38 gal tank ( do you drive past 'empty' )

Hi guys,
New member here, thanks for providing this great resource! I am on the verge of getting a 2020 Plat Tundra. I searched extensively for real answers on this question. Hope you can help me out. So the 38 gal tank reads empty after only 28-30 gallons have been used. I'm told this is because 8-10 gallons reserve is needed to keep fuel pump primed. Here is my question. Is it safe to drive say, HALF WAY into the reserve, on a regular basis. Not draining the tank but driving 5 gallons into the reserve? Does anyone do this regularly? I need as much range as possible, but do not want to damage the fuel pump. Thanks very much!

 

You will not have any issues. It is the fuel going thru the pump that keeps it cool, not being submerged under the "reserve" fuel.

Since my '06 DC I have over 600k miles in 3 tundras, I run to below zero miles and beyond every tank and no issues

 

Thanks for reply. Is the 06 engine (5.7) different than the next gen? I'd really appreciate if some other 38 gal owners would chime in! Thanks very much

 

The 5.7 was new in 07, no problems running past 0 miles left.

 

Thank you very much. Funny when you search this subject, it's hard to find a clear answer. Even the service guys at my dealer had no clue. A buddy owns a '17 and never drives into reserve - he is afraid to mess up the pump. So there's a bunch of funny info out there on this. Thanks again.

 

Yeah, reminds me of the saying opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one.
I generally fill up between 1/4 & E and put around 31 gallons in.
Enjoy the truck!

 

I generally fill at or around 1/4 tank. If I needed extended range, I'd get a transfer tank. Most of the time gassing up is a matter of convenience, not really fuel remaining. Guess it's the benefits of a large tank. I also refuel exclusively at Costco for points.
Example. Family wants to drive from home to San Diego. We CAN range out that far, but why not get Costco fuel in Bakersfield and not sweat gas for awhile. Generally you'll want to get out and stretch after 6-8 hours of driving anyway.
Just my. 02

 

I appreciate everyone's reply. But I'm surprised 10-15 owners didn't chime in. This should be a no brainer question, but it continues to be one where there is no definitive answer. Weird!!

 

This has been discussed in dozens of threads, that is probably why few people have responded.

I have run mine to "0" a couple of times and each time I had about 9 gallons left. Some have run completely to the point they put 38 gallons in at fill-up. Best thing to do is keep track of your mpg (don't trust the dashboard call out, it is an estimate) and get a handle on the actual quantity in your tank over time.

Dan

 

My guess is that Toyota's read zero with 8 to 10 gallons left to keep the fuel pump submerged. I know the 2015 with 24 gallon tank I had read zero with 4 gallons left. I always heard that the fuel keeps the pump cool. Toyota is big on reliability. So I think they make zero the point where the pump begins to hit air. That way they never get hot and die prematurely. That's my guess.

 

even when I’ve fueled at a point I’ve felt I’ve pushed it far enough I’ve RARELY seen 33 gals on a fill. Usually when I fill I’m putting in 30-31, and this is regular for 4 years of ownership now

 

Cost too much to fill up when it's on empty. I fill up at half a tank or just below half.

 

Thanks guys. If you look at thread, one person says the fuel pump is primed by gas going THROUGH it. Another says, when it reads empty is when it begins to "hit air", suggesting that if you drive further, the pump gets more exposed to risk. Yes there are tons of threads on this but no agreed upon conclusion. This 38 gal tank is a major buying point, but seems like almost no one drives 35-36 gals. In any other vehicle, the gauge would tell you your remaining miles. It's not a deal breaker but why is there no definitive answer in writing from Toyota? Or is there?

 

I always wait till well after the light comes on until I fill up. That’s the benefit of having Such a big tank, you don’t have to fill up as much...I usually put 32-34 gallons in minimum when I fill up.

 

If you're going to push the range then make sure you park it level. The 38 gallon tank is very long, so with low fuel you could park on an angle and run the remaining fuel away from the pump. There was a member on here who did it in a steep driveway.

 

X2^^, same here

 

Same for me, I don’t even think about getting gas until the light comes on. Drive to work and maybe stop somewhere on my way home. Even at that point I’ve never put in more than 33 gallons.

 

I ran mine to almost "zero miles remaining" and pumped in 34.5 gallons. There are a lot of different results here on the forum, so I recommend doing your own testing and see how your truck performs.

 

I think Toyota must just normally give you a pretty good reserve. It is human nature to push any opportunity or advantage to the limit. My 06 is sitting at 1/8 or less and will take around 16-18 gallons and I think it's a 26 gallon tank. I had the light come on once and I've never as much as 20 gallons on it.

My advice is keep a 7 gallon Jerry can in your truck and fill it up at 1/4 tank. That way you are covered if there's an emergency. Your pump is happy, you are happy, your dependents are happy, the guy on the side of the road that thought "empty" was something to be pushed is happy. Happy happy happy happy.

 

How much you spend on gas is dependent on how much you drive not when you fill up. I have driven mine past zero several times. I would not listen to the internet hype about keeping the pump cool. Stopping to get gas takes time and my time is worth something.

 

I guess like some of y’all, I just had the experience of running until it read 2 miles to empty. Upon seeing this I am looking for some sort of idiot light that tells me I am low on fuel, nothing. I was fortunate enough to just arriving into town and was able to make it with 1 mile showing til empty. After I unclenched my butt from the seat I got out and fueled up only taking 31 gallons. I have often wondered about this when I fill up it only shows a range of 500 miles.

 

I generally fill up before the low fuel light comes on because I want to have that reserve just in case I need to drive somewhere and can't get fuel right away. I don't have a 24 hour gas station right around the corner.

There is a lot of tolerance in the manufacture and installation of the sending unit in the tank which sends the signal to the fuel gauge. You can not rely on your Tundra having the same number of gallons in reserve as another Tundra. They will vary quite a lot.

There have been discussions on this forum about whether or not the fuel pump will overheat if you run the tank down too low and the consensus seems to be that fuel flowing through the pump cools it, not the reserve reservoir. I suppose that if you ran the tank dry there may be some premature wear on the pump, but that is only a guess.

 

I have a ‘20 platinum also. I drive pass reserve (I go 20-60 miles pass 0/refuel mileage on dash). No problems in 2 years

 

( do you drive past 'empty' ) = NO

 

You have about 80 miles in reserve after 'empty'

Here is the thread of reference for the 38gal tank, grab a drink and start reading...
https://www.tundras.com/threads/38-gal-tank-experiences.22954/

 

This is one issue that torques my sac. It’s the same sender unit for the bigger gas tanks so it reads empty when you’re not even close. My gas light comes on with just over 12 gallons left. I go off of the odometer more than the gas gauge.

 

I would pay more attention to a low "Window Piss" light if we had one. Hate running out of that shit in the winter time! Low full light also goes off when you go downhill..fyi...sorry for shitty input!

 

I've been following Internet forums since shortly after they came into existence, and I can tell you that "agreed upon conclusions" are virtually non-existent. You just need to take the info you have and roll with it.

Getting a definitive answer from Toyota corporate won't happen. If you get an answer at all it'll be a form letter recommending you not let it get too low, and it's doubtful they'll say what, exactly, too low is.

I've heard the "gasoline cools the fuel pump" theory for years. I had a friend who would browbeat me mercilessly for letting my Dodge get below 1/4 tank. Sure enough I had to replace a fuel pump, and he was on that like white on rice. I pointed out that it had 170,000 miles on the clock -- and it was a Dodge Didn't matter. If I hadn't repeatedly let it get below 1/4 tank the fuel pump wouldn't have gone out. It's like he'd been predicting I'd burn up a fuel pump for decades, and I finally proved him right. LOL

 

i fill up @ 1/4.

when I had the Harrop installed...the installer said..."keep it fueled"

meaning keep at least 1/4 tank in it.

 

Life experience tends to lead me to the gas station at a third full. After you find yourself in bad spot enough times it changes your perspective. Nowadays everyone has a phone, but back when I did most of my driving they didn't exist. Still though you should keep some gas in it, accidents and such still happen folks. You can get detoured at the craziest of times, been there done that! Just having a bottle to whiz in can also help a bunch when you find yourself up on tall bridge for two hours because someone wasn't paying attention.