2017 TRD CrewMax Gas Tank Capacity

My 2017 TRD CrewMax with off road package has the large 38gal gas tank. However, the read out on the dash, at a 1/4 tank will say less than 60miles left, that was yesterday. I fill up and put
24.5gal then went to 415 miles, I've noticed this before. So means I had around 10 gal left.

Has anyone else had this, or do they just not want you to run out of gas?

 

Don’t do the math on this, it will drive you nuts. The math never makes sense. I do know that they don’t want you to runfuel too low as the fuel pump needs it to keep cool, so it’s adjusted accordingly.

 

THANKS, to me just seemed weird. Then I saw on here guys were putting on aftermarket 46gal tanks. WHY? I ran Dodge diesel for 15 years with a total of 90gal on, I got it back when fuel went to 5.00a gal. It was nice using GASBUDDY, fill up cheapest you could find drive for 1000 miles. But now days I wouldn't

 

Yeah I think they are being very conservative with the calculation.

 

Welcome from Texas, you have the 38 gal tank? I have the 24, I want the 38

 

There are two gas tanks available on the Tundra. A 26 gallon and 38 gallon. Both have large reserves.

If you run both down to "0" miles till empty on average here is how many gallons you will get back in the tank.

26 gallons = 20-22 back in
38 gallons = 30-32 back in

 

Can confirm @JeremyGSU is correct with the 38 gallon tank.

 

Hi everyone, I checked this thread a while back because I also could not make sense of the fuel tank capacity. I KNOW it is a 38 gallon tank, however with "40 miles remaining", I could never get much more than 30 gallons in. After reading this and assuming the same, I figured it was the computer being cautious (or wrong). HOWEVER, I have since discovered that when you are filling your tank, the pump will STOP at least 2.5 gallons short of a fill-up. Try it. I get the impression that the connection to the tank (from nozzle) is quite funnel shaped. Gasoline fills to the nozzle, but then slowly funnels down, slower and slower as it approaches capacity. I've been able to get 32.5 gallons in this way. It is extremely time-consuming, but I am still having enough fun having "discovered" this that I don't mind playing with the pump to see just how much more I can squeeze in. A bit of a design flaw, really. Don't assume it is just the computer being cautious - there is at least a 2.5 gallon void.

 

I don’t think topping off like that is good for your truck.

I talked to a mechanic a while back who said it messes up the vapor filter or something like that.

 

I have a 2018 Limited with the 38 gallon tank. When my range goes to zero and it says refuel, the fuel warning light comes on. If I fill up around when this happens I can put in about 32 to 33 gallons stopping when the pump stops, not trying to fill as full as possible.

I can't imagine Toyota turning on a gas warning light when you are at zero miles left. So if you are filling up when the range says 40 miles and you put 30 gallons in, it sounds about right.

 

Just don't want anyone assuming they have more gallons than they do; it's really a 35-36 gal capacity if not filling to the top; seems the warning is cautious, but not necessarily overly.

 

I have read they put the warning light on with 6-8 gal left because the gas "cools" the fuel pump, so you have to keep the pump submerged in gas. No idea if that's true or not, I'm going to guess that's only partially true at best. It's probably more so that people don't run out of fuel.
I have gone over 50 miles after I had 0 miles left a few times and only put 33-34 gal in the 38 gal tank.

 

Yeah I ran it down to 0 and 30 miles further. Got about 32 gallons back in.

 

There has only one time were I ran low. It had 1 mile left to go. The most I was able to put in was 35 gals.
Does a low fuel light warning come on? or just keeps saying 0 miles left?

 

We all need to be calling Toyota Customer Support about this problem. I have 2017 Tundra CrewMax with the 38 gal tank and I can never get more than 31 gal in the tank at fill up and that’s driving it 30-40 miles past 0 miles remaining. This guage and fuel remaining computer is a joke. I talked to my local dealer and they’ve heard this complaint many times from just bout every Tundra owner. Toyota needs to release a Service Bulletin to upgrade the onboard software. Heck this is such a nuisance I’d pay for the darn thing! And the rumors about you need 8 gal of reserve fuel for fuel pump cooling are totally bogus according to the service personnel at the local dealer.

 

Toyota Customer Service
+1-800-331-4331

 

This does not really bother me as much to be honest I get almost 500 miles to the tank mixed as it is. The other reason in my first truck I ran the tank to empty like an idiot and sucked up crap from the bottom of the tank and it screwed things up. EDIT: First truck was on 06 Chevy and in my defense the fuel gauge stopped working but even still I probably should have noticed something.

 

The fuel pump thing is a myth that persists on a lot of boards. The pump is cooled by fuel going through it and not fuel around it. The large reserve is there simply to be conservative. All vehicles have it. Tundra has one of the largest if not the largest reserve on the market though.

 

Did my first fill up the other day. Computer said I had about 70 miles left, but I was about to leave on an all-day trip so I figured I'd fill it up. It took 27.5 gallons.

 

Like OP, on my 2018 Tundra Ltd, I became concerned when my range indicated 30 miles left, but I could only put 25 gallons in at a fillup. Did the dealership rip me off and give me a 26 gallon tank, when in fact the sticker says 38 gallon?

Reading through the posts here, most people are trying to estimate their tank size by reverse engineering how the computer works with its range indicator and with average MPG computations, and are suitably baffled by the results. I came here to ask, is there visual indication (such as tank shape, connection points, part number scribed onto the tank, etc) between the smaller and larger fuel tank options that, upon visual inspection, can confirm which tank is installed?

I am not convinced I got the 38 gallon tank that I paid for, so I'd like to prove to myself with a visual inspection.

 

If you have the cross member and the tank is almost three feet long, you have the 38.
I agree with the comment about topping off.. Good way to prematurely kill the evap cannister.
The tank sensor has always had this "fault". If I ever find a way to ask the design team, I will.
Overprotective engineers keeping the fuel pump safe is a nice idea in theory, but they are the same guys who removed the drivers side handle, so who knows why they did it.

 

30 miles left, you filled 25 gallons, you really think you're getting 30 MPG? Not to mention no fuel tank lets you fill to it's maximum capacity. There is an air gap built in to let the fuel expand when it gets to higher temperatures so it doesn't explode.
You got the 38 gallon. It's widely known that you have at least 6-8 gallons left when the DTE says 0. I've gone over 50 miles on the interstate getting 10 MPG and only filled up 33 gallons.

 

To answer my own question, after poking around on parts.toyota.com, it appears that the smaller 26.4 gallon tank has two retaining bands, while the larger 38 gallon tank has three -- specifically, part number 77601A which cryptically states, "TRD PRO&FUEL TANK-38 GALLON; OFFROAD PACKAGE&FUEL TANK-38 GALLON". See pictures comparing the two. Time to crawl under the truck with a flashlight!

 

Probably! Very likely! I am 95% inclined to agree with you! It would be scandalous if Toyota dealers were ripping off unsuspecting people by swapping tanks on them!

But I am an empiricist, I want to know for certain by visual inspection, that is my point in posting here.

EDIT: Took a picture of my actual tank, it shows 3 mounting brackets (see picture) that match up with the parts guide's 38 gallon tank, so I'm convinced it's the 38 gallon tank, and all is well in the world, and Toyota's concept of "empty" is very, very conservative indeed.

 

It is good you did your own research, found a way to confirm. This will help other owners and put their minds at ease.
Personally I think no dealer would bother spending time to do this work of swapping tanks as it's a waste of time and money for them not to mention fraud and possibility of losing their franchise license.

Toyota is super conservative with fuel in the Tundra, just like everything else in the truck. It's crazy to think you could drive another ~170 miles from the point you filled up if you were getting 13 mpg. If you really want to check, put a Can of gas in the bed, and start driving around until the truck shuts off haha. See how many miles after DTE 0 shows up you can actually go!

 

That's an experiment I would love to see, but don't want to do it myself.

 

I have never put more than 31-32 gallons in and I have run to negative miles. I rarely look at the miles left just the actual gauge. I think Toyota is trying to avoid complaints coming from people running out at 0 and the miles left has a big reserve. One of these days I am going to carry a gas can with me and see how far past 0 I can go. It is going to be on a long trip somewhere because I am not doing on my daily drive. I don't believe the bunk about cooling the pump myself. One thing I DO NOT do with modern vehicles is put gas in after the click. Yes you can fill the hose and get another gallon or but not worth the risk to the canister which is real.

 

Not sure why this such a big deal, and why there are a million threads on it. Big deal if Toyota designed these tanks to have a large reserve.

P.S. The search button is your friend folk’s.

 

That's a really good point, I wonder if there are liability concerns which result in a grossly over-estimated range computation. I wonder if Tundras exported to less litigious countries have slightly different software that results in more real-world range computations.