For those that like to test the fuel gauge accuracy...

[DukeCanBuildit]

Ok.
Well.... on behalf of my dealership and I, I'd like to preemptively apologize to anyone purchasing a new Ford for negatively impacting the cost of your new vehicle. I'd also like to extend my heartfelt apologies to all Ford employees for personally eating into your raises, bonuses, and margins. I had no idea my fuel pump would have a global impact. I'll do better next time.

Oh, it’s not about you.

It’s about the dealer and it leaves me to wonder how often they do this to ensure revenue when faced with jobs where customers could balk at the cost and do it on their own with used or aftermarket parts. Faced with making nothing on the parts or labour, they submit a BS warranty claim.

?

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[ccasanova22]

Mine must be overly conservative then. I’ve had it show “0” miles remaining and was still 23 miles to a gas station, or I could have turned back and gone 26. I proceeded to the 23 and it still had enough gas to wait in line at the station and move pumps (the pump I waited for wasn’t reading cards properly). So at least on my Ranger, 0 miles means 23+ remaining without running out of fuel.

No, not recommended, but I was not sure where I was and didn’t expect 50 miles between gas stations.

 

[Squatchranger]

Ok.
Well.... on behalf of my dealership and I, I'd like to preemptively apologize to anyone purchasing a new Ford for negatively impacting the cost of your new vehicle. I'd also like to extend my heartfelt apologies to all Ford employees for personally eating into your raises, bonuses, and margins. I had no idea my fuel pump would have a global impact. I'll do better next time.

We can give u a pass this time, but be careful you are on thin ice with duke lmao

 

[Squatchranger]

Mine must be overly conservative then. I’ve had it show “0” miles remaining and was still 23 miles to a gas station, or I could have turned back and gone 26. I proceeded to the 23 and it still had enough gas to wait in line at the station and move pumps (the pump I waited for wasn’t reading cards properly). So at least on my Ranger, 0 miles means 23+ remaining without running out of fuel.

No, not recommended, but I was not sure where I was and didn’t expect 50 miles between gas stations.

I think his is too, he just went well past the 0 lol

 

[ccasanova22]

I think his is too, he just went well past the 0 lol

Going by his post, 50 miles past “E” or 0 miles on the display is probably like 2-2.5 gallons. I’m ok with a 2 gallon reserve, but it’s not forever lol

 

[jblc]

As the title suggests, if you like to see just how accurate your fuel gauge is or see how much further you can go after the low fuel light comes on, I'd recommend you don't. I returned home from work one evening and the fuel light had illuminated more than 50 miles prior to returning home. I was literally on fumes as a pulled into the driveway but as I live 300ft from a fuel station, I wasn't worried. Next day, the truck started normally and I roll into the fuel station. As I'm pulling around the pumps, the truck dies but I coast to a stop right in front of my pump. I'm thinking "cool...this never happens!". So, I top off the tank, start the truck....it runs for about 3 seconds and dies. I figure there's no fuel in the line so I cycle the key about 5 times to pressurize the line with fuel. Try to start the truck...no dice. It won't start at all. A quick check of the FP relay yields no success......still won't start. Getting to the point.....a $225 tow to the dealership and a new low pressure fuel pump later, I've learned a valuable lesson.....when the fuel light comes on, put fuel in the tank. Turns out the fuel pump is pulling enough current that it needs cooled by the fuel running through it. No fuel = overheated pump motor = dead pump. Thankfully, my dealership covered all this under warranty which, incidentally, ran out about 12,000 miles ago so, it could've been much worse financially.

Wow, I'm surprised; thanks for sharing. Surprised because that means the fuel tank is effectively even smaller than the already-small 18 gallon tank (if we can never use the last 50 miles)

 

[RedDakooter05]

Ironically the last time i had a fuel pump go out was right at the gas pump... after putting 19 gallons in the tank....


Anyway, yes always keep some fuel in the tank. Fuel acts as a coolant for the pump.

 

[Cmar]

Had a similar situation happen a few months ago when we were heading out to the Big Red Bash music festival at Birdsville - allegedly according to the promoters the most remote music festival in the world. Over here the fuel warning light comes on at 80 KM remaining. We were almost at Birdsville but there was still about 40 Km to go and I was towing a moderately heavy caravan and the road is gravel / dirt.
Previous last fuel stop was Windorah almost 400 Km behind us and I just knew that the guy / idiot at the pump pulled the nozzle at the first click, which those of you who use diesel will know is usually a long way short of full, due to the way diesel foams up when filling.

Well I immediately pulled over and topped up from my jerry can because if you destroy the in tank fuel pump the only outcome is a $1,000+ traytop retrieval back to civilisation for a new pump, and if you manage to destroy the high pressure diesel rail pump as well, that a a muti $K repair as the high pressure pump, all five piezo injectors, the HP fuel rail, all the lines, the intank pump, must be replaced, and the tank removed and carefully cleaned due to the metal filings wihich will contaminate the entire fuel system. All these parts are lubricated and cooled by the diesel fuel alone. Never, ever, ever, run it dry!!!

This is the back side of modern common rail diesel engines. - Note there IS a pressure switch which is supposed to kill the power before any of this happens, but they've been known to fail or cut in too late.
I might add that on the return trip when I actually filled my tank in Birdaville to the brim myself, I easily made it back to Windorah for a refill despite a rain systerm going through in the mean time and turning the return trip into a fun 4x4 expedition.

 

[Friday yet?]

I'm uncomfortable even reading this thread. Almost sweating just reading some of your comments.

If I am on my home turf I might let a vehicle get down to 1/4 tank. If I am on a road trip.... when it dips below 1/2 I'm thinking "gas." By the time that needle is clearly below 1/2 tank I am stopping for gas. On the road and that needle hits 1/4.... "Holy shit I need gas now." Period.

I was on the road yesterday on a work trip. Early yesterday morning my Ranger was just under 3/4 tank. Came up to a Shell station not open yet (again, it was early) but pumps were active. I stopped and filled up just so I didn't have to worry about it any more during the trip.

And yes I did LOVE driving my Tremor yesterday.

 

[Squatchranger]

Wow, I'm surprised; thanks for sharing. Surprised because that means the fuel tank is effectively even smaller than the already-small 18 gallon tank (if we can never use the last 50 miles)

Not at all, the light goes off at 50 miles range and if he was well past 50 miles from home it means that he had over 18 gallons of total fuel capacity seeing as he made it home and to the gas station

 

[Grandaccess]

I havent run mine out yet but have gone 25 miles Past the 0 to empty a few times
if I average 21 mpg (so it says) I should get 360 out of an 18 gal tank?
My Explorer and a toyota I use to have got over 500 miles per tank, I wish this had a little bigger tank!

 

[Jason B]

I've gotten down to 25 miles, then filled up with 18 gallons. on a tank that supposedly holds 18.8, so I don't know how accurate the guage is.

 

[Trustable]

Probably.
I've never run any of my FI vehicles this low before so....I'm truly the idiot that learned a lesson the hard way. I usually fill back up at the second light (25miles) but I thought I'd be a smartass and push the test button. Definitely won't do that shit again!

Wow I never even knew that was a concern. Sorry that happened but I’m glad you shared it, as I can’t be the only one who didn’t realize that was a possibility. Only fuel related thing I know is that if my diesel tractor (all diesels??) runs dry it’s a huge PITA. I’ve ran my ranger down to 10-15 but when I filled up I always have a gallon in the tank. Same with my old focus - but the gas gauge on that was not great. First 100 miles needle wouldn’t move. Then it would drop to 3/4.

 

[Cmar]

Wow I never even knew that was a concern. Sorry that happened but I’m glad you shared it, as I can’t be the only one who didn’t realize that was a possibility. Only fuel related thing I know is that if my diesel tractor (all diesels??) runs dry it’s a huge PITA. I’ve ran my ranger down to 10-15 but when I filled up I always have a gallon in the tank. Same with my old focus - but the gas gauge on that was not great. First 100 miles needle wouldn’t move. Then it would drop to 3/4.

Running any diesel dry is a big no no as you are faced with a PITA fuel bleeding process to get all the air out and a solid slug of diesel back to the pump and injectors. It usually wasn't a tragedy with the old style in-line injector pumps as they had their own lubrication systems. Bosch "rotary" style pumps and old style mechanical injectors might or might not be damaged they did rely on diesel for both cooling and lubrication but had sloppier tolerances than modern HP common rail pumps and injectors.
A common rail pump run dry is almost certainly scrap either immediately or soon after. When it dies it will send metal filings on to the injectors and kill them too, and because modern HP injectors have a high bypass rate (use diesel for cooling) the injectors will then send filings back to the tank as well which will kill your in tank pump.

 

[ccasanova22]

The tank is actually 20 gallons. The 0 miles remaining starts around 18-19 gallons depending on a few factors.

I’ve easily went 15 miles past 0 while towing (again, due to no gas stations in sight, I don’t make this a habit) and only put in 19.6 gallons.

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