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How much gas when reserve light goes on?

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Old Apr 3, 2008 | 08:25 AM
  #1  
alexander stemer's Avatar
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How much gas when reserve light goes on?

With our smallish tanks, I'd guess most drive as long as possible before filling up. My observation based on average mpg displayed, and "miles remaining" suggests that when the instruments tell you "40 miles to go" ,ad you are averaging 20 mpg, there may be 4 gallons left in the tank. In this circumstance today, the car took only 12.5 gallons, should have needed 2 gallons for 40 miles, leaving 2 gallons as a safety margin, unless you can't get a true 16.5 gallons in. It's more than trivial, as this suggests the reserve goes on when you are at one quarter tank left.
Any thoughts? AS
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Old Apr 3, 2008 | 09:19 AM
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Originally Posted by alexander stemer
With our smallish tanks, I'd guess most drive as long as possible before filling up. My observation based on average mpg displayed, and "miles remaining" suggests that when the instruments tell you "40 miles to go" ,ad you are averaging 20 mpg, there may be 4 gallons left in the tank. In this circumstance today, the car took only 12.5 gallons, should have needed 2 gallons for 40 miles, leaving 2 gallons as a safety margin, unless you can't get a true 16.5 gallons in. It's more than trivial, as this suggests the reserve goes on when you are at one quarter tank left.
Any thoughts? AS
Alex,

I'll let my go until the light comes on and then fill it up and let you know what it takes.

Jim
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Old Apr 3, 2008 | 11:10 AM
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My experience has been that it is around 4 gallons as well although if memory serves me correct, I believe the manual states the reserve is 3.2 gals and not 2.
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Old Apr 3, 2008 | 11:52 AM
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i usually go to the max. there's another "reserve" light that comes on if you drive even further. it's actually a picture of the car with a gas pump. i thought that was a cool picture. i've only let that happen twice. at that point, it doesn't even tell you how many miles you have left!!! better fill her up.
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Old Apr 3, 2008 | 01:48 PM
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Yeah, I noticed it comes on with about 1/4 of a tank left. Can definitely go to 0 or below miles remaining and not run out. It is really bad to run out of gas so it is probably best to refill to not let it get below 20 miles to go even though you likely still have 2.5 gallons left. It would have been nice to have a 20 gallon tank instead of just 16.

My Touareg has a 26 gallon tank and usually the refill warning comes on around with about 5 gallons left. So when I try to fill it up with the require premium fuel, it will need 21 or 22 gallons. With gas @ 3.80+ per gallon, the pump always shuts off at a fixed $75 or $80 before the car is actually full. PITA.
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Old Apr 3, 2008 | 06:04 PM
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I ran it to the last bar today and then was able to put in 14.277 gallons. So at the last bar you have approx. 2.25 or gallons left.
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Old Apr 3, 2008 | 07:41 PM
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I've come very close to having virtually no miles left on the calculated range, but the maximum amount that I have put in to refill the tank has been 13.824 Gallons.

JDB
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Old Apr 3, 2008 | 08:47 PM
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I'm affraid to find out how far mine will go. But, I thought you all may be interested to know that I averaged over 18 MPG on the highway from LA to Vegas in my modded BS. I might also add that I was beating the crap out of it and did a couple of 190 mph runs on that trip. I could have averaged 20 mpg if I drove like a normal person. All that emmissions crap I had removed must result in poor fuel milage or something. Maybe somebody needs to bring this up to the government and EPA since we are headed into a recession as well as a serious fuel shortage.
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Old Apr 3, 2008 | 09:14 PM
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not stock.
Originally Posted by SteveL
Yeah, I noticed it comes on with about 1/4 of a tank left. Can definitely go to 0 or below miles remaining and not run out. It is really bad to run out of gas so it is probably best to refill to not let it get below 20 miles to go even though you likely still have 2.5 gallons left. It would have been nice to have a 20 gallon tank instead of just 16.

My Touareg has a 26 gallon tank and usually the refill warning comes on around with about 5 gallons left. So when I try to fill it up with the require premium fuel, it will need 21 or 22 gallons. With gas @ 3.80+ per gallon, the pump always shuts off at a fixed $75 or $80 before the car is actually full. PITA.
Interesting that we share same cars, R170 SLK as well as the Touareg. I know what you mean with the pump shutting off before the tank is completely filled up
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Old Apr 3, 2008 | 09:33 PM
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Originally Posted by OJwerks
Interesting that we share same cars, R170 SLK as well as the Touareg. I know what you mean with the pump shutting off before the tank is completely filled up
Well then now you need to buy a Black Series.
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Old Apr 4, 2008 | 12:00 AM
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Laughable that an allegedly daily-driveable/commutable car delivers some 12MPG....w/a 17gall fuel tank....same absurd stuff as an allegedly daily-useable 997TT/GT2....

Sure, 599 has a 27gall fuel tank...but I doubt most risk/reward-conscious guys would want to be in any F in any collision....

Car cos. need to figure this stuff out; perf is easy to engineer; safety and daily-useability create optimization challenges which differentiate intelligence among auto engineering teams.....it's not that difficult (though will admit, for past 10-20+yrs, doubt any really sharp engineer has chosen to work for a sclerotic auto co., as opposed to a SiliconVy tech co.)....nearly all >500hp cars deliver <12MPG no matter how gently driven....and commutes from SF to SiliconValley or Greenwich to Manhattan or LkForest to Chic are 80mis+ round-trip (intra-BH commutes are thankfully <10mis)......
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Old Apr 4, 2008 | 12:23 AM
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The BS delivers around 18 MPG on Bay area freeways, and that includes a little fun (even around HY 92)!

The P-cars and F-cars, since they are not daily drivers I haven't even checked!

As far as safety, after the Cayenne which we survived, I'd take the MB.
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Old Apr 4, 2008 | 09:57 AM
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Granted I have only about 4500 miles, but I don't think I have a fill-up that averaged below 17. Highway is typically over 19, sometimes about 21.

My post related to the desire to know when I have about 2 gallons left in the tank, and that may be right about the time the range calculator suggests "zero miles". The real uncertainty I have is based on an assumption that the car will actually accept 14.5 gallons when there are 2 gallons left.
If, for example, the car only accepts 13.5 gallons, then my conclusion of when the indicator light comes on is off my 1 gallon (3 instead of 4), so taking the car to a range of zero would leave one gallon in the tank- which is probably too close a call, as highway opportunities could be more than 20 miles apart.
I think the BMW M5 creates an even tighter range window, with a small tank and poor mileage.
My understanding of the cause of the problem is the rules under which cars are tested for economy. I believe the tank must be filled to a portion of its total capacity, which means for the CAFE ratings, a manufacturer is penalized if it puts a big tank in the car. It doesn't matter for Ferrari, but it does matter if you intend to sell hundreds of thousands of C class cars. AS
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Old Apr 4, 2008 | 11:37 AM
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Originally Posted by alexander stemer
Granted I have only about 4500 miles, but I don't think I have a fill-up that averaged below 17. Highway is typically over 19, sometimes about 21.

My post related to the desire to know when I have about 2 gallons left in the tank, and that may be right about the time the range calculator suggests "zero miles". The real uncertainty I have is based on an assumption that the car will actually accept 14.5 gallons when there are 2 gallons left.
If, for example, the car only accepts 13.5 gallons, then my conclusion of when the indicator light comes on is off my 1 gallon (3 instead of 4), so taking the car to a range of zero would leave one gallon in the tank- which is probably too close a call, as highway opportunities could be more than 20 miles apart.
I think the BMW M5 creates an even tighter range window, with a small tank and poor mileage.
My understanding of the cause of the problem is the rules under which cars are tested for economy. I believe the tank must be filled to a portion of its total capacity, which means for the CAFE ratings, a manufacturer is penalized if it puts a big tank in the car. It doesn't matter for Ferrari, but it does matter if you intend to sell hundreds of thousands of C class cars. AS
The most my car has accepted so far with the range at or close to zero was about 14.25 gals which coincides with Fickleones post above of 14.27.
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Old Apr 4, 2008 | 12:01 PM
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I don't even know how to get the range reading, I just watch the bars on the fuel guage.
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Old Apr 4, 2008 | 03:30 PM
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Originally Posted by fickleone
I don't even know how to get the range reading, I just watch the bars on the fuel guage.
It's on the menu with the time of trip, average speed, avg mpg etc data. Just toggle one of the upper left hand buttons. Unless you're yanking my chain., like an old girlfriend who always reacted to an off color joke with "I don't get it, can you explain it to me?" She got it fine, but really like watching me try to explain it. I guess that was funnier. AS
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Old Apr 5, 2008 | 12:01 AM
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Originally Posted by alexander stemer
It's on the menu with the time of trip, average speed, avg mpg etc data. Just toggle one of the upper left hand buttons. Unless you're yanking my chain., like an old girlfriend who always reacted to an off color joke with "I don't get it, can you explain it to me?" She got it fine, but really like watching me try to explain it. I guess that was funnier. AS
Actually you toggle the lower left page button until you get to the assorted data from "start-up", then hit the upper left arrow button twice-first time will give you the data from "reset" and the second time will give you remaining range.
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Old Apr 5, 2008 | 12:26 AM
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Originally Posted by ET550
Actually you toggle the lower left page button until you get to the assorted data from "start-up", then hit the upper left arrow button twice-first time will give you the data from "reset" and the second time will give you remaining range.
Alex

You should feel better now, how the hell would I ever figure that out without reading the manual (and that is not going to happen soon). I think I will stick to reading the fuel guage bars.
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Old Apr 5, 2008 | 01:52 AM
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Somehow, I feel better now. AS
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Old Apr 6, 2008 | 07:06 AM
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On my E63, after the second light comes on, I know I have less than 10 miles to go
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Old Apr 6, 2008 | 12:40 PM
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yep once the pic comes on there is 10 miles range.I have experienced this too many times...scurry stuff
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Old Apr 6, 2008 | 01:49 PM
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depending on how much MPG YOU get in your car. But Every car avg 2.5 gallons when the light comes on. in my e500 i know i have apx 45-50 miles.. dont ask why i know lol.. I always ride til E im so lazy..
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Old Apr 6, 2008 | 03:27 PM
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Originally Posted by juicee63
yep once the pic comes on there is 10 miles range.I have experienced this too many times...scurry stuff
I believe this is the concern of AS. The picture of the fuel pump comes on with 10 miles or less range but the car will accept only 14.25 gallons at the pump when it should be theoretically accepting closer to 16.
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Old Apr 18, 2008 | 06:31 PM
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I waited until the light came on and the miles left said nothing. Filled-up and it took 14.383 gals for the automatic gas nozzle to pop off.
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Old Apr 18, 2008 | 10:59 PM
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Originally Posted by MACHC5
I waited until the light came on and the miles left said nothing. Filled-up and it took 14.383 gals for the automatic gas nozzle to pop off.
Has anyone been able to put in more than that amount in their tank?
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