fuel warning accuracy

[lobsta11]

Today I filled up when the warning said that I had 26 miles to empty & I've been getting 19.7 mpg. It took 16.8 gals. so that says to me I have a SLIGHT bit of leeway with the miles to empty.
Al

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[Radioman]

Hi Al:

Search for "How accurate is gas guage?" on this site.

A lot of info there.

 

[DHare]

I explains it in the manual I believe.

 

[Deleted member 1634]

The truck will always give some buffer because there are those idiots who drain it right down to 0 and would get mad if it cut out immediately. I always go with the thought that when the light comes on I've got 2 gallons of useful fuel left. Seemed to work for me so far on all my vehicles. I don't usually get that low though. Winters I don't let it get below half tank most times (for various reasons), and the rest of the year not below a quarter tank. Just in case.

Not many numbers the truck gives you will be incredibly accurate. If you go in knowing that they're more guidelines and reference values, then it makes everything a lot easier.

 

[Motorpsychology]

Not many numbers the truck gives you will be incredibly accurate. If you go in knowing that they're more guidelines and reference values, then it makes everything a lot easier.

I had an '84 Tempo I bought used and it would run bone dry while still showing the needle covering about the top half of the Empty line. Every other vehicle I've had would run a pretty fair distance with the needle below the Empty line. But I, too now fill up at a quarter tank minimum-haven walked down the shoulder with a gas can since!

 

[ShadowKeeper]

My low fuel light came on with the line still touching the underside of a 1/4 tank line. I was like wtf it’s still got about a 1/4 tank and I’m almost out of fuel. Getting 18.2 mpg

 

[Motorpsychology]

My low fuel light came on with the line still touching the underside of a 1/4 tank line. I was like wtf it’s still got about a 1/4 tank and I’m almost out of fuel. Getting 18.2 mpg

Sometimes going around a curve or parking with the right wheels on a low shoulder in my Escape
when it is about 1/8 full will trigger the low fuel light; same on my bike when it's low on fuel.
The only way to be sure is fill it up and determine how much fuel you put in vs the fuel tank's capacity (18 gal). Maybe @P. A. Schilke knows, but low fuel warnings seem to be calibrated for about a 50-mile reserve or around 2 gallons remaining.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Sometimes going around a curve or parking with the right wheels on a low shoulder in my Escape
when it is about 1/8 full will trigger the low fuel light; same on my bike when it's low on fuel.
The only way to be sure is fill it up and determine how much fuel you put in vs the fuel tank's capacity (18 gal). Maybe @P. A. Schilke knows, but low fuel warnings seem to be calibrated for about a 50-mile reserve or around 2 gallons remaining.

Hi Chris,

I do not really know for the 5G Ranger specifically, but the light should trigger with a margin to get you to fill up before you hit a true empty so the motor does not lean out as it runs out of fuel and start melting the catalyst.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[RedlandRanger]

Hi Chris,

I do not really know for the 5G Ranger specifically, but the light should trigger with a margin to get you to fill up before you hit a true empty so the motor does not lean out as it runs out of fuel and start melting the catalyst.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

My warning has come on a couple of times and both times it came on with EXACTLY 50 miles of estimated range left. There seems to be a reasonably good margin of error there as well. I don't typically run it that low. These days I've been filling up at half a tank since I'm not driving a whole lot.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

My warning has come on a couple of times and both times it came on with EXACTLY 50 miles of estimated range left. There seems to be a reasonably good margin of error there as well. I don't typically run it that low. These days I've been filling up at half a tank since I'm not driving a whole lot.

Hi Rob,

I have never run mine down to there either...seem to always fill up somewhere between ½ and ¼ Tank.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[AzScorpion]

My warning has come on a couple of times and both times it came on with EXACTLY 50 miles of estimated range left. There seems to be a reasonably good margin of error there as well. I don't typically run it that low. These days I've been filling up at half a tank since I'm not driving a whole lot.

We were driving home from dinner last night and mine just went off at exactly 50 miles too. I've run it down even lower a couple times to see how accurate it is just in case I ever get stuck somewhere low on gas I'll have a good idea on the accuracy.

 

[Hardy12000]

My low fuel light came on with the line still touching the underside of a 1/4 tank line. I was like wtf it’s still got about a 1/4 tank and I’m almost out of fuel. Getting 18.2 mpg

It gives the initial warning at 50 miles to E. On basically all ford products. You still have a few miles after you hit zero, but nobody really knows how many.

Those who found out were never heard from again

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