I feel beyond silly asking this BUT I'm having conflicting reports and real life experience. I bought my 4R this past Saturday and I need clarity lol.

Everywhere I read (searching Internet, looking at the owners manual, and even on here), I see that the gas tank capacity is 23gallons. Ok cool.

Today, I run my car to almost empty, pull into a gas station to fill it for only the second time, and for the second time, the pump stops pumping at 17.8+ gallons. Get in, gauge shows above full.

Soooooooo? Someone please explain lol.




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First off when your fuel light comes on you have roughly 60-100 miles left depending on the vehicle. My last vehicle burned 17 gallons when the light came on and it was a 21.5 gallon tank. Your gauge goes below the E. When you turn off your car that's how low it goes. Even if you're below the E you still have a measurable amount of gas so when you turn it off the gauge goes down some. I used to run mine until it had 1 gallon left lol. The closes I ever came was .3 and when I turned it off the fuel gauge didn't go down. Moral of this is you had more gas left than what the truck led you to believe. It's to prevent people from running out subconsciously


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I've never gotten close to the 23 gallon mark either. I think the biggest refuel we've had is right around the 20 mark.

PED4R is dead on! If you want to confirm you can, when your about empty, grab a can of gas and take a drive until you run out. Best to use a road you are comfortable running out on. I like to know where my vehicles actual run out on my gauge.


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Toyota and other manufacturers are doing you another favor too:

In modern fuel injected cars with the fuel pump and gage in the tank - the fuel pump is cooled by the fuel running through it.

When you really run out of gas the fuel pump rapidly overheats and destroys itself.

You don't even want the expense and trouble of having to replace that expansive item.

When the low fuel indicator comes on -> FILL UP.

Just fill up before a quarter tank. That way you never have to worry about it. And your vehicle and its fuel pump will thank you. Especially this time of year as the fuel pump is cooled by the fuel it is submerged in. Little fuel, little pump cooling.

I usually fill up when my gas needle is in between 1/4 and 1/2 tank. The 4Runner is new to me but I've done it with all my vehicles for multiple reasons. One was mentioned above, the fuel pump. If they're in the tank, that's an expensive repair. Two, if you park on a hill anywhere, depending on where the suction line is, you may have less usable gas to start. I've seen instances where I start facing down or up a hill and once I get on level ground, the gas needle moves. Three, I grew up in Maine and it's never good to leave low fuel in your car on a brutally cold night. And finally, some gas needles on older cars are incorrect. I very embarrassingly ran out of gas at a stop light because my needle showed 1/4 tank, but upon fill up, went way above the full line. Shit happens. And I prefer to not be the one high and dry on the side of the road.

Keep in mind that modern vehicles don't have a bobber so whether you're on a hill or not won't change the needle position.


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I can say for a fact that my '14 has a low fuel light that comes on when my OBC says I have 20 miles left. None of my other vehicles do that. I hate to do anything about it but it sure would have been nice if it was 60-100 miles like the other poster previously stated.

Cosmo Kramer - completely below the slash!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuEdU_lrtZk

What your computer says you have left is far below what you really have. In my Corolla my miles left will say 0 but I can still go 40 miles without worrying. You guys need to quit worrying about these digital games and understand your fuel capacity. Granted yes fuel pumps need the fuel to keep them from overheating but every now and then won't kill them. It's better to know the truth. I promise you that if you run that down to 0 miles until empty you still have at least a gallon left maybe 2.


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Next time my miles says 0 to empty I will take a photo of my odometer and then another right before I fill up. You'd be surprised at what's left..


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Agreed. Just don't want to put a 5 gallon can and test it to be certain. Just bothers me how late the light comes on. My trucks come on at 1/8 of a tank.

Not to cut hairs, but if it's coming on with the needle at 1/8th full, I'd say it's coming on early.

Not really, had three trucks do exactly the same thing. They were all dodges. I think even the owner's manual states 1/8 of a tank.

Now my Runner is a totally different story. I would love it if it would come on with about 50 or so miles left. When I've gotten down to the light, I believe I pumped around 21 or so gallons. It's not my daily driver so I don't really "know" it as well as my beater cars.