How Far Have YOU Gone on "E"

[nei-k]

I have an 2008 Yaris, with 998cc engine. Fuel tank has 42 liters, and if i refuel immediately after last line starts blinking, i can put maximum 36 liters of gasoline. So i know i always have a backup of 6 liters, enough for 60 Km of hard city traffic or 120 km on national roads. But i don't push my luck that far, so usually i drive maximum 50 Km in the city and 90 Km on nationals

[mryaris]

I was digging through some boxes (just moved to Dallas from Denver) and I found my Yaris paperwork from when I bought the car. Inside were all the little tags explaining how things work. One was the fuel gauge......it says when the slow flash starts on the last bar you have approx. 1.6 gallons of fuel left and when the flash gets faster you have 1.1 gallons left. So.....theoretically, if you are getting 40 MPG, you should be able to go 64 miles on that last bar before running completely out of gas.

I ususally go another 40 miles or so before I fill up......I know I have at least a gallon left when it blinks and I average around 40 MPG, so no woriies of running out of gas. YMMV though! ;)

I'll see about posting a picture of the tag later today.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by mryaris

it says when the slow flash starts on the last bar you have approx. 1.6 gallons of fuel left and when the flash gets faster you have 1.1 gallons left. So.....theoretically, if you are getting 40 MPG, you should be able to go 64 miles on that last bar before running completely out of gas.

^^^^^ This sounds exactly right.

I once ran out of gas in my Yaris while pulling into a station to get gas. I filled the tank, not to the absolute top of the neck, but to the point where I could see gas in the neck. That tank = 12.777 gallons. I (at some later date) read CTScott's thread re his having calculated that the maximum capacity of the tank is 12.8 gallons.....point in the neck I eyeball the gas to absolute top of neck = 23/1000th (0.023) of a gallon..very logical.

40 x 12.8 = 512 and 512 / 8 bars = 64...and a 64 miles per bar average has always (since that 'run out' pulling into the station long ago) been the 'rough mental note to myself' to 'check if I'm keeping pace with 40 mpg' as I eyeball each tank.

With my 'extreme fill' style, the first bar always lasts the longest, and this jives with another passage from CTScott that indicates the fuel gauge doesn't (for lack of a better way of putting it) register/account for amounts above 11.1 gallons, IIRC.

[mryaris]

Here's a pic of the tag:




I don't quite go to as much of an extreme when filling it up as you do nook......I do always wait until that last bar starts flashing before I fill it up.

**Edited to say, I rotated the pic before I uploaded it but it keeps defaulting to the sideways shot......no idea why. Sorry.**

[helenback56]

on my 1.4 diesel I used to get 40-50 miles on the blinky fuel light on motorway driving and never ran out.

[Septembersrain]

I'm ridiculous. I may never know the answer to this.
I'm the type who fills up at a half a tank.

I hate running it empty for fear of gunk that will be at the bottom.

[Idahotom]

Every vehicle I have ever owned, always gets to the E or past before I fill up. That adds up to a lot of extra weight I have not carried around, and time saved also.

Gunk? You know your fuel intake is at the bottom of the tank right? It's not like if you fill up at 1/2, the fuel is coming from halfway up in the tank, it is always coming from the bottom.

[Ben_]

I have ran out of gas once. The gauge blinks slowly then blinks faster then you are out. It went about 30 miles after blinking slowly then only a few after blinking quickly. Basically one it starts blinking you better be on your way to a fuel station

[JimKellyfan]

I try and not let the blinking light come on at all, typically stop with two ticks left, that trip or next. Any car with a fuel pump, manuals need to be re-primed, and electrics, well, I don't want mine cavitating and believe the fuel helps keep the pump cool, like a water pump kinda, not really but I don't wanna defeat its purpose of pushing fuel by pushing air around turns.

[vivalaflam]

The most I've ever driven was like 30km after it started blinking fast. I was sweating bullets that day

[Jcp123]

I don't get the benefit of E...mine won't read any lower than 1/4. As soon as it reads 1/4, I have about 7/10 of a gallon left.

Ah, one of the many things I could/should fix.

[jambo101]

I let it go to one bar once, i usually fill up at 2 or 3 bars,
running out of gas is dangerous and in some circumstances cost you your life.

[nortonfb]

Montreal drivers are uh, different. I left a racing stripe on my seat.
Norton

[vrait]

I need to stop doing this haha.
I'm not use to this small of a tank yet.

[Jcp123]

Not sure I understand? Although despite the small tank, I have more range than I am used to. And I do like seeing that needle stay as high as possible for as long as possible. I fill up every two weeks, whether I need it or not, and usually have plenty of range to spare. Something I'd never dream of doing in my Mustang. Or the T-bucket hot rod which will replace said Mustang.

[vrait]

I'm saying I always fill iy past full. And I never let it get below half.

[nookandcrannycar]

On both my 2nd Gen and my 3rd Gen I fill up to the same point, where I can barely see gas in the neck, but my 'style' re when to fill up is quite different with each.

With my 2nd Gen, I keep a running total in my head re at what 'miles on tank' on trip odometer A each bar drops. I have a ballpark idea of how close I am to 'my usual', and can adjust my habits accordingly. I don't pay any attention to the blinking on the last bar.

With my 3rd Gen, I remember concluding (don't remember if it was stated directly by someone on a thread, was a conclusion from multiple CTScott posts, or exactly what) that the moment the fuel warning light comes on = about 2.2 U.S. Gallons to zero. I watch for the light. When it illuminates, I reset Trip Odometer B to zero. I then allow for a worse than worst tank ever (with my 2nd Gen -- which was a bit over 32 MPG) scenario of 30 MPG. I then look to fill up within 66 miles. During the whole tank I use the instant MPG screen (overestimates, but still helpful re my style of use) to monitor my habits.

[07liftback]

I usually calculate my mpg and how many miles I've traveled to figure out how much gas is left. I miscalculated one time and stalled my engine literally as I was about to drive across a busy intersection to the gas station across the street. Thank God I barely made it across as the slope was in my favor and just as the light turned red too...

Then I ran up to the gas station attendant to see if he had any fuel canisters for sale and he offered to help push my vehicle. This guy was pretty damn strong to be able to push the yaris up the sloped hill but it was only about 10-20 feet. Tipped the guy and filled the tank up with 12.9 gallons if I remember correctly.

So lesson learned, make sure you fill up as soon as you guys see the blinking light on E