Gas tank size - 18 or 19 gallons?

66F100

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Well... Above the attachment I typed, "From your Owner's Manual."
Seriously, You can download it here. Saves me a trip out to the garage.
Seriously, I was being sarcastic. 80% of the posts on here are people who won't, don't, or can't read their OWNERS MANUAL.
Sponsored

 

Motorpsychology

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DT444T

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usually you have around 2 gallons left when the gas light comes on in

It comes on when you have 50 miles left at whatever fuel economy you've been averaging over a given time/distance. It's not about a volume, it's a distance.

When I tow, it comes on at a quarter tank because I'm getting 11mpg. It comes on at an 1/8th when I'm driving normally without a trailer.

But always it comes on when it says I have 50 miles to empty.
 

ScrappyLaptop

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actually those pumps are calibrated before being inspected and sealed by the county or state.
We had a 5 gallon can that was tapered at the top with a glass bubble that showed you exactly how much was in the can. After pumps were repaired or replaced we needed t re-calibrate the readout so it would dispense more then 4.5 gal (90%) but less than 5 gallons (100%) so we were within the 10% range. this was to compensate for the thermal expansion characteristics of gasoline.
we were buying fuel at 95deg F from the refinery, but when transfered to underground tank it would cool to about 58deg F and the fuel would condense and he would loose volume.
Just to point out, the citations in that "thermal expansion characteristics of gasoline" are from 1926.
There's a slight chance modern gas may have somewhat different expansion coefficients so I maybe wouldn't use those tables for anything too life-or-death critical?
 

ScrappyLaptop

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It comes on when you have 50 miles left at whatever fuel economy you've been averaging over a given time/distance. It's not about a volume, it's a distance.

When I tow, it comes on at a quarter tank because I'm getting 11mpg. It comes on at an 1/8th when I'm driving normally without a trailer.

But always it comes on when it says I have 50 miles to empty.
Interesting correlation:

What is the longest stretch of road without gas station?
Interstate 70 in eastern Utah. Between the towns of Green River in the east to Salina in the west lies a 105-mile stretch of highway with no towns, and only six exits. There are no gas stations, making this the longest stretch of service-less interstate in the country.
So even if you were just about in the middle of that stretch, you'd likely make it to (or back to) a gas station!
 

ccasanova22

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My supposed 18 or 18.8 gallon tank took 19.5 gallons today, so the tank is probably really a 20 gallon.

Unless the pump I was using was “cheating”

BD08707E-CF10-4BD3-B19E-46E0A5465AD5.jpeg
 

IdahoRanger

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Might be time to call weights and measures to report the station, or

maybe the fuel is going straight into your oil. ?

Wonder how much the filler tube holds?
 

ccasanova22

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I don’t know I don’t keep filling it up past the first or second click to avoid getting the filler tube all full and potentially spilling out.

Also, I’m probably the only one here that doesn’t have fuel dilution. But my drive cycle is typically 1,000 miles round trip or more (state to state)
 

Motorpsychology

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Might be time to call weights and measures to report the station, or

maybe the fuel is going straight into your oil. ?

Wonder how much the filler tube holds?
Rated capacity is 18.8 gallons. Your pump shows 19.5, which is 0.62 gallons over. I doubt that the filler neck would hold 2+quarts, and that would also have meant that you ran the tank absolutely empty, which I believe would be impossible.
I think the pump is rigged slightly. Most people fill at 1/8-1/4 tank indicated remaining or just fill $20 worth and wouldn't discover any discrepancy, but it adds up:

0.62 over actual dispensed shown Ă· 19.5 = 0.031 or ~3% positive error per gal. or 1 actual gal =1.03 gal shown on the pump

Example: pump price $3.50/gal x .031 = ~11¢/gal extra collected each gallon.

Assume that pump dispenses 500 gallons a day: = ~$55 extra profit/day.

Innocent until proven guilty;
It could be a faulty meter in the pump, but many times the franchisee will call Weights & Measures themselves if they discover the reading is pessimistic, rather than optimistic as is this case.
 

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Motorpsychology

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