadead:
     
  3. Sep 21, 2017 at 9:46 PM
    #83
    Juggernaut

    Juggernaut Captain

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    My light turns on at 3.5 gallons remaining. Toyotas are notorious for early fuel lights. It can come on with 9 gallons left in the Tundra.
     
    I married my tacoma likes this.
  4. Sep 21, 2017 at 9:50 PM
    #84
    T4RFTMFW

    T4RFTMFW Well-Known Member

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    Gonna have to triple fact check this claim.



    Hold on.
































































    Fuck.
     
    Reggie4x4 and Jimmyh[QUOTED] like this.
  5. Sep 22, 2017 at 7:13 AM
    #85
    jstyle

    jstyle [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Anything that was shiny is now black
    Werd...

    I'm not trying to argue driving until empty is a dumb idea or not. I'm just saying that some way some how people believe that debris some how floats on gasoline is asinine. Just my .02
     
    highriserkaiser likes this.
  6. Sep 22, 2017 at 9:20 AM
    #86
    Avsfreak18

    Avsfreak18 Now 5% less disappointing

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    Well.... Technically it does.... it's just an immaterial amount.
     
  7. Sep 22, 2017 at 12:02 PM
    #87
    CurtB

    CurtB Old Timer knowitall

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    Does too! You have less money after you fill your tank! :p
     
    Jimmyh[QUOTED] likes this.
  8. Sep 22, 2017 at 2:10 PM
    #88
    GLube

    GLube Active Member

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    Haha oh guys let's just appreciate some people live a little more dangerously.
    Myself I fill under half a tank just because I want to be able to jump in and drive without worrying about filling, but on my first car I was getting 52L fillups out of a 50L tank.
    To each their own
     
  9. Sep 22, 2017 at 9:36 PM
    #89
    Jimmyh

    Jimmyh Well-Known Member

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    No actually it doesn't. If you drive X number of miles a week and burn X gallons of gasoline it cost X dollars, regardless if your tank is full or near empty.
     
    T4RFTMFW likes this.
  10. Sep 22, 2017 at 9:37 PM
    #90
    Jimmyh

    Jimmyh Well-Known Member

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    LOL.
     
  11. Sep 23, 2017 at 2:46 PM
    #91
    Tiberius

    Tiberius Well-Known Member

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  12. Sep 23, 2017 at 3:49 PM
    #92
    highriserkaiser

    highriserkaiser Estoy Grifo

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    My needle was below, but touching 1/4 tank mark, line to line. I just put 13.5xx gallons into it. Looks like I can't fuck with the data... :(

    :D
     
  13. Sep 23, 2017 at 4:35 PM
    #93
    NMG

    NMG Well-Known Member

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    But wouldn't a full tank weigh more and contribute to slightly lower MPG, which would equate to more gas, on average, needing to be purchased to drive a given distance?

    I would think the lowest cost option would be to have the least amount of fuel in your tank as possible, thus maximizing mileage, in order to cover the distance that you are going.
     
  14. Sep 23, 2017 at 10:52 PM
    #94
    Jimmyh

    Jimmyh Well-Known Member

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    Whatever trips your trigger...
     
  15. Sep 24, 2017 at 5:30 AM
    #95
    Marshall R

    Marshall R Well-Known Member

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    A full tank of gas is about 130 lbs vs 65 lbs for a 1/2 tank. Do you really think 65 lbs will matter. FWIW, on airliners where a full tank of fuel weights thousands of pounds it makes a difference.

    Running on close to empty ain't smart. Shit happens. Storms knock out power and with no power you can't pump fuel into your truck. If you have enough gas to get on down the road to the next town you can buy gas there instead of being stranded. Even if you only drive locally I've seen power be out for a week after a bad storm.

    On 9-11 I was at work with a near empty tank in my truck. On the way home stations still had fuel, but I had no cash and card readers were down. By the time I drove to the bank and got cash most of the stations were out of gas and were for 2-3 days. I was able to get about 3/4 tank before the last gas station in town ran out of gas.

    I'm part of my county's volunteer emergency management team and at times get called out to assist in emergencies. I keep a minimum of 1/2 tank in all vehicles as well as 40 gallons stored in fuel cans. I rotate the gas cans pouring one 5 gal can each week into one of the vehicles then re-filling that can when I fill up my truck. Between that and using it for lawnmowers, ATV's, chain saws, generators etc. none of the gas sits for more than about 6 weeks. I now also keep $2000-$5000 cash at home at all times as well.
     
  16. Sep 24, 2017 at 6:23 AM
    #96
    03f5sp

    03f5sp Well-Known Member

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    I have gone 30 miles past E in my truck.
     
  17. Sep 24, 2017 at 7:23 AM
    #97
    bluezzy

    bluezzy Love My SuperCharged 07 Sport!

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    And also, if what the guys here are saying that an empty tank is hard on the fuel pump then then it would seem the trouble and cost of having to replace the fuel pump would out weigh what ever slight savings you gain on the mpg.
     
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  18. Sep 24, 2017 at 1:11 PM
    #98
    Grindstone

    Grindstone Requires Adult Supervision

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    13 TRD Sport, my light comes on just before the needle hits E, but on the plus side I get about 60+ miles in before it even starts to dip below the F!
     
  19. Sep 24, 2017 at 1:13 PM
    #99
    Grindstone

    Grindstone Requires Adult Supervision

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    If that is a serious concern of yours, then you might as well consider your own body weight factoring in.
     
  20. Sep 24, 2017 at 2:43 PM
    #100
    highriserkaiser

    highriserkaiser Estoy Grifo

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    Pfft. This guy. Making sense.
     

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