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How accurate is the fuel gauge?

7K views 19 replies 13 participants last post by  tailchaser 
#1 ·
I've only had the truck a few days, and stopped to fill the tank when the display said I only had 45 miles of fuel left. I topped it off as much as I could without spilling, and it only took 20.3 gallons on a 26 gallon tank.
I apparently have a lot of fuel left when the truck thinks I'm out.
Can you safely drive beyond the "0" miles left?
 
#2 ·
Every vehicle I've owned has been able to be driven well past 0 mtg on the computer. Haven't tested it with the new truck (and don't plan on pushing it either). That said, most fuel tanks hold a non usable amount of fuel too.

Assuming 15 miles per gallon average, your 45 mile to go would eat 3 of your six gal. Conservatively figure a gallon or 2 non usable, your computer probably wasn't horribly off.
 
#3 ·
Thanks!
According to the fuel mileage gauge, I've been averaging 17.5mpg since I picked the truck up Saturday, and don't know how full the dealership filled the tank. I know I topped it off today, and will see how this tank goes. I'm used to having two tanks, so you can be a lot more brave when you've got another tank of fuel at your fingertips. ☺
 
#4 ·
Put a 5 gallon jug in the back and run it out o see.
If you do run out. Pour in your fuel and then Key On/ Key off 7-10 times to prime the fuel system. Don't even crank, Just KO/KO. Similar to the process that you do after changing fuel filters when you need to fill the new filters .

I've run out once and it took 37 gallons in my long bed. And my distance to empty had been just barely past 0 miles to go. So it was pretty accurate on mine.

Another thing you can look at is, Set your Trip A each time you fill up, It will display the gallons used since reset. I find this is very accurate, Usually with in 1/2 gallon of what I can put into the tank when I fill up. So regardless of what your miles to empty show, You can see how many gallons you used and know if you are getting to the bottom
 
#10 ·
Another thing you can look at is, Set your Trip A each time you fill up, It will display the gallons used since reset. I find this is very accurate, Usually with in 1/2 gallon of what I can put into the tank when I fill up. So regardless of what your miles to empty show, You can see how many gallons you used and know if you are getting to the bottom
I also use this method and have found it to be accurate within a 1/2 gallon or so.
 
#6 ·
i prefer to fill up at a quarter or more. i ran my '02 out one time, a couple months later was replacing injectors. don't know if it was coincidence but not worth the risk again.
 
#7 ·
Taking into account that I fill up when at the halfway mark, (just in case of substandard fuel), my guage has been on the money.
 
#8 ·
Keep Going!

Zilla,

I've gone 15 miles past DTE pulling a 17K 5'er. Put about 25.74 gallons in that time. Didn't try to push it that far, just happened. I feel VERY confident I can drive EVERY tank 10 or so miles past DTE. A funny note, it seems to regularly happen that the truck starts a regen when I have 2-10 miles to empty...still don't run out. Good luck!
 
#12 ·
I've driven to 0 miles to E and I'm still alive. I think it was 25.5 to fill. Close as I want to get. Lol


Sent from my iPad.
 
#13 ·
Last summer I started tracking the MTE value when refueling. Data is in the spreadsheet via the link in my sig.
 
#15 ·
From what I'm hearing, the display telling the number of gallons used is more accurate than the "Miles to empty". If so, I apparently don't get the tank full when I fuel up, though it appears that the fuel is at the top of the filler neck. Let me ask the question a different way... how much fuel is left in the tank when the "low fuel" light comes on? If there's a bigger reserve than I think, I could go farther between fillups.
Does anyone know?

Thanks.
 
#16 ·
Let me ask the question a different way... how much fuel is left in the tank when the "low fuel" light comes on? If there's a bigger reserve than I think, I could go farther between fillups.
Does anyone know?

Thanks.
The only way to get an accurate value here is to note the odometer reading when the low fuel light comes on as well as resetting the MPG display and then run the truck out of fuel. You can then back-solve the gallons in the tank based on the miles driven after the light came on and the MPG on the display. I did this on my 2002 with a gas engine but don't plan on trying this with my current diesel engine as I've heard it's not good to run a diesel engine out of fuel.
 
#20 ·
There's a Murphy Law corollary to that which I learned of when the lift pump on my '02 Dodge went... While I was parked nose down. Stupid gravity. It's a real pessimist and shows low fuel with 9 gallons remaining, 4.5 at 0 MTE. In ways, though, I prefer that to my '07 BMW that has about .3 gallons at 0 MTE. But that's what I get for assuming it was pulling my leg.
 
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