What have you guys gotten for the maximum fuel range out of your Maximas? Asking because mine seemed to be exceptional this last tank, I had 330 on my trip and still showing 1/4 a tank and about 100 miles to empty but now I went to start it and it struggled to start - had to crank it over for about 6 full seconds before it started. Ran ok for a bit, then started to heavily drop RPM and then when I tried to rev it just went real low and died and the SEL came on. I'm suspecting it's just out of gas, though my gauge still shows 1/4 a tank and I have no fuel light on.

Typically I always filled up at 300 on my trip, just out of habit from my previous car but since I have another car now I was going to see at about what distance my fuel light came on. I never ran it low enough to see it when I drove it regularly, but what kind of distance could you guys get at best out of yours? Is there a big difference between the 6-speed and the auto?

 

Is this another what's your MPG type thread?

I get anywhere from 360 - 400, of course, not the maximum range since I don't like to walk to gas stations with a fuel container.

4AT here.

 

Just drive till you run out of fuel and see how many miles or what happens.

 

 

I really only care because I'm trying to figure out if it's likely that I ran out of gas, or if there's something mechanically wrong with the car. I already know my MPG, it's about 21-21.5 MPG and that's driving it mostly highway, but plenty of good acceleration mixed in with mild amounts of traffic. I track all my fill ups on Fuelly as it's pretty nice for keeping track of every fill up on your car.

So at 350 miles, maybe I did run out or I'm to the crappy parts of gas in the tank. I've never even gotten the fuel light to come on as I usually fill up at 1/4 a tank but thought I'd push it this time. Shows me what I get for doing that...

 

Check the code. It's pointless to speculate. And if you're really bored, then spend 2 mins and look in the gas tank.

Crank/cam sensor is likely to be the culprit.

 

I have a second car so it's not as huge a deal as it would otherwise be. I just poured some gas we had saved up for our lawn equipment and it seemed to run ok. I put a code reader on it and it looks like the SEL only come on when it dies so just part of the normal startup procedure where it lights up I think. I'll recheck again tomorrow and make sure it doesn't die again and probably just have a buddy follow me to a gas station. Guess I shouldn't have been so trusting of the distance to empty or my fuel gauge, though I was never aware of it being so far off. Even now it shows over 1/4 a tank, but by my estimate it probably is about empty. I'm not going to chance it anymore, back to my every 300 miles fill up interval.

 

If it is empty, then the fuel sending unit is bad. It's an easy replacement, but good luck getting just the sending unit.

 

i can get over 400 on a fresh tank driving highway
3.0 at
ymmv

 

And here we go ...

 

Oh yeah...well I set my cruise control to 30MPH and can driver 4ever!!!!!!!

Meh..who the fck cares.

 

op cares or he wouldnt have asked the question

 

And here we go ...

 

of course the 3.0 is gonna get better gas mileage, its the 3.5 that gets less miles per fillup.

 

All hwy at 400 miles is almost 27 mpg when the light comes on. A 3.5 can EASILY do that if you're not speeding and don't have ****ty grades (80 mph limits excluded).

 

sounds kool im gonna have to give it a try once i get mine ready for the long trips. I use to get like 380-400 in my 3rd gen.

 

Sorry fellas, wasn't trying to start a "here's my best possible tank with A/C off, cruise control at 50 mph" or anything, I just don't know anyone else with a Maxima to compare how many miles they could go for a fillup. I had a Buick before that at best could do 320-330 miles in a tank, but it would be bone dry at that point and it averaged about 18 mpg. I figured since I got about 21 mpg on the Maxima and it has a gas tank 2 gallons bigger I could get maybe 380 miles out of it, but I think 350 looks to be about it (and I don't drive conservatively nor do anything to try and get better mileage).

 

From fill up, to the gas light just turning on
it's about 300 miles for me.
I get up to work at 3 and drive back with the a/c on. That's about all I use the max for, work.
Rarely I drive like 100mph when I'm running late, but that doesn't seem to effect much.

2000 automatic. Engine and trans are maintained perfectly. So there you go.

Oh. On a camping trip I got like 430 miles but it was 100% freeway 65mph
so your mileage can fvcking very allot.

The bmw on the other hand I fill up every 150 miles.

 

Ontario

With the stock 6 speed HLSD transmission

During the winter gas stations change the formulation of the gas so mileage drops to 300 - 400 km depending on how gas heavy I am.

During the other seasons 450 km is usually the average.

Highway driving the car hits 500 - 600 km no problem

When I had the AT Maxima with bolt ons I had awful mileage.. 300 KM on a good day

This is all before the needle hits 2 lines, I never go until the fuel light comes up

 

Light comes on at 3 gallons left if anyone was wondering.

 

Went to get gas today, and it took 17.2 gallons. So accounting for the fact I poured a bunch in from our powertools gas can I'd say it ran bone dry. No fuel light on even on the drive up. When I filled it up, the needle was actually sitting on top of the F, so it looks like it's about an 1/8th of a tank off. Damn gas gauges, besides my Mustang I haven't been able to trust any of them and that one is only because it's a 2013. Lucky for me the Maxima made it home and then ran dry though, could've been much more annoying to deal with. No more high mileage runs for me! I don't remember if I said already but that makes 350 miles my maximum range and I actually got just under 21 mpg on this fillup.

 

reminds me of my 3rd gen, the gauge stopped working so i'd have to reset the trip counter and remember to refill around 300 miles. not once did i run out but it was annoying not knowing what was in there.

 

My old Buick was the same way, gas gauge was accurate until 1/4 a tank then it rapidly went to empty so I couldn't trust it. At this point I trust using trips to figure out when to get gas so much that I barely even look at the fuel gauge, although in the Mustang I can at least trust it. It also alerts me exact mileage until empty each time I start it if low, and so far has been pretty accurate.

I wonder what goes bad in cars as they age that makes their fuel gauges become inaccurate?

 

If you know the mileage on the junkyard cars, then one with lower miles would be a safe bet.
Sometimes they last forever...sometimes not. Same general design in a lot if not most cars.

Kinda sounds like your is getting stuck, since it works fine except when it runs low.

 

actual tank is 17.5 gallons, so yea u were bone dry !

and once the light is on 3 gal till empty is good to know ,

my light works fine, if I ride around a day with the light on, and the fuel needle is like scary and you know u are pushing it and pushing it .. the most my fill up will be is around 16.6~16.8 gallons, always the case, if I fill up around when the fuel light first comes on its around 15.5~15.75 gallons

 

Interesting. All of mine when the light comes on only fit 15 gal on the nose.

 

I used to average about 400km till it dipped just below the 3/4 empty mark. Fuel mileage was whatever on my old 4AT 3.5

 

i rarely do a full full up under 15.5 gallons, if i ride a day or two with light on around town and "push" it then its usually way closer to 16.5 gals,

and i just checked the manual and it says our tank is 18.5 gals capacity, so your theory with 3 gals left when light is on seems legit too.

 

I used to get better mileage with the maf messed it.

 

yah all the maximas ive had have 18.5 gallon tanks.