Hybrid question about gas

[jski]

So I'm driving my new awsome Alto Blue Lariat Hybrid Ford Maverick Truck and my dash has a popup "50 miles left until empty" this is after driving 465 miles since the last fillup! , Then 25 miles later and 26 miles from the next gas station it pops up again stating "25 mile left until empty" and that got me to thinking if I run out of gas can I drive in electric mode the last mile? I made it to the gas staion before I could find out and wasn't going to risk it.... So I thought I would ask you Hybrid owners if any of you ran out of gas and what happened?

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[Mightybeast]

Negative. Try never run out of gas... Complected to explain. Several month ago there was a post about that. Might have some problems. But you cant really drive on the battery. What I will recommend.. Is if you don't floor your pedal. But only accelerated on battery you should be good.
Miles left is based on last driving condition MPG. Every time you start your car might show different miles. I think at 25miles you fuel logo will change to orange (from blue).

 

[Traegorn]

The tank actually has a slightly higher capacity than the gauge shows, so the computer is always going to estimate things on the safe side

 

[KSC Grey Ghost]

That is the worst thing you can do to run your tank dry or almost empty. . if you have any trash or water in your tank the fuel pump will pick it up . Clogging up injectors and filters. Also high pressure fuel pumps will run warm the more fuel you have in the tank the cooler it will keep your fuel pump for longevity . Good rule of thumb never let you tank run lower then half Because of Emergency situations like a major earthquake being stuck on the freeway , ice storm , Snow Storm Ect. Or other emergency situations where you may be stranded in your vehicle . There are lots of other things that you should be prepared for in your vehicle that is just a couple of them.

 

[Tailender]

I saw a video ( maybe from here?) where someone ran it completely out of gas and could drive a short distance on electric but not fast. He did have a gas can with him to refill and it started no problem but I imagine it wouldn't be good for the fuel pump.

 

[cyberdog]

Not recommended, you risk overheating the fuel pump. That said, supposedly the gauge is calibrated for something like 13.8 gallons, but the tank is actually closer to 16.5 gallons. They REALLY don't want you to run them dry.

 

[OneAlienBoi]

So I'm driving my new awsome Alto Blue Lariat Hybrid Ford Maverick Truck and my dash has a popup "50 miles left until empty" this is after driving 465 miles since the last fillup! , Then 25 miles later and 26 miles from the next gas station it pops up again stating "25 mile left until empty" and that got me to thinking if I run out of gas can I drive in electric mode the last mile? I made it to the gas staion before I could find out and wasn't going to risk it.... So I thought I would ask you Hybrid owners if any of you ran out of gas and what happened?

Maybe, it depends on how charged the battery is, and the type of driving you're doing. But don't ever run your truck down to empty. Regardless of what vehicle you have, doing that is hell on your fuel pump. You're basically guaranteeing that it's gonna go out after a few years of you do that repeatedly. Been driving for about 10 years, the lowest I've gotten on fuel is about 40 miles to E.

 

[Bwinter1701]

That is the worst thing you can do to run your tank dry or almost empty. . if you have any trash or water in your tank the fuel pump will pick it up . Clogging up injectors and filters. Also high pressure fuel pumps will run warm the more fuel you have in the tank the cooler it will keep your fuel pump for longevity . Good rule of thumb never let you tank run lower then half Because of Emergency situations like a major earthquake being stuck on the freeway , ice storm , Snow Storm Ect. Or other emergency situations where you may be stranded in your vehicle . There are lots of other things that you should be prepared for in your vehicle that is just a couple of them.

Good advice!

 

[Bushpilot]

... if you have any trash or water in your tank the fuel pump will pick it up . Clogging up injectors and filters.

I don't think this is a real problem.

 

[Darnon]

I don't think this is a real problem.

Pretty much. Many cars don't have any in-line filter anymore and just find the filter on the pump inlet sufficient. I've pulled tanks on vehicles 30+ years old and there's not been any significantly notable "trash" floating in there. If you're so worried about it... don't be filling your gas tank from the nastiest jerry you just dug out of a swamp, I guess? Otherwise gas stations are moving a lot more volume and they don't want to be replacing pumping/metering equipment so it's going to be fairly clean.

As for overheating the pump, most have a plastic basket surround that's designed to hold fuel around the pump.

 

[Bushpilot]

Pretty much. Many cars don't have any in-line filter anymore and just find the filter on the pump inlet sufficient. I've pulled tanks on vehicles 30+ years old and there's not been any significantly notable "trash" floating in there. If you're so worried about it... don't be filling your gas tank from the nastiest jerry you just dug out of a swamp, I guess? Otherwise gas stations are moving a lot more volume and they don't want to be replacing pumping/metering equipment so it's going to be fairly clean.

As for overheating the pump, most have a plastic basket surround that's designed to hold fuel around the pump.

Plus, what is going to cause the pump to suddenly pick up what it didn't/couldn't pick up before?

 

[TheSEARCH]

So I'm driving my new awsome Alto Blue Lariat Hybrid Ford Maverick Truck and my dash has a popup "50 miles left until empty" this is after driving 465 miles since the last fillup! , Then 25 miles later and 26 miles from the next gas station it pops up again stating "25 mile left until empty" and that got me to thinking if I run out of gas can I drive in electric mode the last mile? I made it to the gas staion before I could find out and wasn't going to risk it.... So I thought I would ask you Hybrid owners if any of you ran out of gas and what happened?

I wouldnt do it BUT I saw a youtube video were guy ran his empty and drove a bit further., I don't have a link but it is out on youtube. I don't remember how far he went but I don't think it was long.

 

[GPSMan]

You CAN run on battery alone but not far. About 1 mile on average.

Also your fuel pump will not over-heat. It is protected for that.

Also in the hybrid the "duty" cycle on the pump is low and it is going to be off any time you are in EV mode including running out of gas.

You won't even get air in the lines. It (the computer) shuts everything off before any harm can happen. In fact, it may be physically impossible to literally run dry. The computer may stop early as a precaution to protect all the things the worry worts above worry about.

I did it once. Drive as far as I could. About 800 miles.

Then the engine shut off in a normal controlled manner. Just like a hybrid does at a stoplight. No spittering or sputtering, no coughing or wheezing, no roughness. Just from normal to controlled engine shut off and dashboard light and "refuel now" message.

I drove around a mall parking lot for over 1 mile on battery alone. You are restricted to 25 mph and under, which makes your battery go the farthest.

A added 1 gallon from my can in the bed. Turned the key and had a perfectly normal restart. Instant startup. No spittering or sputtering. No roughness. No air in the lines. No warning messages. No codes thrown.

So I don't think you can run dry.
I think the computer reaches a point and says I'm letting you go no farther.

By the way, I forget the exact number but I was 75 miles or more past "empty", past the imaginary 0 mark.

The zero mark is an imaginary line.
There is reserve fuel past this mark.

 

[surfstar]

Maybe, it depends on how charged the battery is, and the type of driving you're doing. But don't ever run your truck down to empty. Regardless of what vehicle you have, doing that is hell on your fuel pump. You're basically guaranteeing that it's gonna go out after a few years of you do that repeatedly. Been driving for about 10 years, the lowest I've gotten on fuel is about 40 miles to E.

Been driving ~26 years, routinely run all my vehicles to the low fuel light / 0 miles to empty even - never replaced a single fuel pump, with plenty of high mile vehicles.

 

[CG - All the way]

Wow, you must be driving a lot of highway miles or maybe the mpg improves after break-in on a hybrid. I get the same sort of message on my EB and have always gotten 500 miles per tank with 75% highway and using Eco mode. Congrats on your MAV.

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