How far can you go on empty?

[mugatu22]

Glad to know I'm not the only one with this deal. Just posted about it in the "fuel gauge" thread...

My '96 falls on Empty yet only takes 14-15 gallons per fill up. At least there's a safety margin built in...I guess!

 

[rytard]

I've gone as far as 40 miles after my light's come on before filling up. Like everyone else, if I fill up right when the light comes on, it usually accepts about 15 gallons.
This all makes sense: 18.5 gallon tank - 15 gallon fill up = 3.5 gallons left when the light comes on. I get about 18 mpg, so I could probably drive up to 60 miles after the light came on before I'd run out.
BTW, I seem to get better mileage if I fill up around half a tank vs. when I fill up when it's nearly empty. Or maybe it's all in my head.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

I felt i was really running mine down last week and actually thougth I was going to run out of gas and when I filled it up it just barely hit 16 so I was at least fine for another 10 miles or so but that's cutting it close. My average fillup is usually about 14.8-15.2 gallons.

 

[gimpey03]

you have to realize that one of the larger recalls related to the 3rd Gen was the fuel gauge/sending unit. Have you ever noticed going to sleep with half a tank and waking up with 3/4 or 1/4 of a tank in the morning? Granted this doesn't effect all 4Runners of this time, but a lot of them. Go figure. Mine does it all the time, but somehow when I'm low it reads correctly, same when it's full, just not inbetween. :beer: <-- it's kinda like that

Youre exactly right, my 99 SR5 with man trans does the same thing, at first its annoying but i got used to it, i just fill up when it reads 1/4 left on the gauge regardless if its the right reading.

 

[peter78]

Anyone have any experience as far how much gas is left after the empty line on the fuel gauge?

I know the gauges are different in different years, but when my light goes on in my 2001 it usually takes 16.6 gallons. Since I have a 18.5 gallon tank I figure I could go another 30 miles. I have pushed it another 20 miles and when I filled up, it was 17.8 gallons. The gauge was below the E. I figured it was really low then.

Bottom line, when the light goes on I figure I have a good 15 miles on the safe side.

 

[gapboi210]

Run it dry, but have a small tank with gas just in case.

good way to burn up a fuel pump