I have a 2014 F-150 Lariat with only 6800 miles. The other day I parked in my driveway. There is a slight incline. The next day when I went to start the truck up...I got nothing. There was maybe 5 gallons of gas in the tank. upon rolling it down the drive onto level ground, the truck did start up.

Has anyone ever experienced this? I understand that with a big tank, the fuel could pool in one end, but it still should've started with 5 gallons in the tank. On a side note, I had a 2004 F-350 diesel that I parked in the same spot, often with very little gas) and never had an issue.

Thoughts? Many thanks!

 

The pickup tube is at the front of the tank and you were on an incline with the fuel pooled at the rear. Keep more fuel in it. That is a good idea regardless as the fuel cools the pump.

 

I'm gonna bet you were parked with the nose pointing downhill. Bluejay was right but had it backwards. The pickup is in the aft end of the tank so the truck won't starve for fuel climbing a long grade.

 

Gotcha! Makes sense.

 

Aw, Bluejay was harkening back to his younger days, when he had to drive backwards up steep hills to keep the engine running. (Had to hand crank the engine to start it too.)

- Jack

 

Yep.

 

NOTE: This statement appears to be completely unfounded... I have seen similar statements made for years on this forum. Every time I see it I ask for information to back it up, and I've never received such information.

Maybe the 38th time I ask about it will be the time I get an answer?

How could fuel be used to cool the pump? By this logic when your tank is near empty there is a chance that the pump could overheat and fail.

I'm not a fuel pump engineer... but I'm pretty sure that items submersed in gasoline and gasoline vapors are EXTREMELY robust for preventing overheating in all conditions...


PS - I routinely drive my truck till the tank is almost to E... and yet my pump has never overheated (as evidenced by the lack of a fireball erupting under my truck bed)

 

The pump uses an electrical motor to spin the impeller that pushes the fuel from the tank and to the fuel injectors or HPFP in the EcoBoost. The motor itself is sealed from the gasoline fumes so there isn't an explosion. However, an electrical motor does generate heat as it operates. The heat is dissipated through the housing and into the surrounding environment. That is either the fuel itself or the air in the empty tank. The liquid fuel can absorb much more of this heat than the air can. Thus keeping the pump cooler

Now, what is the number one enemy of all things electrical? If you said heat you are correct! There is a thermal limit switch on the motor to stop you from barbequing yourself but running a motor at a higher temperature decreases its lifespan.

 

Not it sure if you ever received an answer from Ford or the forum other than keep more fuel in the tank. I have a 2016 F-150 screw 36 gal tank 4x4 5.0 I have always been a worrier about not having at least a 1/2 tank of fuel in my cars, but on occasion it happens. I had 1500 miles on my truck when I left it overnight at home with a 1/4 tank of fuel, went outside to crank it and it sputtered and wouldn't start. My driveway leaves the truck at a 12% grade with front of the truck facing down, brought it to Ford and basically said look, the fact that it says it's a quarter full and does not even have a low fuel light indicator on means to me it should start, what if you lived in San Fran and had to park on the hilly streets? Something's not right.
Ford found a faulty check valve in the fuel pump and replaced the whole unit, after about a week of replacement, I left it around a 1/4 full to see if it was in fact the fix. (It wasn't) now Ford took it back and replaced the fuel tank, it had either become over pressurized or a bad batch of plastic and the tank was basically bloated. Took the truck home and it only took the night for it to do the same thing. It's back at Ford now and I'll update again to let you know what they decide now, but I'm curious if you had any resolution to your original post. In my opinion, a brand new truck should not be doing this. I had an 02 F150 and a 87 ranger that I never experienced this type of issue with, if I could get the old ranger to start on that grade then there is no reason for the new truck to not start lol

 

I just purchased a 2016 lariat. And with 73 miles to E It won't start. 8% grade hill. This has happened 5 times in the past 2 months. I traded in a 2010 F150 with 200,000. miles on it. never had this problem. There where times I thought I wouldn't make it to a gas station but Always started. I have contacted Ford and they never had this issue. SUPRISE I don't want the truck If I have to worry about getting stuck because I had a 1/4 tank of gas... Report it!!!!!!

 

Your lucky. Gas damages the diesel engine...Please for those who don't know. It's called fuel or diesel fuel. With the quiet engines today you could make a mistake by saying gas for a diesel fill up at a full service station.

I'm going to bet you had less than 5 gallons in the truck and it just did not get picked up from the pump.

 

A properly designed gas tank should have a baffle to keep some fuel around the pump on inclines.

 

And my 2014 F-150 with the 36 gallon tank did this to my son just yesterday

I was able to determine he had about 2 gallons in it and parked on a hill, nose down.
It wouldn't start in the morning. Added 2.5 gallons to it. Still no start (that was the size of the gas can he had).
I added 5 gallons to it, it started right away. (but still said "Low Fuel" on the little display). I suspected this problem because my friend's Ford Explorer *also* has the problem and he sees it in his driveway sometimes, which is sloped a bit.
So somewhere between 4.5 and 9.5 gallons is the "sweet spot" where it will just barely start.
I know how much was in there because i then drove to a gas station and filled it the rest of the way (becuase i wanted to know how much you have to leave in there) and it took 24.993 gallons to full. (after the 5 i had already added).

So moral of the story: dont let it go below 1/4tank if you're going to park on a hill.

 

FACT: My 2017 F50 didn't start aft being parked nose down overnight on an 11% incline (per truck instruments). I read this thread, poured in 2 gallons, and it fired right up. Went to the gas station and filled up with 21 gallons in my 36 gallon tank. Do the math: This means that with 13 gallons of gas in my tank I was "out of gas" because of the incline. Sure glad this was in a driveway and not on a mountainside! Lesson learned.

Note that before adding the 2 gallons it showed I had 71 miles to empty. After getting level before filling up it said 180 miles to empty. I typically back down the driveway but last night I didn't.