size of gas tank

[john saylor]

Just purchased an 07 SP 4X4 v8, book says 22.5 gallon tank, reserve alarm came on, said I have 48 miles to empty, however when I filled up I could only put in 16 gallons, did pump very slow with several attempts to top off. Could my reserve have over 5 gallons?

 

[Ken Hibbs]

Mine usually takes 15+ when just below 1/4 tank, 17 or more when the warning light says 50 miles remaining. I usually average 14.3 mpg

 

[john saylor]

So is it a 17 gallon tank or is there 5 gallons in reserve?

 

[JohnnyB]

As far as I know there is no reserve tank. I think some people have had issues with the tank getting air bound and not filling all the way. I know when I am down to a 1/4 tank I usually put in around 17 gal. but I have to slow it down after it clicks off and put it in little by little.

 

[Todd Z]

Correct, No reserve tanks... that's long gone...



The computer tracker sucks in these trucks its NEVER accurate...



Do your own MPG for a month, you will see how badly the computer is off..



Todd Z

 

[Richard L]

I agree with Todd Z.

Most vehicle gas gauges and Fuel Mileage trackers are very inaccurate....especially the gas guage. You can fill up the tank and drive over 100 miles before the fuel gauge moves off of Full....but when you get below a half tank of fuel, it drops like a rock....Or it can operate just the opposite way.



I have used a Ultra-Gage that connects to the OBD port under the dash and it can be calibrated to give very accurate Speedometer, Odometer, MPG, Fuel/Miles to Empty, etc.



My 2002 Toyota Highlander was way off on MPH, Mileage, and the gas gauge was not accurate.

I installed the Ultra-Gage and found out just how inaccurate the Toyota gages were.



Same problem with my 2013 Hyundai Tucson. Speedo, Fuel Gauge and Miles to Empty were way off. Miles per tank full were off by over 90 miles but after a half tank, it started to get closer the the Ultra-Gage, and by the time I got to empty, they were within about 10 miles per tank of gas. I suspect that most of the inaccuracy was caused by the fuel gauge.



...Rich

 

[blksn8k]

Just a word of caution on continuing to try to stuff more gas in when the tank is full: You can flood the evaporative emissions canister that is part of the fuel filler vent system to the point where the EVAP system will no longer function properly and can trigger a Check Engine Light.

 

[Johnny O]

I thought my Gen 2 holds 20 gallons.

 

[Richard L]

As blksn8K said...over filling the system can damage the EVAP canister. Auto makers recognized this and for vehicles made over the past 20 years they have incorporated a Vapor/Fuel separator that returns liquid fuel back to the tank while the vapors go through the canister and eventually burned in the engine combustion process.



Yes, it is still possible to damage the EVAP system if you constantly overfill the gas tank. I only filled the tank to the top of the filler neck only once or twice on a long road trip....which was only about once a year. I did that with both of my Sport Trac's (2001, and 2003) and never had a bit of problem with them



Unfortunately, filling the tank to the brim is the only way you know that you are putting back the same amount of gas that you used in the previous tank. Fill it to the brim (you can see the gas at the filler neck restrictor plate). Drive the vehicle for 100+ miles and refill the tank to the same level. That's the only way to accurately measure how much gas you burned



...Rich

 

[Johnny O]

Regardless of your mpg, the low fuel warning light comes on when the fuel range drops below 50 miles.

 

[Monolith999]

I wanted to test this at one point, being a curious and naive high schooler. I had always filled up when the cpu said 1 mile to empty yet I could only put in 19 gallons overflowing. so I ran it on 0 miles to empty for days (I wasn't driving far at the time) and ran it for close to 60 miles with the screen saying 0 miles to empty. my current belief is that the tank is 22.5 gal but tyhe computer thinks it' only 19 so you can limp it to a station. just my 2 cents

 

[Jerry G.]

So is it a 17 gallon tank or is there 5 gallons in reserve?

you have about 5 gallons left in the tank when the low fuel light comes on. I have a 22.5 gallon cap. also when I am down to quarter tank I usually get 18 gallons in .

 

[Lloyd Ledford]

I believe the computer says miles to empty relating to gage. so when it says 50 miles to empty, that's when the gage should read empty. there is always a couple or so gallons after that.