anyone getting kinda annoyed that it leaves such a large reserve?

I fill up when I have an eigth of a tank, with about 60miles to empty. but when Im done I only put like 12 gallons in; if that much.

I barely used half a tank of gas! getting tired of weekly fill ups. I guess Ill just have to start ignoring it and run it on empty, but then I dont know when its really empty.

 

I don't have my Z yet, but If I have a 1/2 tank of gas and it reads 1/8, something is wrong. I don't know if this is a fleet wide issue, but I would bring it in for repair or adjustment.

Check these threads out. Some say to turn your car off when adding fuel.

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....ight=fuel+tank

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....ght=fuel+gauge

 

perhaps your right, tho that does bring up my next question, is everyones "reserve" around 6-7gallons? I understand the idea of reserve, and that all fine and dandy. but is my reserve larger than everyone elses?

 

I havent checked that yet.. but yeah it seems to be a quick segment of time between fillups.. I have to do that this afternoon... I will seee if mine is the same...

Thanks for the thought!

EZz

 

i have about a 4-5 gallon reserve when the pod says 50 or less miles until fillup

 

You have to remember, the 50 or 60 miles that your computer is reading is an estimate of how far you can go, based on the average fuel consumption. If you don't reset your computer on a regular basis, the dte number could be skewed based on your driving habits during that specific tank of gas.

 

I usually get about 15-17 gallons of gas into the tank at fill up.
Due to where I live I tend to run the car at least 20 miles past where the low fuel light comes on.

 

That seems to be what I get too, any where from 14 to 17 gallons per fill up. Can get expensive when the gas prices spike.

 

Recently my gas warning light came on, and I pulled into the next gas station - It took 11 gallons to fill it up. WTF???

The 350Z gas warning light is useless, even worse than the one on my Z32.

 

My fuel warning light comes on when the computer says I have 30 miles before empty. I usually get to a gas station within 10 miles. Last time it took 16 gallons to fill - so means I either had four gallons left or the tank won't fill completely.

 

Straight from Mr. Wizard...

The gas warning light is subject to the laws of physics. And it is trying to measure a liquid.
Gas sloshes around in your tank while you drive like water in a wine glass. If you turn a corner quickly, accelerate hard, or brake hard the apperent level in any one section of the gas tank will change.
Therefore, if you do something to change the level in the tank where the fuel level sensor is, the light might come on. Later, if you slosh gas the other way, it might go back out for a while.
About the only time your gas sensors are really accurate is after you've been driving straight and level (no corners, no acceleration) for 10-15 minutes.

And no, the gas gage itself is probably not linear. ie, it takes longer to burn the first half of the tank than the second.

 

Just a tidbit from someone with 5700 miles. The dte light comes a blinking and goes blank finally with about 3 gallons. Tricked the wife one day when she was freakin about pushing the car. Hit the station right after the dte went straight line and filled with 17 gallons. Happens every time. 3 gallon reserve. Gets you about 50 miles in case of emergency. It must be the law. My last three cars went the same distance +/-.

 

My last car had a nominal gas capacity of 16 gallons. I could never get more than 11-12 at a fill. I figured the warning light was just coming on early so I went about 40 miles after the light came on - lucky I have AAA. Ran out on the freeway. You may not want to assume that since you can only add 17 gallons, that you have 3 in reserve. You just may not be able to fill it all the way. The actual usable capacity may well be closer to 17 gallons than 20

 

I guess the only way to be sure it to run you Z out of gas. With a spare gas can, put in say 3 gallons, then go to a gas station. Fill up and subtract 3 gallons. That would be our usable gas capacity. Anyone with enough time on their hands willing to test this out?

 

Geez, both my old Civic and Accord could go about 75 miles still once the light came on. Well, maybe at least 50.

I get about 350 miles per fill in the Z, I haven't really paid attention to how much actually goes in, but I'll have to see.

 

Manufacturers started making very pessimistic gas gauges years ago when they realized they would cut down their warranty claims of wrong gauges by making people think they were running out sooner, thus helping them to avoid actually being stuck on the side of the road.

I know it really isn't a good thing to do, but I get a perverse pleasure by running my current car down low. My best/worst was 17.2 gallons in a 17.5 gallon tank. That one made me nervous

 

[QUOTEI know it really isn't a good thing to do, but I get a perverse pleasure by running my current car down low. My best/worst was 17.2 gallons in a 17.5 gallon tank. That one made me nervous [/B][/QUOTE]

When I was in the Navy, flying LC-130's in Antarctica, the main mission was bringing fuel to the South Pole. We carried it in our wing tanks, as they used the same jet fuel to run their power plants. We used to see who could land with the least amount of fuel back at our home base (McMurdo Station, at the base of the Ross Ice Shelf). We landed with less fuel than was prudent lots of times!

 

I'm assuming you could switch to your wing tanks if you did push it too far, right?

 

I don't mind filling up at 1/4 or whatever it is really. I was pushing hard one early morn, heading west into Albuquerque at 4 am in my 65 Dodge Dart, when I ran out of gas in Tijeras Canyon, about 20 miles out of town, the temp was 36 degrees and I was on crutches. I waited for about an hour before a highway patrol officer showed up and pumped enough into my tank to get me home. I don't care to repeat it.

 

I usually run about 400 miles per tank. I fill up when the DTE gets to --. Usually takes about about 16.5-17.5 gallons. I have 6200 miles and haven't reset my average MPG since I got the car. Currently averaging 24.2 MPG. Everything seems to check out OK. I think the gauges are calibrated to make sure people are more likely to fill up earlier than necessary, rather than after it's too late.

-D'oh!