Gas in reserve?

How much gas is really left once you’ve gone through the miles left on the indicator?

I just filled up with 25 miles left on the meter and it only took 25 gal and change. Is there a good 5+gal reserve?

 

Yup. Not really sure if it was designed to be that conservative or the computer was designed around a 26 GA tank and they never bothered to update it to align with the 32 GA option that most models have.

 

https://www.tundras.com/threads/32-5-gallon-gas-tank.104491/

 

Yes, Toyota does this on purpose. It keeps the pump cool and minimizes cavitation from too little fuel sloshing around and dipping below the pickup. The latter can lead to a lean condition as the fuel pressure drops when the air that was sucked in to the pump is compressed in the line. Lean burn = hot burn, which can melt things like pistons and valves.

 

Search is your friend .......

 

I'll pitch in $100 if someone wants to try how far it will go till empty!!!!

 

Umm, it doesn't take 5 gallons to do that

 

I haven’t been able to figure out how big my take is. Every time I try and fill the gas pump turns off because it stops at $101.00 before full

 

Toyota's (in my experience) generally have about a hundred mile range on reserve.

 

How deep do you think 5 gallons is with the footprint of the tank?

 

quit pickin on the new guys lol

long ass tank on these things , two fingers cocktail deep at most is my guess to your question

Likely why we have the gauge bs once in a while, super long tank and only so much the baffles can do

 

I once put 25.9 gallons in my 26 gallon tank. I don’t recommend it.

Let’s do some maths…

1 gallon = 231 cubic inches

5 gallons = 1155 cubic inches

A 26 gallon tank has a footprint ~46x19. (My truck has a 26 gallon tank so I can pull a tape on it..) Let’s subtract an inch total for wall thickness and baffles, so 45x18”.

Footprint area = ~ 810 sq inches

Fuel depth is 5 gallons / tank footprint = 1155 cu inches / 810 square inches.

Fuel depth of 5 gallons in a flat bottom tank = ~ 1.425”.

Or, as @Breathing Borla stated - about two fingers.

Let’s assume the tank isn’t flat, but sloped from all edges toward the center. If you subtract 1/3 of each dimension your footprint becomes 30x12”.

Sloped footprint = 360 square inches

New fuel depth = 1155/360 = 3.2”.

 

I have NEVER seen any authoritative substantiation of this anywhere (and I have looked).

Can you provide a data source for this?

Dan

 

Which part - that the pump is in the tank, that the fuel cools the pump, or that the fuel light turning on before E is done intentionally by manufacturers.. ?

 

I know the pump is in the tank, never seen any data that suggests that "Toyota does this on purpose...etc., etc." I have run a few modern fuel injected vehicles flat out of gas (coasted to the side of the road). Put in a few gallons from a gas can and was on my way. Zero damage to the pump. I've never seen any published warning not to do this because of possible pump damage.

I have a good friend who was a GM mechanic (Mister Goodwrench) for decades. He has had to empty tanks for removal (dozens of them using the internal pump) and has run them dry without any pump issues.

Dan

 

Just fill up your tank when it gets down to 1/4. Problems solved & you'll never run out of gas. You're welcome. My work is done here.

 

According to this article a 2015 Tundra has 4 gallons and 60-72 miles left once the low fuel light comes on. One would think that what’s left in a 3rd gen when the light comes would be close to the same amount. But then again who knows when the fuel gauge resets to full when parked on an incline?
The article did say that “driving on empty can also do damage to your vehicle. If you do run out of gas, you can do damage to your catalytic converter, which may then need to be repaired or replaced as a result. Even the simple act of driving with a low amount of fuel in your tank can damage your fuel pump“



https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/how-far-can-you-drive-your-vehicle-on-empty-by-brady-klopfer

 

Modern tanks aren't flat bottomed. They are shaped and contorted in all manner of ways. If it takes 5+ gallons to ensure there's no unporting, it's a crap design.

 

Sounds kind dirty ........

 

Should have have used the banana scale. Probably about 3/4 width of a metric banana.......

 

That banana pic is fake. Everyone knows that Imperial bananas curve the other way......

 

Just stand on your head...