Damn Gas Gauge!!! (ran out of gas)

syphon · Post by **syphon** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 5:06 am

So I ran out of gas today.

The trip meter said 252 miles.

The gas light did NOT light up... until after the car had died.

I've run the car up to 290 miles before (with the same type of driving, some freeway, mostly city driving).

How big is my gas tank anyway? ('93 Turbo Legacy). I always put in around 13 gallons when I fill it. i assumed it was 13.5 or something.

Subaru_Nation555 · Post by **Subaru_Nation555** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 5:19 am

I believe its 15.9 gallons.

Subaru_Nation555 · Post by **Subaru_Nation555** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 5:20 am

My gauge reads well below the empty mark and the light is on around 13-13.5 gallons

syphon · Post by **syphon** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 5:25 am

Yeah, my gauge was barely below the E.

entirelyturbo · Post by **entirelyturbo** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 5:30 am

290 miles??? I made it past 360 once before I ran out...

Them turbos are thirsty!

dscoobydoo · Post by **dscoobydoo** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:17 am

LMAO- 290 miles, you drive like I do. Try keeping your foot off the gas more.

My light comes on when I have about 1.5 gallons left. Your sensor might be about the same, and when you have a lead foot and slosh, it may have been just enough to starve it

legacy92ej22t · Post by **legacy92ej22t** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 3:12 pm

I've ran mine pretty far under the empty mark, and had the light on, without running out of gas. My light comes on just before the empty mark and will stay on. I can drive another few days to work and back (about 35 miles round trip) without running out too.

tris91ricer · Post by **tris91ricer** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:22 pm

huh.. that means i'm really fuel inefficient.. that sucks. I can get maybe 150 miles per tank.. does the 4EAT literally EAT that much gas?

AWD_addict · Post by **AWD_addict** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 8:40 pm

'91 was the first year of the 15.9 gal tank, I believe. Wish I had that 300+ mile range...

scottzg · Post by **scottzg** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 8:47 pm

my 90 fsm states that the fuel tank is 15.9 gallons.

I go ~350 miles a tank, if i run it real low and drive somewhat sanely.

syphon · Post by **syphon** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 8:55 pm

I'm really suspicious of this occurance... since I've run a lot more miles under very similar driving. I once got it to 290 miles before I filled it, and the needle was lower than this.

On a highway trip, I put about 310 miles on a tank.

Whenever I fill it, I put in a max of 13 gallons, which made me believe I havent been running the needle low enough.

scottzg · Post by **scottzg** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:42 pm

I suspect the fuel pickup is not at the bottom; ive never been able to put more than 14 gallons in, and ive run out of fuel twice.

Brat4by4 · Post by **Brat4by4** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 10:35 pm

Were you going up a steep hill when it ran out? And it is also possible that the baffles have gotten damaged in some your tanks that lets it starve of gas from sloshing.

I have found that the gas light turns on intermittently with about 3 gallons left. The light will stay on solid with 2 gallons or less. Don't push it too far past this (20 easy highway miles at the most). The turbo has enough torque that it will lift the front end high enough and long enough to start starving for fuel. I did this one time when I had to get somewhere by a certain time. Could barely touch the gas before it would start to hesitate. No gas = very lean = very very bad.

And you guys do know that you are putting a lot stress on the fuel pump because it uses the fuel to cool the pump motor, right?

Post by **Legacy777** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 4:27 am

The fuel tanks are all 15.9 gallons.

The fuel pump pickup does site at the bottom of the tank. It may not be the exact lowest spot in the tank though.

I still wouldn't run it that low. I think the most I've put in mine is around 13 gallons

THAWA · Post by **THAWA** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 5:50 am

im usually lucky to get 250 miles on a tank

BAC5.2 · Post by **BAC5.2** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 6:38 am

I get 220 miles max before the light comes on. I try to keep it at least 1/2 full for the very reason that William said. It's good for pump life

dzx · Post by **dzx** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 12:18 pm

I got a bit over 330 miles for a half tank of gas on the way through nebraska this last summer. Then i got suspicous because it hadn't moved in forever so i stopped at a gas station and sure enough it was really close to empty. Thank god i had the presense of mind to stop and check it would have really sucked to have been out of gas in western nebraska, the middle of nowhere.

syphon · Post by **syphon** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 6:21 pm

Brat4by4 wrote:Were you going up a steep hill when it ran out? And it is also possible that the baffles have gotten damaged in some your tanks that lets it starve of gas from sloshing.

I was facing DOWN a steep hill actually. It died as I was at a stoplight on a steep down-hill.

jamal · Post by **jamal** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 2:18 pm

I came really close to running out a month or so ago in San Francisco. I only had like 230 miles on the trip meter. I was pretty surprised but I figured that with the way I drove up to SF and the fact that my tires were a little low, it worked out to be about right. I would have liked to have filled up but the only place I could find was an Arco and they don't take my debit card.
The last tank I filled I put in 10.8 gallons after 270 miles. I was very impressed, especially since all those miles were done driving 80-90 mph.

Brat4by4 · Post by **Brat4by4** » Mon Nov 08, 2004 3:36 pm

The best mileage I ever got was driving ummm... lets just say "quick" following traffic in a state that I will not mention. Snowboarded was with me, he knows. I actually turned 300 miles on a tank before the light turned on... and we made pretty dang good time.

I learned a lot about my car that weekend. Stupid beaurocratic speed limits really hamper what my car wants to do.

snowboarded · Post by **snowboarded** » Thu Nov 11, 2004 7:59 pm

Ahh good times. Fun state, whacked out people.
I average 270 highway and city mix.

But yesterday my gas light came on at 1/4 tank and came on again every 15 miles. Thats not normal is it?

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Damn Gas Gauge!!! (ran out of gas)

Damn Gas Gauge!!! (ran out of gas)