Fuel tank size question - Page 2 - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

jmontalvo · 02-10-2013, 06:00 PM

I usually put gas in every half tank. Sometime I go down to 3/8 of a tank. Whenever the needle is right in the middle, I usually end up putting 9.5 gallons in. 1/2 tank = 9.5 gallons so full tank must equal 19 gallons.

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jmontalvo · 02-10-2013, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leviticus88

I have always heard the Exact Opposite... Opinions...

Who has the ability or want to only use 3/4 or less of the tank they completely paid for?

Well it's a way to make sure that I don't get left stranded on the road somewhere. If an emergency arises, I'd rather have half a tank left as opposed to 30 miles left in the tank.

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nak3dsnake · 02-10-2013, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skibik

I don't know why I checked back in on this thread but thought I would, I might have been looking for a laugh. There was another thread about this subject of the low fuel indicator. I mentioned the very same thing you did about one time isn't going to hurt. I pretty much got my a$$ nailed to the wall even mentioning running it out. I think at the time I unsubscribed from that thread it was over 150.

To the OP not sure why it matters whether you can get all 19 gallons in. It isn't like GM shorted you on the tank. Not sure if you have ever watched it, but the show Top Gear USA version(not as interesting as the BBC version) there was a show that had a challenge to make it from one city to another on one tank of fuel. They chose 3 different vehicles and if memory serves correct the DIC on all of them were incorrect. Not sure but think one of them ran close to 100 miles after it said 0 miles to empty. Good luck.

Dean.

Lol I'm surprised myself that it hasn't happened yet. If it gets uncivil and off of topic I'll be happy to provide them a very detailed explanation of how a modern fuel pump works.

nak3dsnake · 02-10-2013, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmontalvo

Well it's a way to make sure that I don't get left stranded on the road somewhere. If an emergency arises, I'd rather have half a tank left as opposed to 30 miles left in the tank.

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Or if the price of gas is low, I'll top it off too.

Caddyroger · 02-10-2013, 06:12 PM

I fill up when it is at 1/4 tank. Some do not have problems with fuel pumps running low on near empty but going out but why take the chance. You going to use the same amount of gas ether way you go. Which last longer a cool motor or a hot motor.
The sending may not go all the way to the bottom of the tank so that might make the indicator to read less what is actually in the tank.

Mr. iNCREDIBLE · 02-10-2013, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KaBoom1701

Never run your tank below 1/4 tank...it's bad for your fuel pump and injectors.

agreed.. however I did run mine as low as I felt comfortable with to find out the max it will take, and I pushed 17.9 @ one fill up and I wasn't empty yet.

the vehicle seems to have about 4.5 gallon reserve once the low fuel light comes on.

but as stated I never wait that long, on a normal week I fill every Sunday, unless I take an unplanned trip that is right at the 1/4 tank mark.

Even if I do take an unplanned trip that requires an earlier fill, I top it off on Sundays, as I know for me, that I can go Sunday to Sunday on 3/4 of a tank with my normal driving routine.

nak3dsnake · 02-10-2013, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caddyroger

I fill up when it is at 1/4 tank. Some do not have problems with fuel pumps running low on near empty but going out but why take the chance. You going to use the same amount of gas ether way you go. Which last longer a cool motor or a hot motor.
The sending may not go all the way to the bottom of the tank so that might make the indicator to read less what is actually in the tank.

Bottom line is, just put gas in your car when its low. Silly people.

05stram · 02-10-2013, 06:16 PM

Fuel runs around the motor in the pump assembly to cool it. Does not matter how low the fuel is because as it pulls the fuel it pulls it around the housing by design. While it is great to help facilitate this heat sink affect with fuel in the tank it is not totally necessary. Dirt is another reason to not run it low, while fuel is cleaner than it was when carbureted engines ruled the day all it takes is micron sized material to ruin a fuel system. To answer the OP your fuel gauge is mechanical and in being so the float is "set" to what is approx the right level with no fuel. You may be empty and take 16 gallons and the guy next to you may be and take 17.5. Just accept the fact you have a little reserve there and carry on

tonyko1 · 02-10-2013, 06:42 PM

So, is there a fuel filter to replace at regular intervals like many cars have?

nak3dsnake · 02-10-2013, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danl

on my 2013 2SS, the most i have put in was 15.8, and the needle was on 'E"...

Hey danl, what wheels are those?

OhioGuy89 · 02-11-2013, 12:12 AM

The most I have been able to put in my tank was 17.63 gallons. I was averaging around 26.5 MPG, and when I got below 53 miles to empty (2 gallons to empty), my Low Fuel warning came on. This was around mile 430. So when I filled up I definitely had less than 1 gallon left in the tank (probably more around .5 gallon). Yet, I was still on able to fill up with 17.63 gallons. I usually don't put anymore gas in once the gas pump automatically stops. Is that really when the tank is full? Or can you still top it off without going over the 'official' tank size?

And to those who say the MPG isn't accurate on the DIC, mine has always been within a tenth or 2 of being correct (I always reset mine when I fill up, and I keep track of my fill-ups, MPG, price, etc. with an app on my phone). So if you reset it every time you fill up, it will be accurate.

Angrybird 12 · 02-11-2013, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OhioGuy89

The most I have been able to put in my tank was 17.63 gallons. I was averaging around 26.5 MPG, and when I got below 53 miles to empty (2 gallons to empty), my Low Fuel warning came on. This was around mile 430. So when I filled up I definitely had less than 1 gallon left in the tank (probably more around .5 gallon). Yet, I was still on able to fill up with 17.63 gallons. I usually don't put anymore gas in once the gas pump automatically stops. Is that really when the tank is full? Or can you still top it off without going over the 'official' tank size?

And to those who say the MPG isn't accurate on the DIC, mine has always been within a tenth or 2 of being correct (I always reset mine when I fill up, and I keep track of my fill-ups, MPG, price, etc. with an app on my phone). So if you reset it every time you fill up, it will be accurate.

Lots of Times the pumps don't cut off at the same fill point. I have even had them cut off and the guage not show full when I start the car up. I usually listen and when I hear the fiel start coming into the neck I slow it down until it cuts off, then I give it another squirt of gas. Also if your car is not level it could allow you to put more or less in the tank. I filled my HHR up onetime and it was sloped away from the pump and I put in the exact amount the tank was supposed to hold, yet I was not near empty yet.

Angrybird 12 · 02-11-2013, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OhioGuy89

The most I have been able to put in my tank was 17.63 gallons. I was averaging around 26.5 MPG, and when I got below 53 miles to empty (2 gallons to empty), my Low Fuel warning came on. This was around mile 430. So when I filled up I definitely had less than 1 gallon left in the tank (probably more around .5 gallon). Yet, I was still on able to fill up with 17.63 gallons. I usually don't put anymore gas in once the gas pump automatically stops. Is that really when the tank is full? Or can you still top it off without going over the 'official' tank size?

And to those who say the MPG isn't accurate on the DIC, mine has always been within a tenth or 2 of being correct (I always reset mine when I fill up, and I keep track of my fill-ups, MPG, price, etc. with an app on my phone). So if you reset it every time you fill up, it will be accurate.

Lots of Times the pumps don't cut off at the same fill point. I have even had them cut off and the guage not show full when I start the car up. I usually listen and when I hear the fiel start coming into the neck I slow it down until it cuts off, then I give it another squirt of gas. Also if your car is not level it could allow you to put more or less in the tank. I filled my HHR up onetime and it was sitting sloped away from the pump and I put in the exact amount the tank was supposed to hold, yet I was not near empty yet.

DancesWithBikers · 03-02-2013, 07:16 PM

I ran out of gas yesterday. It simply turned off on the freeway, no cough or splutter, just off. It was so abrupt, I'm guessing the ECU shut it down.

When the cavalry arrived (my wife in the minivan), I put in 5 gallons from a can, drove it about 10 miles, and put in 13.869 gallons at the pump. That's 18.869 gallons, less whatever I used in ~10 miles. At 20mpg that would be half a gallon, so it looks like my usable capacity is about 18.3 gallons.

02-10-2013, 06:00 PM	#15
jmontalvo Drives: 2011 Rally Yellow 2LS Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Pharr, TX Posts: 1,035 View My Garage	I usually put gas in every half tank. Sometime I go down to 3/8 of a tank. Whenever the needle is right in the middle, I usually end up putting 9.5 gallons in. 1/2 tank = 9.5 gallons so full tank must equal 19 gallons. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 __________________ \|Trifecta Tune\|Custom Magnaflow Exhaust\|Cold Air Inductions C.A.I.\|BBK LTs w/ HFC\|Anvil Rear Notch Glossy CF Spoiler\|Body Color Heritage Grille\|10 spoke polished ZL1 replica wheels\|VMAX ported TB\|RS Headlights\|Night Owl RGB Halos

02-10-2013, 06:12 PM	#19
Caddyroger Drives: 2011 RJT Camaro LT2 RS auto shift Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Washington state Posts: 1,861	I fill up when it is at 1/4 tank. Some do not have problems with fuel pumps running low on near empty but going out but why take the chance. You going to use the same amount of gas ether way you go. Which last longer a cool motor or a hot motor. The sending may not go all the way to the bottom of the tank so that might make the indicator to read less what is actually in the tank. __________________ Caddy

02-10-2013, 06:16 PM	#22
05stram Drives: 2013 RS - 2013 2SS/RS - 1971 RS Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: West Virginia Posts: 1,027	Fuel runs around the motor in the pump assembly to cool it. Does not matter how low the fuel is because as it pulls the fuel it pulls it around the housing by design. While it is great to help facilitate this heat sink affect with fuel in the tank it is not totally necessary. Dirt is another reason to not run it low, while fuel is cleaner than it was when carbureted engines ruled the day all it takes is micron sized material to ruin a fuel system. To answer the OP your fuel gauge is mechanical and in being so the float is "set" to what is approx the right level with no fuel. You may be empty and take 16 gallons and the guy next to you may be and take 17.5. Just accept the fact you have a little reserve there and carry on

02-10-2013, 06:42 PM	#23
tonyko1 Banned Drives: 2012 Camaro 2SS/RS Convertible, IBM Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Oregon Posts: 1,015	So, is there a fuel filter to replace at regular intervals like many cars have?

02-11-2013, 12:12 AM	#25
OhioGuy89 Drives: 2012 LS Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: OHIO Posts: 121 View My Garage	The most I have been able to put in my tank was 17.63 gallons. I was averaging around 26.5 MPG, and when I got below 53 miles to empty (2 gallons to empty), my Low Fuel warning came on. This was around mile 430. So when I filled up I definitely had less than 1 gallon left in the tank (probably more around .5 gallon). Yet, I was still on able to fill up with 17.63 gallons. I usually don't put anymore gas in once the gas pump automatically stops. Is that really when the tank is full? Or can you still top it off without going over the 'official' tank size? And to those who say the MPG isn't accurate on the DIC, mine has always been within a tenth or 2 of being correct (I always reset mine when I fill up, and I keep track of my fill-ups, MPG, price, etc. with an app on my phone). So if you reset it every time you fill up, it will be accurate.

03-02-2013, 07:16 PM	#28
DancesWithBikers Drives: 2012 2SS Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: The Land Bountiful, UT Posts: 28 View My Garage	I ran out of gas yesterday. It simply turned off on the freeway, no cough or splutter, just off. It was so abrupt, I'm guessing the ECU shut it down. When the cavalry arrived (my wife in the minivan), I put in 5 gallons from a can, drove it about 10 miles, and put in 13.869 gallons at the pump. That's 18.869 gallons, less whatever I used in ~10 miles. At 20mpg that would be half a gallon, so it looks like my usable capacity is about 18.3 gallons.