fuel tank size?

[jlo82585]

hey y'all, quick question here. everything online says gen 1 expeditions either came with a 26 or 30 gallon fuel tank. my owners manual says that my expedition should have a 30 gal. tank since it has 4wd and the air suspension. I have always been skeptical of this as I usually fuel my truck up at around 1/4 tank and im only putting in around 20 gallons. when I bought the truck the fuel sending unit was not working so I installed a new one. I decided to see how accurate the computer was at estimating fuel range. So at 285 miles on the trip odometer the low fuel light came on and at 293 miles I refueled as it said I had 0 miles till empty. after filling it said I only put in 25 some odd gallons in. so either my truck somehow has a 26 gallon tank or my on-board trip computer is off by over 50 miles. any way to check the capacity without running the tank dry? there is never a good place to run out of fuel...

 

[OleAppleJack]

According to Edmunds your EB 5.4 should have a 30 gal. tank.
Used 2002 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer SUV Features & Specs | Edmunds

 

[jlo82585]

yeah, according to every publication I have seen it should have a 30 gal. tank, I even punched in the VIN on fords tech. site and it doesn't say anything about an optional 26 gal. tank.. I just don't know how the fuel sending unit could be off by almost 5 gallons when its a year old. 5 gallons is almost a 1/4 tank! I could always just run it out of fuel to see how much it really holds but like I said, there is never a good place to just "run out of fuel". I was just wondering if there was any why to tell by looking at the tank from underneath. my fuel tank does have 4x4 etched into it if I remember correctly from the last time I dropped it. does the on-board trip computer and the fuel sending unit work in tandem to trip the "low fuel" light or are they independent? I could see possibly installing the wrong fuel sending unit assembly because there were options for different assemblies based on driveline. Im not sure if that would throw off my fuel gauge though..

 

[98EXPnSRQ]

It's 30. I just replaced my fuel pump. I pumped out 10 gallons and emptied the tank to make the job easier. I put the 10 back in and put another 20 in at the gas station.

 

[jlo82585]

so im wondering if I didn't buy the wrong fuel pump and sending unit for my truck? it shouldn't show empty at 25 gallons. anyone know if the float is different on fuel pumps for RWD trucks? it fit just fine in my tank but something isnt right

 

[98EXPnSRQ]

so im wondering if I didn't buy the wrong fuel pump and sending unit for my truck? it shouldn't show empty at 25 gallons. anyone know if the float is different on fuel pumps for RWD trucks? it fit just fine in my tank but something isnt right

No, I think what you're seeing is normal. When my fuel light comes on, it takes around 25 gallons to top off. I noticed the inside of the tank is pretty flat with a very small indented low spot where the pump picks up. 5 gallons is pretty low in these tanks. I also think Ford may have done this on purpose since running these pumps dry can cause pump failure.

 

[ExplorerTom]

Or that's the "reserve". My wife's 2012 Escape has a similar feature. We've run it to "0 miles to empty" and beyond a couple times.

 

[jlo82585]

I suppose it could be the reserve but I have never heard of a reserve being so much. I thought typically a reserve was 1-2 gallons.. oh well I suppose its a better issue than having your fuel gauge say you have more fuel than you actually do.

 

[thenaaks]

A 1 or 2 gallon reserve is okay when you get 20-30mpg. When your epa combined is 13mpg, you need a little more emergency range.

 

[98EXPnSRQ]

A 1 or 2 gallon reserve is okay when you get 20-30mpg. When you're epa combined is 13mpg, you need a little more emergency range.

That's what I was thinking too.