at Fuel Light...How Long

[BRONZ]

Guys

I am still learning about my 04 DC Taco. Today I wanted to see how far I could go on a tank of gas.

353.6 miles w/o any mods.
The last 15.5 miles with the fuel light on.
Put 16.8 gals. in at the forth click from the gas nozzle so I think I am getting about 20 to 21 mpg.

I was carrying a 2.5 gal fuel can so I could run it close. I would have driven a little longer but the road I was getting to didn't have shoulders if the motor stopped and well that would have sucked.

I did a search but didn't come up with anything. Does the fuel light blink at the very end.




I have a question about a possible brake noise but I will try the search feature first.

 

[MountainBiker]

Guys

I am still learning about my 04 DC Taco. Today I wanted to see how far I could go on a tank of gas.

353.6 miles w/o any mods.
The last 15.5 miles with the fuel light on.
Put 16.8 gals. in at the forth click from the gas nozzle so I think I am getting about 20 to 21 mpg.

I was carrying a 2.5 gal fuel can so I could run it close. I would have driven a little longer but the road I was getting to didn't have shoulders if the motor stopped and well that would have sucked.

I did a search but didn't come up with anything. Does the fuel light blink at the very end.

My '02 Tacoma should function the same as yours in this regard. There is no flashing of the light as you get closer to empty. I've run it all the way to empty with no change in the light. Every gas tank seems to be different as to how much is left (that can be picked up by the pump)when the light comes on, so testing it is the best way to find out if you really want to know.

 

[BogusBlake]

I typically get about 300-310 miles before the gas light comes on and I usually fill up sometime in that range. It'll take right around 16 gallons. I'd say 90% of my driving is on the highway. We pushed it one time on a trip and went close to 360 but I don't remember how much gas I put in after that. I get nervous when I put more than my usual miliage on a tank, but that's a personal problem!

 

[edgear]

I believe the '04 Tacoma DCs have 18.5 gallon fuel tanks. In my 2.5 years of owning one, it seems that the fuel light comes on when there is only about 2-2.5 gallons left. I ran it dry once (on accident), and I do not recall any blinking. Just a solid light.

 

[dieck]

I've never run my 02 taco dry, but I did go 40 miles after the light came on once. I was sweating it, but it never eaven hesitated.

It seems toyota is quite generous on the fuel reserve.

My 2006 sequoia also went 37 miles after the light without issue and it sucks gas.

Guys

I am still learning about my 04 DC Taco. Today I wanted to see how far I could go on a tank of gas.

353.6 miles w/o any mods.
The last 15.5 miles with the fuel light on.
Put 16.8 gals. in at the forth click from the gas nozzle so I think I am getting about 20 to 21 mpg.

I was carrying a 2.5 gal fuel can so I could run it close. I would have driven a little longer but the road I was getting to didn't have shoulders if the motor stopped and well that would have sucked.

I did a search but didn't come up with anything. Does the fuel light blink at the very end.




I have a question about a possible brake noise but I will try the search feature first.

 

[Grim Reaper]

I would avoid running it empty like that. The fuel pump is in the tank and it uses the fuel to help cool it. When you start running the thing on fumes regularly it makes the pump run hotter and that shortens its operating life.

Sucking air doesn’t do it a bit of good. The fuel actually helps lubricate the pump some. I would recommend refueling at ¼ tank. That will help keep the pump cool and avoid it sucking air when off-road.

 

[dieck]

I agree. It wasn't intentional in either vehicle either time. I was sweating it. Nonetheless, good real world data for his question.

I would avoid running it empty like that. The fuel pump is in the tank and it uses the fuel to help cool it. When you start running the thing on fumes regularly it makes the pump run hotter and that shortens its operating life.

Sucking air doesn’t do it a bit of good. The fuel actually helps lubricate the pump some. I would recommend refueling at ¼ tank. That will help keep the pump cool and avoid it sucking air when off-road.

 

[Scott Brady]

When my truck was stock, I could drive another 40 miles after the light came on. I did run it out of gas once and no "blinking". With the Aux. tank I can drive about 620 miles.

 

[kcowyo]

Can't speak for the Tacoma, but I imagine the T100 is similar. When the fuel light comes on I still have 5 gallons left in the tank. Without fail, each time I have filled up right after the light comes on, it takes 19 gallons and I have a 24 gallon tank.

Figuring anywhere from 15-20 MPG, I know I have at least 75 miles left after the light comes on before running dry.

 

[datrupr]

Check the owners manual. On my Trooper it does state that when the fuel light comes on "steady" there is about 2 gallons of fuel left. Mine is a little odd as the fuel light will start to come on intermittantly as I am getting low on fuel. I figure at this point I have about 4 gallons left. I usually get about 310 miles per tank as my fuel light just starts to come on. I have run it with the light on steady for aboout 37 miles before fueling up, and then it took just a hair over 20 gallons to fill a 22.5 gallon tank. I am not sure this will help with your Taco, but my personal experience, and each vehicle is different, as I am sure Scott's is different in his Trooper as well.

 

[Howard70]

04 Tacoma Variable Capacity at Fill Up

With our 2004 in stock configuration we'll usually get 330 - 350 miles before fuel light. Our best "all tank range" was 378 and it took 17.5 gallons to fill.

One thing I've noticed is that the amount of fuel in the tank before a pump cuts off seems extremely variable. While I understand the reasons for not nursing extra fuel into the tank after the first shut off (in terms of excessive atmospheric release of hydrocarbons), I will occasionally try hard to get all the fuel into the tank that I can. Sometimes that has been 0.5 gallons after the first shut off and other times it has been in excess of 2 gallons.

I'm guessing that the temperature and other conditions affect the foaming of the fuel which might affect the shut off at the pump. As long as "Full" could vary between 16 and 18 gallons then the distance we'd get out of tanks will vary a lot simply due to how much fuel we've actually got in the tank (this is on top of all the other variables like driving style, gearing, modifications, fuel quality, etc.).

Does anyone know what actually happens when we try to completely fill the tank. I was once told that nursing gas into the tank by repeated shots after the shut off could divert liquid gasoline into the vent system and the venting emissions canisters. I'd like to know if this is true or not?

Howard L. Snell

 

[BRONZ]

I know it is not a good idea to run it dry but wanted to see or rather have an idea of my range. When I put the first 2.5 gal. in I wanted to see if the fuel gauge moved. No movement after waiting.

With putting 16.8 gals. in the tank that means I had approx. 1.7 gals. still in the tank. I would say 373 miles to be my ulimate max range w/o a load.

Info I will keep in the truck
330 safe max range no load
350 emergency max range no load

I will have to haul some gear and get a max range w/ load data.

 

[MountainBiker]

Can't speak for the Tacoma, but I imagine the T100 is similar. When the fuel light comes on I still have 5 gallons left in the tank. Without fail, each time I have filled up right after the light comes on, it takes 19 gallons and I have a 24 gallon tank.

Figuring anywhere from 15-20 MPG, I know I have at least 75 miles left after the light comes on before running dry.

How do you know you have 24 "usable" gallons in your tank? I hope you aren't counting on the factory specs.