Gas Tank Size?

I can hear mine gurgle when it stops pumping. Also, you should never try and top off your tank if you have a later (99+) 3rd gen due to damaging the charcoal filter. This will cause you to have a CEL come on and is difficult to fix. I know that a new charcoal canister is expensive and used ones aren't cheap either.
 
larrylegend said:
you should never try and top off your tank if you have a later (99+) 3rd gen due to damaging the charcoal filter. This will cause you to have a CEL come on and is difficult to fix. I know that a new charcoal canister is expensive and used ones aren't cheap either.
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Good point. I promise, I will NEVER try to get more in after it clicks off!
 
larrylegend said:
I can hear mine gurgle when it stops pumping. Also, you should never try and top off your tank if you have a later (99+) 3rd gen due to damaging the charcoal filter. This will cause you to have a CEL come on and is difficult to fix. I know that a new charcoal canister is expensive and used ones aren't cheap either.
Click to expand...

OH SH!T. well, good thing thats not one of my codes (yet). I'll be sure not to do that again.
 
The tank has a huge "dogleg" in it, I wouldn't be surprised if it held at least half a gallon. It also gurgles and burbles and spits fuel back.

FWIW I always top off my tank and haven't had any problems, but I may now stop at the second or third "click." Some gas stations have very sensitive "shut off" mechanisms (designed to prevent fuel spills, I'm sure.)

At my preferred station I can typically go at least 1 - 1.5 gallons after the first click, so I know the tank's not full. In some stations, from a nearly empty tank, the fuel shuts off at 13.5 gallons and if I'm careful I can put another 2.5 gallons in.

Also last time I filled I put about 18.2 gallons in. :eek:

The most I've ever put in. What happened was that the low fuel light came on, as usual, around 260 miles and I ignored it. Drove around for several days and after I got to around 300 I finally chickened out and put in about 2 gallons. Drove for another 30 miles or so (with the low fuel light on the whole time) and then filled it with the 18.2 gallons.

I'll never let it get that low again.
 
Martinjmpr said:
The tank has a huge "dogleg" in it, I wouldn't be surprised if it held at least half a gallon. It also gurgles and burbles and spits fuel back.

FWIW I always top off my tank and haven't had any problems, but I may now stop at the second or third "click." Some gas stations have very sensitive "shut off" mechanisms (designed to prevent fuel spills, I'm sure.)

At my preferred station I can typically go at least 1 - 1.5 gallons after the first click, so I know the tank's not full. In some stations, from a nearly empty tank, the fuel shuts off at 13.5 gallons and if I'm careful I can put another 2.5 gallons in.

Also last time I filled I put about 18.2 gallons in. :eek:

The most I've ever put in. What happened was that the low fuel light came on, as usual, around 260 miles and I ignored it. Drove around for several days and after I got to around 300 I finally chickened out and put in about 2 gallons. Drove for another 30 miles or so (with the low fuel light on the whole time) and then filled it with the 18.2 gallons.

I'll never let it get that low again.
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Just because nothing has happened yet doesn't mean you aren't destroying it already. The point isn't that the tank isn't completely full when the pump clicks off, the point is we don't know how much more for every fill is ok before you have overfilled it. When you have standard fuel pump shutoffs, and standard fuel systems, it is best to use them the way they are intended.

I am willing to bet that Toyota has looked at how full the tank actually is when filled by industry standard fuel shutoffs. There are more factors to the design than just the straight capacity.

I can't see any way that the extra little bit of fuel is worth risking some expensive components. Driving through the sahara and not wanting to run out of fuel, fine, but no where in the US warrants this practice.
 
After reading this thread I realized my fuel gauge is way off. I always fill up at a quarter tank and the most I have ever put in is 11 gallons. Maybe my fuel sending unit needs to be replaced.
 
Yeah, I am trying to learn just how much I have left once the fuel light comes on. I think it is somewhere in the 100-120 miles range (assuming you were to run it til it died). I have gotten 80+ a couple times after the light came on. This last time, I felt a little sputter, so flipped a quick U and filled up, only filled up about 17.2 gallons; not even my biggest fill.

Sadly the TSB expired, so I can't get this fixed. According to the TSB it actually looked like a pretty expensive and labor intensive fix for something so small. Really stinks because my VIN is definitely in the range for for the TSB.
 
The filter doesn't totally go down to the bottom of the tank, there's a little space (maybe an inch or so) which makes it so the last 1 or 2 gallons can't be sucked up ever. That's why you can only put in about 17 gallons at the most on our 18.5 gallon tank.
 
is it possible to put a bigger tank on a 3rd gen 2000? i used to own a suburban with a 40 gallon tank. i'm not looking to put that big of a tank on the T4R, but maybe 20-25 would be nice. i don't know if my gauge is messed up, but my mpg doesn't seem to good. maybe i'm just a leadfoot. har har har.
 
My gauge most be shot :gun4:. I fill up every 240 miles 14 gallons, light comes on and gauge is at zero at this point. If I could keep going for another 3 gallons or 51 miles thats another day back and forth to work. Man thats the first time I checked my MPG 17 is terrible. What do you do?
 
.Yukon. said:
My gauge most be shot :gun4:. I fill up every 240 miles 14 gallons, light comes on and gauge is at zero at this point. If I could keep going for another 3 gallons or 51 miles thats another day back and forth to work. Man thats the first time I checked my MPG 17 is terrible. What do you do?
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Not much you can do. 17 is pretty normal and even a bit better than average for running a lift and 285s. Regearing to 4.88s would help mpgs, but only by ~2. Other than that, drive slower.
 
.Yukon. said:
My gauge most be shot :gun4:. I fill up every 240 miles 14 gallons, light comes on and gauge is at zero at this point. If I could keep going for another 3 gallons or 51 miles thats another day back and forth to work. Man thats the first time I checked my MPG 17 is terrible. What do you do?
Click to expand...

Well, two things:

1. 17 is not terrible. It's not great but it's within the normal range.

2. You have 285s? Have you corrected for tire size? Bigger tires will cause your odometer to under-report miles driven which will make your MPG seem less. If you haven't corrected for miles, my guess is you're probably getting closer to 18.5 or 19 which is about what I got on my Tacoma with its 3.4/5 speed combo.
 
Yep, running 285's and for some reason the thought of getting the ODO adjusted never crossed my mine. Anyone know a place in Denver?
 
Drove 15mi home last night with gas light on.

Drove probably 4 mi round trip to dinner last night with gas light on.

Drove 15mi to work this morning, needle a good eighth inch or more below E.

Really wanted to get the Giant Eagle gas to use my discount but did throw a full two gallon can in the truck before I left this morning for insurance.

MADE IT! And she took 18.2 gallons...whew! Never seen the gauge that low, crazy.
 
There was a TSB awhile back for the fuel gauge for 99-00

Electrical EL010-99 99 & 00 4Runner

Vehicle has to be sitting on a level surface with an inclination of +/- 0.5 degrees.

1.With the ignition switch in the Off position, press and hold the trip speedometer reset button.
2. Continue pressing the reset button while turning the ignition switch to the On position.
3. Within 5 seconds of turning the ignition switch On, release the trip switch, press trip switch 3 times and on the 3rd press, hold the switch for 5 seconds. The buzzer will sound for 1 second at 800HZ.
4. After the buzzer stops, release the trip switch.
5.Press the trip switch one more time and hold for 5 seconds. Once more the buzzer will sound for 1 second at 800HZ.
 
.Yukon. said:
Yep, running 285's and for some reason the thought of getting the ODO adjusted never crossed my mine. Anyone know a place in Denver?
Click to expand...

I have no idea where to get it done or how much it will cost but really it isn't neccessary. All you have to do is come up with a coefficient number and then calculate your MPG based on that.

For example, when compared with the GPS my 4runner under-reports miles driven by 3.2%. So I just multiply the miles x 1.032 and it gives me the correct miles driven.

Easiest way to get your "number" is to get your GPS, set the trip meter to zero, then set the trip meter on your 4runner to zero. Now drive ~100 miles. At the end of it, compare the two. The GPS will probably show higher miles.

Then take the difference between the two readings, and divide it by the reading on the odometer. That will give you the conversion factor you need to use to convert your odometer to the "true" miles driven.

Sounds complicated but it's not: Lets say you set both to zero. Then you drive 110.6 miles as indicated on the GPS. The odometer reads 102.3. Difference is 8.3. Now take 8.3 and divide by 102.3. That's a .081 or 8.1% error.

Now when you fill up, just take the odometer reading and multiply by 1.081. That will give you actual miles driven (plug that into the above numbers and you'll see that is is correct: 102.3 x 1.081 = 110.58 which is "close enough" to 110.6 for an MPG calculation.)

Your number may change slightly as your tires wear but, again, it should be close enough for an MPG calculation until/unless you change tires.
 
ALBPM said:
There was a TSB awhile back for the fuel gauge for 99-00

Electrical EL010-99 99 & 00 4Runner

Vehicle has to be sitting on a level surface with an inclination of +/- 0.5 degrees.

1.With the ignition switch in the Off position, press and hold the trip speedometer reset button.
2. Continue pressing the reset button while turning the ignition switch to the On position.
3. Within 5 seconds of turning the ignition switch On, release the trip switch, press trip switch 3 times and on the 3rd press, hold the switch for 5 seconds. The buzzer will sound for 1 second at 800HZ.
4. After the buzzer stops, release the trip switch.
5.Press the trip switch one more time and hold for 5 seconds. Once more the buzzer will sound for 1 second at 800HZ.
Click to expand...

Is this suppose to fix the gas gauge? Do on full or empty?
 
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