gas tank-fuel gauge..OFF?
#1
01-21-2015, 08:19 AM
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gas tank-fuel gauge..OFF?
left work yesterday with the dash telling me I had 29 miles to go until empty in my 2011 F-150 5.0 4x4. I have a 36 gallon tank.
when I got to the gas station it was saying 24 miles until empty.
don't know how the reserves works into the equation, but on the surface , I am thinking I have maybe 1-2 gallons of gas left in the tank.
I fill the truck up until the pump stops. it read $60 and 27.XX gallons.
I could not get the pump to pump more, so I thought the pump had stopped at the $60 mark and not a "full tank"
the gauge now looked like it was reading FULL and the dash said 393 miles to empty. the most recently MPG reading was at 15.7.... ( mention that because I don't know how they calculate miles to empty)
so I drive closer to home thinking about it, and decide to try to fill up again, in case the $ amount is what stopped the pump. I went 15 miles and filled up again...it took only 3 gallons.. so I am thinking the tank isn't taking more than 30 gallons or so..
OR I have 6 gallons of gas when the truck dash says I can only go 24 miles!
anyone have a comment on what might be the real story? bad dash computer, bad fuel sender, rock inside my tank?? ha ha
thanks
BOB
when I got to the gas station it was saying 24 miles until empty.
don't know how the reserves works into the equation, but on the surface , I am thinking I have maybe 1-2 gallons of gas left in the tank.
I fill the truck up until the pump stops. it read $60 and 27.XX gallons.
I could not get the pump to pump more, so I thought the pump had stopped at the $60 mark and not a "full tank"
the gauge now looked like it was reading FULL and the dash said 393 miles to empty. the most recently MPG reading was at 15.7.... ( mention that because I don't know how they calculate miles to empty)
so I drive closer to home thinking about it, and decide to try to fill up again, in case the $ amount is what stopped the pump. I went 15 miles and filled up again...it took only 3 gallons.. so I am thinking the tank isn't taking more than 30 gallons or so..
OR I have 6 gallons of gas when the truck dash says I can only go 24 miles!
anyone have a comment on what might be the real story? bad dash computer, bad fuel sender, rock inside my tank?? ha ha
thanks
BOB
#2
01-21-2015, 10:34 AM
Excerpted from the 2011 F-150 owner's manual ...
.
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(owner's manual) Don't have one ?
MILES (km) TO E
This displays an estimate of approximately how far you can drive with the fuel remaining in your tank under normal driving conditions. Remember to turn the ignition off when refueling to allow this feature to correctly detect the added fuel.
Distance to empty is calculated using a running average fuel economy, which is based on your recent driving history of 500 miles (800 km). This value is not the same as the average fuel economy display. The running average fuel economy is re-initialized to a factory default value if the battery is disconnected.
.This displays an estimate of approximately how far you can drive with the fuel remaining in your tank under normal driving conditions. Remember to turn the ignition off when refueling to allow this feature to correctly detect the added fuel.
Distance to empty is calculated using a running average fuel economy, which is based on your recent driving history of 500 miles (800 km). This value is not the same as the average fuel economy display. The running average fuel economy is re-initialized to a factory default value if the battery is disconnected.
.
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Filling the tank
The advertised fuel capacity of the fuel tank on your vehicle is equal to the rated refill capacity of the fuel tank as listed in the Maintenance product specifications and capacities section of this chapter.
The advertised capacity is the amount of the indicated capacity and the empty reserve combined. Indicated capacity is the difference in the amount of fuel in a full tank and a tank when the fuel gauge indicates empty. Empty reserve is the small amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank after the fuel gauge indicates empty.
The amount of usable fuel in the empty reserve varies and should not be relied upon to increase driving range. When refueling your vehicle after the fuel gauge indicates empty, you might not be able to refuel the full amount of the advertised capacity of the fuel tank due to the empty reserve still present in the tank.
Comments:The advertised fuel capacity of the fuel tank on your vehicle is equal to the rated refill capacity of the fuel tank as listed in the Maintenance product specifications and capacities section of this chapter.
The advertised capacity is the amount of the indicated capacity and the empty reserve combined. Indicated capacity is the difference in the amount of fuel in a full tank and a tank when the fuel gauge indicates empty. Empty reserve is the small amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank after the fuel gauge indicates empty.
The amount of usable fuel in the empty reserve varies and should not be relied upon to increase driving range. When refueling your vehicle after the fuel gauge indicates empty, you might not be able to refuel the full amount of the advertised capacity of the fuel tank due to the empty reserve still present in the tank.
- by running-on-empty you're shortening the fuel pump's life, allowing condensation in fuel tank, at times causing fuel starvation to the engine, and it is not a good practice.
. - you're relying/using read-outs that are at best SWAGs (Scientific Wild *** Guesses) when there are TOO MANY variables that are not taken into consideration - level/angle of vehicle, atmospheric pressure and temperature, altitude, etc., etc., etc..
. - and like the manual notes ...The amount of usable fuel in the empty reserve varies and should not be relied upon to increase driving range.
(owner's manual) Don't have one ?
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#4
01-21-2015, 10:56 AM
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#5
01-21-2015, 02:20 PM
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