I've been kinda skeptic about the gas tank of my 6th generation SE.I really don't think that the gas tank is 20 gallons.It seemed when my car would need filling up I would always top off at around 16 gallons.So this time I drove around looking for the lowest price I could find while my fuel light was on for about three days.I waited until the car's cpu couldn't tell me how many miles I had left till empty and filled up and I topped off at around 17.8 gallons.I normally don't ride around on E but i just had to see what is my tanks capacity.Has anyone else noticed the same thing?

 

did you ever look in your owners manual?

 

It's called reserve. Even with the low fuel light on you still have about 50+ to get to a station...

 

Specs say 20 gallons, there's always more than the gauge makes you believe so that you don't run out.

 

you can only fill up 16 gallons because you have a 4 gallon reserve. When your gauge says your empty, it means you used up that 16 gallons but you still have 4 gallons in your reserve. They did this so that they won't have to replace many fuel pumps, which go bad when you drive to empty.

 

So you drove around for for 3 days to save a few pennies?

 

But he's got the point. One time I was driving to Virginia through I-81 I believe and my gas tank was close to empty. I saw one gas station at one exit but I didn't like the brand so I kept continue thinking ohh yeah there is one gas station ahead showing in my navi. Dyamn that next gas station was ran out of business and I was on my own. I continued driving knowing there is one more gas station showing in my navi but little far away. Bummer my empty tank light came up and that scared the shiatt out of me like I am not going to get there. I drove about 25+ miles even though my navi said I can go "****" miles with the fuel I have. Luckily I was ok and filled my gas tank but I am like hmmmm even with empty tank I drove 25+ miles? Pretty interesting.

 

I have always wondered about this...I'm glad someone finally had the answer to it... it was eating away at me... Manual says 20... but never knew about reserve. Thanks.

 

I've put in close to 19 before, but I normally don't let it get that low. It has 20 for sure.

 

I don't go by the fuel gauge because the light comes on way too soon. I use my odometer instead. I drive almost all highway and get about 24.5-25.0mpg. I usually wait until there's about 3-4 gallons left in the tank or after I've driven 400-425 miles. My gas light comes on after 350 miles or so which means that I still have 6 gallons left.

One time, I was running late so I didn't fill up at 400 miles and drove to about 475. 19 gallons of fuel went in.

 

Thanks for the explanation. But Like I stated earlier I normally don't drive around with the fuel warning light on for days,just wanted to get close to empty as I could.While I was doing that I was comparing the local stations for the lowest price, since gas prices are creeping up again.Shell just opened a new station and I noticed 93 was $2.15 since they opened a few weeks ago,everybody else is about $2.35-$2.37.Two days later the new station raised 93 up to $2.25. .10 cents in two days is crazy! I guess the oil companies are at it again. Thanks everybody!

 

good look

 

priceless

I should not be laughing though....when the gas prices were $1.16 up here in Canada, I did the same bro...

 

I always fill back up at 1/4 tank to save the fuel pump, guess they already thought of that.

 

+1

The most I have ever put in the car was 19.482 gallons. I drive to empty because I track all the specs for each tank (avg. mph, speed, engine time, etc)

 

So the miles til empty electronic display (navi) shows 0 miles til empty once it starts on the reserve 4 gallon or once that's empty?

 

try to look your manual...

 

when you get the light you will have about 50 KM to go. Try to fill it every 500 KM of driving.