I know what you mean. I like to use one of two stations, about 50 miles apart. I'm always near one or the other when it runs low. When you run 100-200 miles each leg of a trip it's easy to get near the bottom. And gas prices vary as much as 35 cents a gallon from place to place, for the same quality and grade of gas.
Chris

 

I didn't know there a 30 gallon tank option. I thought it was 27 or 35.7???

 

I have the 30 gallon tank in both of my trucks.

Months ago I got the low fuel warning light. Soon after I found a station and filled up 27 gallons. So my warning light came on with 3 gallons to spare. Since I usually average 16 mpg, thats an extra 48 miles to drive once the warning light comes on until empty.

 

30 gal tank is standard on the screws mathteach, the 35 gal tank is an option on the supercabs only.

 

Easy, wife was the last one to drive and she doesn't watch the gauges. Happened to me Friday night, jumped in the scab in a hurry to get somewhere, could have killed her.

Anyway, my low fuel was on and I drove another 15 miles and put in 23 gallons.

 

Gotcha... thanks!

I never researched the SCREW.

 

I was reading in my manual concerning when the gas gauge would read "E". It confirmed what I was afraid of, it said that the way the tanks are designed, it is possible to run out of fuel but still have fuel in the tank. This is a result of the shape or sump of the tank. Now why in the world Ford would design it this way is beyond me. It would seem common sense to run out of gas when the tank itself is empty, otherwise you have useless fuel in the tank. But then again since when does Ford use common sense to build vehicles.

 

that happened to me years ago also. Was still married and had a red '80 Vette that wifey drove. She came home from work, pulled into the garage and said she was low on gas. I go out and it was OUT of gas....had to siphon some out of the lawnmower to get to gas station! Women...sheesh

 

same here

 

All tanks have a small area at the bottom that doesn't get picked up by the fuel pump. They always have. Even flat bottom tanks do it by raising the pickup tube up a half inch or so. No bottom outlets.
That's to save you money, lots of it, and major problems.
The bottom of a gas tank, after a few years, is a nasty place. Water sinks to the bottom. There is always a touch of water in the air, which goes into your tank at fillup. Condensation. Also, you pick up rust, debris, crud from the gas. It drifts to the bottom of the tank, where you hope it stays. Not much goes down there, but in two or three years, the crud will fill a tea cup. That stuff will mostly go through a filter (if gas goes through it, water will) and plays havoc on your injectors.
Carburators where much worse.
Chris

 

I dont think you understood what I said, let me explain. Im fully aware of the inner geometry of a gas tank, hell Ive installed many a fuel pump on Ford vehicles(mainly fox bodied tbirds/stangs and earlier F150s with the canister). I realize that there has and always will be fuel left in the tank, but this is my first experience with it being nearly 3-4 gallons. I can fully understand ONE gallon, maybe 2, but nearly 3 gallons makes a 26 gallon fuel tank somewhat deceiving because only 23-24 gallons of it are useable.

 

I have the 27 gallon tank, and I have put just under 26 gallons in it. It was not out of gas, nor running like it would be. Where do you get the information that it only uses the top 23-24 gallons? The warning light comes on at 3 gallons left, that's about standard. 3 gallons is usually enough to get you in. So you use 24 gallons of the 27 and it tells you to get gas. Where is the problem???
Chris

 

silverbullet5.4, I read the manual on filling up, page 247 of the 2004 manual. I think you are a victim of Fordlish. It reads wrongly

Chris

 

Chris,

Im glad you read the part I was refering to because it can give the impression that a 26 gallon(or other specified capacity tank) would not allow the use of 26 gallons before running out of fuel. Either way, I didnt want to find out exactly how low I could run the tank before it ran out of gas.

 

What, you don't like walking??? Geez some people!!


Chris