Fuel Lesson Learned

[MakinDoForNow]

Said the guy who likes replacing fuel pumps....

But he doesn't have to make extra gas stop every year or so.

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[HeyBales]

I take it to the edge on every tank. I’m a rebel grrr.

Although my edge is the half tank mark

That said - I’m lucky if I go to the gas station once a month.

Actually that is a fair test too - to be at exactly half line - and does it actually refill to exactly half the stated gallons.
It's nice to know which side of the half line did they actually give the bias for quantity.

 

[Cherokee]

I filled my tank this morning.
42 MTE. Pump clicked off at 13.1 gal. An extra squeeze took it 13.8.

I'm getting an average of 35 mpg and about 450 miles between fill ups.
Way better than my previous 1500 Silverado.

That ‘extra squeeze’ can get the charcoal vapor filter wet, ruining it. The engine will let you know if it got wet.
It’s best not to do it.
Again this is old knowledge, from the 90’s
Someone in here will chime in if I’m wrong.
My second click gets me one to two tenths only on my Eco.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

I’m truly fascinated by grown men (who aren’t starving) will feel motivated to get their gas tanks levels as low as a ‘70’s student.

I'm fascinated by grown men who don't keep up with the times and hold onto urban legends indefinitely.

For those of us who drive 100 miles a day, you are suggesting we visit a gas station every 3 days vs. once every weekend. Ludicrous!

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

You've been lucky! I retired as a Commercial Parts Specialist at our local Advance Auto Parts Store in 2018, topping off a 50 year career running from gas pump jockey to tech rep for a major performance parts manufacturer. Spent the final 8 years with Advance supplying local repair shops with parts service.
One of the trends I noticed was the number of electric fuel pumps my customers ordered. A couple of the good ones would preface the order with, "I have another one that never fills their gas tank!"
I had unfortunately learned that lesson a few years prior when I was traveling the country as the tech rep, pulling a 24' box trailer with a 1990 Ford F350, 460 gas engine with dual tanks. I habitually let the rear tank go to "E" before switching to the front. At 80,000 miles I replaced the original pump. Also had to replace the harness as the connector was all but burned up. Just 20,000 miles later I had to replace both again for the same reason! That's when a contact told me about the cooling requirement of the pump! From that point I never let any fuel tank go under 1/4 full. I sold that truck at 169,000 with that secont fuel pump and the original front tank pump still going strong. I never let the front tank run under 1/4 full.
The only other one I've replace was in a 2001 Dodge that I used to pull my race car all over the eastern US while traveling my sales territory for a motorsports company I repped at the time. I had removed the box to repair some rust issues at 129,000 and with the pump right there in the open, I replaced it as a maintenance function. I then used the old one for a home made parts washer for two years, heavily filtered, of course! I traded that truck in 2013 with 169,000 miles on it.
Just my two cents based on experience!

Are you still using your home computer from 1990? Why not? Too old?

How about your 2001 home computer? Still using that one? Why or why not?

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

Also, mpg plummets as you get low on fuel as the Hybrid will try to preserve the high voltage battery by using the ICE only…

Absolutely NOT!!!

Please refrain from making stuff up.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

These are common in my neck of the desert.
EV's Good luck finding a charger. Better stay close to your extension cord I.E the interstate.

Why do you say that?

Most EV (while not towing) go 300+ miles. Nothing to see here.

 

[Chops]

Actually that is a fair test too - to be at exactly half line - and does it actually refill to exactly half the stated gallons.
It's nice to know which side of the half line did they actually give the bias for quantity.

Good question. I’ve done 9 “half tanks” so far since June for a total of 70.0 gallons. 7.77 gal avg.

The most I ever put in was 9.12gallons - so obviously I was lower than half tank. The least I ever put in was 6.01gallons this morning. My gauge was right at half tank - so the gauge was not accurate.

So between the gauge not being exact and me not filling up at exactly half puts any exact conclusion in doubt.

Although the average of 7.77 gallons filling the tank from the half way mark is probably close enough for government work.

 

[MaverickDragon]

I'm fascinated by grown men who don't keep up with the times and hold onto urban legends indefinitely.
For those of us who drive 100 miles a day, you are suggesting we visit a gas station every 3 days vs. once every weekend. Ludicrous!

Evaporative systems being flooded by an overfilled tank is not an "urban legend".

I doubt anyone actually cares whether or not you run on fumes, but that doesn't mean that a bad habit should be recommended.

Routinely running a car to empty with the possibility of getting stuck in traffic for any reason and running out of fuel can happen. Keep rolling those dice and eventually you'll roll a 7.

If you think that's worth the risk, good for you., but for most people that choice would be merely stupid.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

Good question. I’ve done 9 “half tanks” so far since June for a total of 70.0 gallons. 7.77 gal avg.

The most I ever put in was 9.12gallons - so obviously I was lower than half tank. The least I ever put in was 6.01gallons this morning. My gauge was right at half tank - so the gauge was not accurate.

So between the gauge not being exact and me not filling up at exactly half puts any exact conclusion in doubt.

Although the average of 7.77 gallons filling the tank from the half way mark is probably close enough for government work.

I would assume that the 1/2 tank reading is electronically adjusted to match 50% of the MTE given when this tank was refilled and assumes that you will drive the same MPG that you did since you filled up. (You are halfway to MTE!).

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

Evaporative systems being flooded by an overfilled tank is not an "urban legend".

I doubt anyone actually cares whether or not you run on fumes, but that doesn't mean that a bad habit should be recommended.

Routinely running a car to empty with the possibility of getting stuck in traffic for any reason and running out of fuel can happen. Keep rolling those dice and eventually you'll roll a 7.

If you think that's worth the risk, good for you., but for most people that choice would be merely stupid.

You have not been following along.
Try to keep up.

I'll summarize.
The Hybrid's physical tank volume is 17 gallons.

The gauge reads "E" and/or 0 MTE after you used 13.8 gallons.

I'm not disagreeing with you.
I'm pointing out your misconceptions.

E is A LONG WAY from "running on fumes".
Ford EXPECTS owners to use 13.8 gallons all of the time.

See post #16 in this thread. It's a good one.

 

[HeyBales]

I would assume that the 1/2 tank reading is electronically adjusted to match 50% of the MTE given when this tank was refilled and assumes that you will drive the same MPG that you did since you filled up. (You are halfway to MTE!).

Well - now I'll have to start watching that, since there is no notice or warning - I don't check when at 1/2 tank, if the DTE and miles driven match.

I was assuming like the old days - the gauge is off the float in the tank, and maybe adjusted for accuracy of the fact the tank is not consistently shaped.
But it would make more sense to use DTE, since that's the story near the end.
I'll have to see what PID's are available to monitor - I know there is one for the dashboard, has to be one for the actual tank, probably % and volts.

But usually there was a bias for inaccuracy - which I've seen go both ways on my long drives to Arkansas - which is when I cared about estimating where'd I'd be for refuel, since none had DTE.
Sometimes the top half went faster than bottom, some vehicles reversed.

 

[Mavster Mechanic]

Well - now I'll have to start watching that, since there is no notice or warning - I don't check when at 1/2 tank, if the DTE and miles driven match.

I was assuming like the old days - the gauge is off the float in the tank, and maybe adjusted for accuracy of the fact the tank is not consistently shaped.
But it would make more sense to use DTE, since that's the story near the end.
I'll have to see what PID's are available to monitor - I know there is one for the dashboard, has to be one for the actual tank, probably % and volts.

But usually there was a bias for inaccuracy - which I've seen go both ways on my long drives to Arkansas - which is when I cared about estimating where'd I'd be for refuel, since none had DTE.
Sometimes the top half went faster than bottom, some vehicles reversed.

When I Pulled a trailer for a few tanks. Well; 3 tanks, MPG was low and DTE was low. And accurate by the second fill-up.

Drove home and detached the trailer with 75 MTE remaining.

Then drove normally.

MTE stayed steady at 75 MTE did not change for the next 75 miles.
Needle gauge went down slowly as expected.

MPG was going up at an equal rate to tank level going down. 75 miles into it, MTE started going down slowly.

I'd say that is normal and expected behavior. Just giving a real world example.

 

[Chops]

For those of us who drive 100 miles a day, you are suggesting we visit a gas station every 3 days vs. once every weekend. Ludicrous!

I’m not suggesting anything. You’re a high mileage commuter & I’m a low mileage retiree.

It would be ludicrous for me to run my Maverick down to the fumes

I use about 8 gallons of gas a month. Would make any Hybrid driver proud.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

Well - now I'll have to start watching that, since there is no notice or warning - I don't check when at 1/2 tank, if the DTE and miles driven match.

I was assuming like the old days - the gauge is off the float in the tank, and maybe adjusted for accuracy of the fact the tank is not consistently shaped.
But it would make more sense to use DTE, since that's the story near the end.
I'll have to see what PID's are available to monitor - I know there is one for the dashboard, has to be one for the actual tank, probably % and volts.

But usually there was a bias for inaccuracy - which I've seen go both ways on my long drives to Arkansas - which is when I cared about estimating where'd I'd be for refuel, since none had DTE.
Sometimes the top half went faster than bottom, some vehicles reversed.

In my lariat hybrid I will buy gas when fuel tank bars drop from 3-2 or when MTE is below 110-120. Do not pay close attention to miles spent above 7 fuel bars. It feels like the distance above 7 bars is more than that from 6 to 7 bars but might be that it's just because that's the way most vehicles have been in past. It does seem that the bottom half of tank closely follows the MTE.
In my XLT hybrid with the needle pointer, I don't drive it enough to have a feel for its consumption (5300 miles in 38 months).

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