just how far can you go after zero miles to empty

[Drae]

I believe GM pumps are a bit more sensitive. I worked part time at a parts store a few years back commercial and up front when commercial was slow. When there was a fuel pump being sold it was always a GM vehicle. We had to carry like 5 different types for certain ones because the computer would say one thing and still be wrong. We even would order from dealerships with the vin # to make sure we got the correct one. I've had my 95 Tbird for about 13 years now and have run it low on occasions but a couple of times to where I had to sway the car side to side to keep it alive. Talking about puckering lol. Pump still has not died as I believe it to be the original pump also. I stopped letting it get to that point though because it is a distraction while driving worrying about that. In my defense working 3rd shift full time and 1st shift part time was hard and I'm an insomniac so I was always tired. My memory to pay attention to the smallest things at those times was terrible.

 

[rjdelp7]

Running on "e" can allow moisture condesation in the empty tank. It may overheat the in tank pump. If there is an emergency, you will run out gas 2 miles from the hospital. If the stalls out in traffic, you can get rear ended. Dumb just dumb.

 

[JExpedition07]

Yea, DC fuel pumps just get sssooooooo hot.

 

[LokiWolf]

Running on "e" can allow moisture condesation in the empty tank. It may overheat the in tank pump. If there is an emergency, you will run out gas 2 miles from the hospital. If the stalls out in traffic, you can get rear ended. Dumb just dumb.

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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Mackenzie Gans]

I don’t think being run low cause fuel pump problems. Besides random claims I’ve never seen any evidence of this.

I had a 1992 Subaru Legacy, decided to see how far I could go on one tank. Bad idea. Had to replace the fuel pump, which caused a wiring issue which shorted out two other replacement fuel pumps. Queue me being stranded many times in the next 6 months after my one-tank odyssey. In other words, fill up often!

 

[TobyU]

You sound like you’re one of the motorists that have no problem running out of fuel, then expect a law enforcement officer to stop and take you for gas.

I have never understood people that drive a motor vehicle with an extremely low amount of fuel.

The same way other of us can't figure out why some people fill up as soon as it gets below 1/2 tank. I know some people that get crazy nervous at 1/4.
Weird...

 

[TobyU]

I am a master at this!!
I have rolled into gas stations at least 3 times in my life after running out and engine dying and coasted up to pump with no power steering but "making it"!
I NEVER fill get gas until I am below 10 miles to empty (maybe 25 on trips) and I rarely fill it up.
I have owned cars for years and then sold that I NEVER filled the tank full.
NOW IT WILL SAY....I don't recommend doing what I do as it is not best practice....BUT It is not as bad as some (many) would lead you to believe.

Ford fuel pumps used to be better...didn't a lot of things. Esp Lincoln and panther chassis. They were bulletproof and would outlive the cars they were in.
We literally kept the pumps on cars we junked or tanks we has to replace due to rusting and leaking.

The trucks were not as good especially the ones with dual tanks.

GM's were the worse and still are pretty much.
From about 85 in GM fwd cars...if you ran them out of gas once you might be ok...do it a 2nd time and you would be putting pump in in less than 2 weeks.
The aftermarket ones sucked too. Blackstone---"crap"stone. But they were 39.99 with lifetime warrant so many sold.
I got tired of them failing so I would ONLY put AC Delco in usually $80-$93 at the time but better than original most of time.

Lincolns and panthers were bulletproof until the new TCs in 98 then they cheapened them.
They are still very good and you can run them low or out a lot and still last 150-200K most of time but from 86-97 you could run them until they stalled EVERY tank and pump would not fail you.

I have used a qt of MMO in many GM's mainly with about 1/4 tank to lube pump well.
It really helps on ones that have stuck but you can bang on tank as someone turns key on and off to get it to spin or I liked to shoot 24 volts to the pigtail under hood that goes straight to pump hot wire to get a stuck one going.
Worked many times and MMO kept them going for 1.5-2+ years on some I had around here.

Now the education part for those who care.

A low tank condenses more than a fuller tank so your fuel can get more water in it.

A really low tank doesn't cool the pump as well as tank at least 1/3 full in all conditions.

A fuel gauge that is always in same spot (relatively speaking) can (seen it several times) wear the wire windings out on the sending unit out (literal wire worn through) since it is always in the empty to 1/8 tank area rocking back ans forth....sawing on the very thin potentiometer wires.
Same would occur if you put it as 3/4 tank and go gas at 5/8 every time.
The sender will be happier if you let it work a full or almost full range of motion.
This also can prevent sticking and keep the gauge more accurate as filling the tank pushes quite hard on the float arm and then gravity does the rest as it uses gas.

You should also use some iso gas dryer at least once a year to remove any condensation that is floating around in bottom of tank.
Gas and water DO NOT mix...or at least they do not stay mixed.
The water will settle out to bottom in a few hours and very little gets sucked up with fuel.
Best way would be to use half a bottle of iso style gas line dryer/antifreeze in two consecutive fill-ups.


BUT for the record...I ABUSE pumps weekly and have had very few go out.
I have had and run lots or vehicles over the years and seems to be little difference except for running GMs out.
The cars that get filled up and refilled before 1/4 tank don't last any longer than the ones that rarely get filled over 1/2 tank and run all the way to 0 miles to empty.

MOST cars will go a few miles after hitting 0 miles to empty.
5-8+ around town and 8-15+ on highway at lets say 62mph.
Same cars of same year will vary though and IF pump has ever been replaced....a slight tweaking of float arm while trying to put the pump assembly back into tank can alter
when it runs out by miles SO BE CAREFUL.

You really never know until you test one or you go 13-18 miles on 0 and it doesn't run out.

My son has an 05 Saab that we got at 193K so who knows if original pump or not (I bet not) but it ran out at 2 miles to empty.
I was literally less than a block from station but it conked out.
I has gas can in trunk so no biggee but did have to coast into parking lot entrance and put some fuel into it.

I would rather you just slid a 20 into the dash when the gauge got low. I dislike getting fuel....but I still don't want to put a lot in. 20 is my comfort now.
Used to be $5 when gas was cheaper.
Even if I slid a credit card into dash I would not want to put 40-60 in.. I would do 20.

No logic in it, but you all know I'm nuts.

 

[Hulkster]

Do you guys remember when everyone was so scared the U.S was running out of gas so they kept going to the gas station constantly not realizing that the reason we ran out is because everyone was filling at the same time. Just like a bank, they don't have everyones money at one time. lol

 

[Menard LaDouche]

My tank holds 28 gallons. When the odometer warning says "0 miles to empty", my tank has 4.0 gallons left. I have measured this many times. I find it very annoying that the gauge is not accurate. What is the point of having a gauge if you have to guess how much gas is left during the last few gallons?

Regardless of your opinion regarding driving with some minimum amount of gas, or whether or not the fuel pump needs a particular level, shouldn't we at least have an accurate gauge so we can make an informed decision?

 

[07navi]

Myth 1 > Pumps get hot when low on gas (they never get hot because they are cooled by gas running through them not around them …..convection.)

Myth 2 > Pumps suck up junk when low on gas. (They suck up the same full or empty, plus they have a filter anyway)

Myth 3 > Tanks get more condensation when real low on gas (It's about the same at 1/8 tank so big deal and condensation was never a problem anyway maybe because it is always cold in there).

Myth 4 > All I have to do it watch my "miles to empty" and I will be good. (Too many variables and they aren't all the same, all it takes is a little out of adjustment float and it can leave you stranded.)

Myth 5 > Putting the pump in the tank was a stupid idea by the engineers (They last much longer in there and will leave you stranded less because they don't have to work so hard due do equalized pressure and run much cooler.

 

[TobyU]

My tank holds 28 gallons. When the odometer warning says "0 miles to empty", my tank has 4.0 gallons left. I have measured this many times. I find it very annoying that the gauge is not accurate. What is the point of having a gauge if you have to guess how much gas is left during the last few gallons?

Regardless of your opinion regarding driving with some minimum amount of gas, or whether or not the fuel pump needs a particular level, shouldn't we at least have an accurate gauge so we can make an informed decision?

You may have four gallons but you can't use all four of those gallons. Most vehicles especially with larger tanks but it does vary depending on the shape, when they actually start sucking air and stall from lack of fuel still have close to a gallon or more in the tank.

Most of the Fords I have owned have had quite accurate fuel gauges. Now once a tank has been off in the fuel pump replaced all bets are off. It only takes a little bit heavy hand to bend the float arm a little bit and it will not be exactly like it was before. Or, if you're installing a fuel pump complete module like many people do you have a new float system which is not going to be the same as the old one.
I have run every vehicle I've ever owned with the distance to empty indicator down to 0 miles to empty and further.
It certainly depends on whether you're in stop-and-go traffic or if you're rolling on a Surface Road at 40 miles per hour versus driving on the highway at 70.
You would actually make it more miles right around 42 to 45 miles per hour on flat ground then you would on the highway because you're using more fuel to maintain that speed. But it's the Stop & Go in traffic and the idling that kills your miles per gallon versus Highway.
You can always go a few miles once you hit 0.
The older GM's on the other hand were highly inaccurate especially when they get down to the lower range. Most of the GM's I own don't even have distance to empty but I certainly wouldn't trust them.
You can be driving all day and come home and park AGM with two notches above the empty mark and then go back out 20 minutes later I started and it won't even go to empty but then in the first three fourths of a mile you drive it will go back up to three or four lines above empty. They have a crazy mind of Their Own.

 

[Menard LaDouche]

I hear you O7navi. That may all be well and correct. I just wish my gas gauge was accurate. You know, Zero on the gauge = zero gas, so I know where empty is, instead of guessing or "calculating". Especially when low, that is the critical time to need to know. I suppose if I lived in a place where there was a gas station next to every Starbucks, it wouldn't be a problem. As it is, 150 miles to the station, 150 miles back, that only leaves 120 miles for driving around, plus whatever tanks I carry.

Oh well, I guess we live in an age of progress where we are not allowed to know how much gas is really in the tank, can't have control of our tire traction, need a robot to tell us when we have a flat tire, and a computer to decide when and how to brake. It is definitely more fun without all these annoyances, but just looking around I can see how many of us need the assistance.

 

[Menard LaDouche]

TobyU, I can definitely use all four of the gallons below "zero miles left", and I regularly do. And every other car I have owned has had an accurate fuel gauge. But it is this one I am complaining about. Because it is not accurate. This is 2020. How can a gauge not be accurate? There is full. There is empty. There is half way. What is there to be confused about? Because FORD wants to be my mother and not let me run out of gas? I only wish I was accurately informed about my fuel level so I could make better decisions regarding when to get gas. I think I am perfectly capable of making this decision. Apparently others have the same question. Get out your calculator if you drive a Ford!

 

[TobyU]

TobyU, I can definitely use all four of the gallons below "zero miles left", and I regularly do. And every other car I have owned has had an accurate fuel gauge. But it is this one I am complaining about. Because it is not accurate. This is 2020. How can a gauge not be accurate? There is full. There is empty. There is half way. What is there to be confused about? Because FORD wants to be my mother and not let me run out of gas? I only wish I was accurately informed about my fuel level so I could make better decisions regarding when to get gas. I think I am perfectly capable of making this decision. Apparently others have the same question. Get out your calculator if you drive a Ford!

Well then that fuel gauge is just inaccurate. I don't own newer stuff but I've never had one that was that far off. All of my Ford's will go down to 0 miles to empty and they certainly won't drive 4 gallons worth after that. You would end up on the side of the road. I would say on the highway the most I've ever seen one go is about 2227 miles. You're on fumes after that. Around town you can easily go 12 or 13 miles but I I feel safe pushing it five or ten past. I'm the guy who literally wait till it hits 0 miles to empty and then I reset a trip indicator to zero to see how many miles I'm going after it has 0.
I've never run a Ford product out of fuel that had a distance to empty indicator. I ran out of gas one time in an 89 Lincoln Town Car but I do not believe it had a distance to empty.
I can think of six times off the top of my head that I ran out of gas in a GM vehicle..lol.