Low Fuel Warning Light

[NYC-SE]

Could someone tell me if when starting the car, does the low fuel warning light momentarily illuminate? Mine does not, just want to see if that's normal. Every other car I've owned did.

The reason I ask is I filled up yesterday. I purposely waited until almost empty. The fuel gauge was one click above E and the “distance remaining” display was 5 miles. Low fuel warning light never went off.

[mr_miles]

It does not go off when we start the car. The low light comes on when it hits between 0 and 5 miles left and typically leaves 2 gallons left in the tank (at least mine does).

another good piece of info is if your averaging between 35 and 40 mpg, it should tick on after you've gone about 370 miles. But this is just the average for my car. :)

I'm going to take a loose guestimate and say that if you filled up when it was at 5 miles left, you put in between 9.5 to 10 or so gallons.

IIRC, we have a 11.5 gallon tank including the reserve.

[nookandcrannycar]

It does not go off when we start the car. The low light comes on when it hits between 0 and 5 miles left and typically leaves 2 gallons left in the tank (at least mine does).

another good piece of info is if your averaging between 35 and 40 mpg, it should tick on after you've gone about 370 miles. But this is just the average for my car. :)

I'm going to take a loose guestimate and say that if you filled up when it was at 5 miles left, you put in between 9.5 to 10 or so gallons.

IIRC, we have a 11.5 gallon tank including the reserve.

Re the 2nd Gen, 12.8 gallons maximum capacity per CTScott:

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25389&highlight=12.8

The most I've ever put in is 12.777 gallons. I ran out of gas as I was pulling into a station to fill up and filled until I could start to see gas in the neck. I think Toyota lists the 'capacity' as 11.1 gallons. Same for 3rd Gen?

[IllusionX]

12.8 if you fill up to the neck.. like we usually say.. you can put about a gallon between "full" and the filler neck. lol

anyways.. AFAIK, there isn't a yellow low fuel warning light on the yaris, but the digital gauge will flash as a low fuel warning. Not sure about the 3rd gen since the 3rd gen gets an analog gauge..
According to specs, it has a low fuel warning...

[Rigaud]

Hmmmm......my 2009 doesn't flash and i ran dry with two bars still. :confused:

[IllusionX]

the last bar should flash.

if it doesn't go below 2 bars, your sensor might be out of place or something.

[Rigaud]

the last bar should flash.

if it doesn't go below 2 bars, your sensor might be out of place or something.

Sensor or fuel sending unit?

[Rigaud]

Sensor or fuel sending unit?
Nevermind got it. I'll open up the unit and take pictures to post here for others.

[NYC-SE]

I'm going to take a loose guestimate and say that if you filled up when it was at 5 miles left, you put in between 9.5 to 10 or so gallons.

IIRC, we have a 11.5 gallon tank including the reserve.

Yes 9.74 gallons. My owner’s manual shows a capacity of 11.1 gallons for the tank, so I guess I really wasn't that low, but the 5 miles distance remaining readout got me scared.

I know every car is like this but I wish manufacturers would trust me with accurate readings. When the fuel gauge says E I want it empty and when the speedo says 60 I want it to really be 60, not 58. My speedo seems to be reading about 2 MPH above actual as per my GPS. That's not too bad, I've seen cars showing 5 MPH or more.

[nookandcrannycar]

Great thread. Posts from Mr. Miles and NYC-SE are allowing me insight into living with the warning light, the trip 'computer', and the 'bar-less' gas gauge through mujltiple tanks (I had a 3rd Gen rental for 3 days, but used less than 1 tank).

mr miles, will the point where 'distance remaining' first hits 0 (zero) always be at the same fuel level point? In other words (for the sake of comparison), if I happened to be right next to a gas station each time the 'distance remaining' first hits 0 (zero), and I always fill to the same point where I first see gas in the neck, would each fill up essentially be the same...not re cost, but re quantity ? I'm trying to determine if once the distance remaining first hits zero...at that moment....will the quantity of gas remaining until complete empty/out of gas essentially be the same each time.

[mr_miles]

That's something I've been trying to figure out, actually. I've tried driving it hard or in lower gears to significantly lower mileage to try and fool the computer a bit. so far it seems fairly accurate that the light comes on with damn near the same amount of fuel remaining. I know in my car once the fuel light comes on, the fuel gauge needle will drop below the "E" line with what appears the be the same distance between and of the other lines on the gauge and then wont go down anymore.

I can personally go about 75 miles once the distance remaining hits 0. Then I get a little uncomfortable. That was almost a 12 gallon fuel up day lol. my record is 480ish miles on one tank.

for second gen owners - our third gens have a needle style fuel gauge, Toyota did away with the digital readout gauge you guys have, so we get a little "HOLY CRAP MAN YOU NEED GAS" light :) where as you just get an annoying blinking light that never reads correctly.


the only reason I've been able to figure any of this out is because I'm lucky enough that if I do nothing but drive to and from work, there's almost always a gas stating within eye sight of me when my light comes on. it's been pretty fun to do it. These cars are like clockwork. (and I try to drive it in a consistent manner lol)

[nookandcrannycar]

That's something I've been trying to figure out, actually. I've tried driving it hard or in lower gears to significantly lower mileage to try and fool the computer a bit. so far it seems fairly accurate that the light comes on with damn near the same amount of fuel remaining. I know in my car once the fuel light comes on, the fuel gauge needle will drop below the "E" line with what appears the be the same distance between and of the other lines on the gauge and then wont go down anymore.

I can personally go about 75 miles once the distance remaining hits 0. Then I get a little uncomfortable. That was almost a 12 gallon fuel up day lol. my record is 480ish miles on one tank.

for second gen owners - our third gens have a needle style fuel gauge, Toyota did away with the digital readout gauge you guys have, so we get a little "HOLY CRAP MAN YOU NEED GAS" light :) where as you just get an annoying blinking light that never reads correctly.


the only reason I've been able to figure any of this out is because I'm lucky enough that if I do nothing but drive to and from work, there's almost always a gas stating within eye sight of me when my light comes on. it's been pretty fun to do it. These cars are like clockwork. (and I try to drive it in a consistent manner lol)

:thumbsup: Thanks. Given that Toyota rates the 'capacity' of the 2nd Gen fuel tank at 11.1 gallons, and the 3rd Gen also at 11.1 gallons, is it safe to assume that the 'maximum capacity' (as CTScott measured on a 2nd Gen at 12.8 gallons) would be the same on a 3rd Gen ? Is it even possibly....the same tank :smile: ?

[mr_miles]

Definetly a possibility. I will do a visual check of the two when I get home and let you know!

[CTScott]

:thumbsup: Thanks. Given that Toyota rates the 'capacity' of the 2nd Gen fuel tank at 11.1 gallons, and the 3rd Gen also at 11.1 gallons, is it safe to assume that the 'maximum capacity' (as CTScott measured on a 2nd Gen at 12.8 gallons) would be the same on a 3rd Gen ? Is it even possibly....the same tank :smile: ?

The 2nd and 3rd gen have different part number tanks, but they look really similar.

[nookandcrannycar]

The 2nd and 3rd gen have different part number tanks, but they look really similar.

:thumbsup: Thanks. Do you think at the moment when 'distance remaining' first turns to 0 (zero) on the display in the 3rd Gen (be it the 10th tank since new, the 100th tank since new, or any other) that there is always the same amount of fuel remaining until the point of absolute empty/running out of gas ?

[ryg1957]

I just bought my Yaris I got 370 miles before the bottom bar started blinking...

What i would like to know is about how far can you go with it blinking .....2007 Yaris

[why?]

I just bought my Yaris I got 370 miles before the bottom bar started blinking...

What i would like to know is about how far can you go with it blinking .....2007 Yaris

totally depends on your gas mileage. When it starts blinking there is about 1 gallon of gas or so usually. However this seems to vary by weather and by car. The specs are all the same, but the bladder for the Yaris is rubber, so it will expand and contract.

Quite a few people won't ever let it get below 2 bars left, because there have been a few cases of two bars left then all of a sudden running out of gas. Really weird.

In general I make stopping at the gas station a priority when it starts blinking, and that works for me.

[nookandcrannycar]

That's something I've been trying to figure out, actually. I've tried driving it hard or in lower gears to significantly lower mileage to try and fool the computer a bit. so far it seems fairly accurate that the light comes on with damn near the same amount of fuel remaining. I know in my car once the fuel light comes on, the fuel gauge needle will drop below the "E" line with what appears the be the same distance between and of the other lines on the gauge and then wont go down anymore.

I can personally go about 75 miles once the distance remaining hits 0. Then I get a little uncomfortable. That was almost a 12 gallon fuel up day lol. my record is 480ish miles on one tank.

for second gen owners - our third gens have a needle style fuel gauge, Toyota did away with the digital readout gauge you guys have, so we get a little "HOLY CRAP MAN YOU NEED GAS" light :) where as you just get an annoying blinking light that never reads correctly.


the only reason I've been able to figure any of this out is because I'm lucky enough that if I do nothing but drive to and from work, there's almost always a gas stating within eye sight of me when my light comes on. it's been pretty fun to do it. These cars are like clockwork. (and I try to drive it in a consistent manner lol)

On the day I took delivery of my 2014, I was able drive away at about 630pm. Most important to me was getting to the beach to try to get some pics with my new car, the sand, and the setting sun.....so I didn't get any gas. I knew that the dealer wouldn't have done the pre-delivery fill up 'my style' (until I can start to see gas in the neck).....with my 2007 Yaris, my sales rep rode with me to the nearest gas station a couple of blocks away so I could top off the tank 'my style' on the dealership's credit card). I decided to get gas 'my style' the next day and start my MPG figuring from that point. When I took delivery of the car, it had 23 miles on it. I filled up 'my style/until I could see gas in the neck' the next day in St. Pete's Beach with 117 miles on the car, and reset both trip odometers to zero. Last night, the low fuel warning light came on with 5 miles left on the range meter. I drove about 1-2 miles after the range hit zero, and got 2.000 gallons at 418 point something miles on the tank (this isolated town...40 + miles from Tallahassee on I-10.. has gas prices that are a fair amount higher than Tallahassee, Jacksonville, etc). I had already (earlier in the day) found a gas station in Tallahassee (near my hotel) on Gas Buddy that turned out to be over 20 cents per gallon cheaper than in this little town. I pulled into the gas station in Tallahassee with 460.1 miles on the tank. I remembered this thread, but not the details, so I didn't know what to expect re how many gallons it would take to fill up 'my style'. Obviously, if the total= 9.500 gallons or less, I achieved at least 40 MPG on my first tank. It took 9.412 gallons.....so 460.1 miles divided by 11.412 gallons = 40.3172099 MPG combined city and highway.

[nookandcrannycar]

On the night of 8/16, I pulled into a gas station in Denham Springs, Louisiana (about 3 miles east of Baton Rouge). I had driven 53.7 miles since the 'Range' hit zero miles and 58.7 miles since the low fuel warning light first illuminated. I filled up 'my style' (until I can begin to see gas in the top of the neck....12.777 gallons out of the maximum to the top of the neck capacity of 12.8 gallons in the 2nd gen) and getting to that point took 11.423 gallons. If the 3rd Gen has the exact same tank size as the 2nd gen, I still had 1.354 gallons remaining 58.7 miles after the low fuel warning light illuminated.