Refuel now!

Hi! Can someone please explain what may have occurred? I filled my tank to half way mark. Went on a little off-roading trip. Engine was on for a good 6-7 hours using 4high/4low. Out of nowhere I noticed the dash states distance to empty: refuel now. So it freaked me out and I drive out of the 4x4 site for 40 miles to a gas station praying I don’t run out of gas. I get to the station and fill up on 15 gallons because I’m doing the recall tomorrow. Now the fucken gauge went to completely full……. Now I’m trying to waste gas to get it back to close to empty for them to drop the tank at the dealership. But I have no idea what the actual gas level is.

 

Wait, you filled it halfway, drove offroad for 6 or 7 hours, then when you filled it up it only took 15 gallons? The tank holds 32 gallons.
??

 

This is an SR5, so unless it was purchased with a specific Premium package, the tank size is 22.5 gallons. With the average "reserve" in the tank at about 6 gallons, 15 gallons to fill sounds about right to get the gauge to show full.

 

It’s a 32 gallon tank. I was off-roading with the engine on for 6-7 hours to clarify.

I only filled it to 15 gallons because the dealership needs less than quarter tank to drop the tank for the fuel line recall.

Hoping that 15 gallons would just be enough to get me to half way mark. But the gauge showed full.

normally I would fill to 28-29 gallons to full.

 

That mystery is solved then. Have you ever had the fuel gauge issue before? There are a few known issues with these that are well documented on these boards. I don't know if it's applicable in your situation, but may be worth a look.

 

I only had the regular fuel gauge issue where it was halfway/quarter tank and then the next day it was full without refueling.

this time it read “fuel now”. So maybe it wasn’t really empty…So fuel sensors are just out off wack..

 

Mine went from 220 kms, then a few days later it read 178 kms, then today it 40 lms and by the time we got to drop off the truck, the fill light was on.

That may sound normal if we were using it everyday. But the strange part was that we didn’t use it other than to move it around for washing in the driveway??

The gauge does seem a bit flaky!

 

I think this has to do with other fuel gauge related issues there hasn’t been a fix for. At boat ramps when I have 3/4 of a tank or more it will reset to full. I do not shut my truck off at the ramp while I launch my boat. Which this has be documented by others parking on inclines mainly engine high.

Yours could possibly fall along the same lines where you need to do the reset? Shut it off in drive and wait for the gauge to reset itself. There is def a software or sensor issue that from what I have read has yet to be fixed.

 

I am wondering if some of the rocking around off-road could have simulated the angles needed to trigger it when parking.

 

I would think. Mine as of now has been very isolated to a certain fuel level. Most of them go full and not empty though.