Accuracy of “Miles to Empty” on dashboard

[2020FordRaptor]

So I have taken it down to 5 miles and 6 miles remaining to empty according to my Bronco.

However, the fill up amounts have been different by almost a gallon.

The first time I dropped down to “5 miles to empty” I filled up 21.46 gal. for a 20.8 gal. tank according to the owner’s manual. But it was 100% Highway miles.

Today I filled up with 6miles to empty and only put in 20.667 gallons. But this was combined city highway.

this only 2 datapoints but based on this so far, I feel I can be more aggressive going to 0 miles when in the city, vs doing a cross-country trip.

Without knowing what the absolute max capacity of the Bronco is, I don’t want to push it when “next services” is 100 miles away and the miles to empty says 100 miles

but in the city I feel I can risk going to 0 as long as I know a gas station is only a couple of miles away.

Will be interested if other folks have similar or different datapoints. I know some folks may have a faulty fuel sensor, but for those who have a properly working sensor, if others have gone close to 0 , how much fuel did you put in?

First of all. I wouldn't do this ever. It is bad for the fuel system to go to empty because the engine gets all the dirt from the bottom of the tank.

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[tourproto]

First of all. I wouldn't do this ever. It is bad for the fuel system to go to empty because the engine gets all the dirt from the bottom of the tank.

I don't know you, or your experience with cars. I am a medicore auto mechanic at best, and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn last night. In spite of this, my experience with running low on fuel (but not actually running out of fuel) has not caused me a problem with an Acura (18 years) or BMW (18 years).

Perhaps I have avoided the roulette "00" by pure chance my entire driving life. Or it could be that some myths refuse to die:

https://qr.ae/pvbcd4

Again, this thread wasn't about how bad it was to run a vehicle with low fuel. It was about whether the "miles to empty" calculation was accurate enough to trust if you had to trust it.

 

[Techun]

Aside from the poor soul with a real problem on this board, I think gas gauges were solved decades ago.

Are there really modern cars with inaccurate gas gauges?

 

[Dmorty217]

Man, that is really sucky gas mileage. I can see that you are a 4-door. Are you manual or automatic? 2.3 or 2.7?

Auto 2.3

 

[Easy-v]

So I have taken it down to 5 miles and 6 miles remaining to empty according to my Bronco.

However, the fill up amounts have been different by almost a gallon.

The first time I dropped down to “5 miles to empty” I filled up 21.46 gal. for a 20.8 gal. tank according to the owner’s manual. But it was 100% Highway miles.

Today I filled up with 6miles to empty and only put in 20.667 gallons. But this was combined city highway.

this only 2 datapoints but based on this so far, I feel I can be more aggressive going to 0 miles when in the city, vs doing a cross-country trip.

Without knowing what the absolute max capacity of the Bronco is, I don’t want to push it when “next services” is 100 miles away and the miles to empty says 100 miles

but in the city I feel I can risk going to 0 as long as I know a gas station is only a couple of miles away.

Will be interested if other folks have similar or different datapoints. I know some folks may have a faulty fuel sensor, but for those who have a properly working sensor, if others have gone close to 0 , how much fuel did you put in?

ambient temperature will impact how much space for fuel is in your tank I would think. Colder temps vs hot weather…. Not sure if that would account for enough to impact yourexperiment

 

[TonkaTruck]

 

[swamp2]

Will be interested if other folks have similar or different datapoints. I know some folks may have a faulty fuel sensor, but for those who have a properly working sensor, if others have gone close to 0 , how much fuel did you put in?

Old thread for sure...

I ran my Raptor precisely to 0 mi remaining a couple days ago and filled it to 20.95 gal (stated capacity is 20.8 gal). That matches to 1%.

Quite a few others here on the forum believe that tank holds NO more than its stated capacity... Which is the opposite from any vehicle I've owned.

 

[JohnnyBronco]

Well the spec capacity of the tank does not include the filler neck or lines running to the engine.

Long before most of you young whippersnappers were born the legendary NASCAR crew chief Smokey Yunick installed yards of extra fuel line in his cars, which because they did not have to pit as often garnered further inspection by officials.

I had a 1985 Pontiac STE with digital displays and bars for fuel remaining. As we were almost home I said aloud " wonder what happens when the last bar disappears" no sooner said than bar disappeared and car shut off due to lack of fuel.


But as many have suggested, taking any vehicle down to only dregs remaining can suck up dirt.

The other thing is the fuel pickup tube comes down from top of tank so even when you suck fumes there would still be some inaccessible fuel remaining.

The other other thing is that if you pump cold gas into a hot tank you can pump more fuel by volume. Tank expanded - fuel compressed.. that's a reason to only buy fuel from underground storage and not above ground

 

[KABQ]

There is reserve

 

[BlueBronco]

There is reserve

This is the way.

 

[Billybronc]

None of the fuel info data on any vehicle I have ever owned is even remotely accurate.

It's a guideline and not very accurate.

I've owned 5 different BMWs and all of them were scary accurate.

 

[Brian_B]

What I have noticed, is that if you just look at DTE as a countdown - it's pretty good. You have a good chance of getting stuck when that thing hits 0 miles.

That said, I've also noticed all miles aren't equal, so I don't really look at it as Miles remaining. Which I guess makes sense, it's just going off a running average, and your actual MPG is all over the place when you are driving around (unless you are just on cruise control on the interstate in flat land or something). A full tank will read anywhere from 380 to 320 miles to empty, and a half tank will read anywhere from 120 to 180 miles to empty.

The Fuel Economy on mine is also way optimistic. I'm about 1 - 1.5 mpg lower going by miles/fillup than whatever it says.

 

[zombie]

Most vehicles I've owned, you can drive for probably close to 10 or 20 miles after they say DTE = 0. When I fill up from close to E on the Bronco, it's never close to what the stated fuel capacity is (by several liters)

 

[tock13]

Being from the wonderful state of WA where the tax on gas is criminal...I can't stomach going below 1/2 tank. Seeing $90+ to fill the tank would instantly cause a moment of 'punch the governor' in my head so I play the mental game of making it seem its not all bad by filling at 1/2 tank or so.

 

[TX-Dennis]

I've had mine to zero a couple times. Did not run out of fuel. Ford has indicated in the past that its mileage and distance to empty estimates are based on the average of the last 500 miles driven. If that is still true, then you'll be okay to take it to 0 if your current driving closely matches your 500 mile average.

My own experience with 2 Broncos, 3 other Fords, and 2 Lincolns is that I've always had between a gallon and two gallons left when the dash says zero.

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