Jump to content

DIC...mileage to empty

flyboyron

Recommended Posts

flyboyron Enthusiast

flyboyron

Posted
Posted

I hardly ever run my truck below 1/4 tank, because I know it could over a period of years damage the fuel pump.

 

So last week, I had some major surgery and different things, I didn't get to put gas in the truck and I was late for a doctors appointment. Wouldn't you know it?

 

So I check the DIC and it says how many miles I should be able to go til empty.

So when it got down to below 49 or 45 miles, it then said something like "Fuel Level Low". and there were no more numbers.

 

I did not know when exactly the fuel light came on.

I was shaking in my shoes fearing I would run out of gas.

 

I don't think this thing is too accurate and really don't use it much, but I was wondering after I filled it up, it only took around 20 gallons. I believe the tank is 26 and I didn't know how much gas I would actually have to put in but thought it would be more than that. I have the 09 Extended cab with the 6.5ft bed.

 

What is the most gas you guys have put in running it down to the lower end of the guage?

travis73 Enthusiast

travis73

Posted
Posted

I did that once,got the same message you did but I put 24 gallons in the truck after running it about 20 miles after I got the message.

nickvrebel Senior Enthusiast

nickvrebel

Posted
Posted

1. the fuel gauges are notoriously inaccurate

2. the DIC attempts to calculate miles left until empty, however it stops estimating when fuel reaches below a certain level. This is precautionary, as stated before, the fuel level sensor/ gauge is not a precise measuring tool.

3. Your distance to empty can vary greatly depending on driving conditions, it's all from average fuel economy. If you monitor your instant fuel economy numbers you will see how your get significantly less economy when accelerating or going uphill.

4. I like making lists

mc7719 Enthusiast

mc7719

Posted
Posted

Unfortunately I have run it down to near-empty (no I dont make a habit of it) It was some miscalculations on my part, failure to plan between gas stops (roadtrip in unpopulated areas), all while towing a 6000lb travel trailer.

 

Needless to say I was white-knuckling it PRAYING I'd make it to the next gas station.. The "KM left to empty" changed to "Fuel Level Low" and watching the tripometer I drove to within 10 km of empty I figure (For example, the numbers disappeared at, say, 45 km left to empty, and I drove 35 km more) It was pretty tense, and not something I'd recommend lol The tank took about 92L to fill, on a 98L tank.

 

Now I start looking for gas stations when I hit 1/4 tank.

DV93 Enthusiast

DV93

Posted
Posted

2002 5.3L Suburban. Fuel Light came on. Drove for a few more miles & put 27 gallons into 31 gallon tank. The pump auto shut off occurred at 26.?? gallons; squeezed in more to make 27.

This is typical. Fuel Light, dive less than ten miles, then put in 25.?? To 26.?? Gallons.

How much of the 4-5 gallons can be used?

At 15 mpg that should give me 60 more miles after Fuel Light.

Also my engine is Flex Fuel yet I have NEVER used the E85.

 

 

 

 

 

brainpause Enthusiast

brainpause

Posted
Posted

According to aCar (my Droid app that I love), my max fillup was 25.82 gal on a 26 gal tank. My average fillup is 20.22.

 

That said, I will usually fill it up when it says Low Fuel. Unpopulated areas aren't a problem for me. But it may go a month or six weeks between fillups, so I don't want a bunch of old gas sitting there.

69camarorag Enthusiast

69camarorag

Posted
Posted

As far as I know, the statement of not running fuel low and damaging the pump has not been valid since the 99 and up truck. All the fuel passes thru the pump, so it is always cooled.

Morgan1986 Senior Enthusiast

Morgan1986

Posted
Posted

As far as I know, the statement of not running fuel low and damaging the pump has not been valid since the 99 and up truck. All the fuel passes thru the pump, so it is always cooled.

 

I would think the bottom gas would have a bunch of crud around it . Any sediment or dirt or rust will be at the bottom I think and most pumps I see (not fuel pumps) are always siting about 3 and half inches off the bottom .
txab Senior Enthusiast

txab

Posted
Posted

As far as I know, the statement of not running fuel low and damaging the pump has not been valid since the 99 and up truck. All the fuel passes thru the pump, so it is always cooled.

 

I would think the bottom gas would have a bunch of crud around it . Any sediment or dirt or rust will be at the bottom I think and most pumps I see (not fuel pumps) are always siting about 3 and half inches off the bottom .

 

OP's truck is a 2009. Since about 2004 fuel filters are in the tank and part of the fuel pump assembly. So no real crud problems affecting the pump. Pick-up sock for the pump is closer than 3.5 inches to the bottom
waumo1 Enthusiast

waumo1

Posted
Posted

As far as I know, the statement of not running fuel low and damaging the pump has not been valid since the 99 and up truck. All the fuel passes thru the pump, so it is always cooled.

 

I would think the bottom gas would have a bunch of crud around it . Any sediment or dirt or rust will be at the bottom I think and most pumps I see (not fuel pumps) are always siting about 3 and half inches off the bottom .

 

Years ago I pulled the gas tanks off of a couple of my Pontiacs that were at least 20 years old at the time. I estimate that at least 10000 gallons of gas had gone through those tanks if not twice that much. The tanks were perfectly clean inside with essentially nothing on the bottom.

Morgan1986 Senior Enthusiast

Morgan1986

Posted
Posted

As far as I know, the statement of not running fuel low and damaging the pump has not been valid since the 99 and up truck. All the fuel passes thru the pump, so it is always cooled.

 

I would think the bottom gas would have a bunch of crud around it . Any sediment or dirt or rust will be at the bottom I think and most pumps I see (not fuel pumps) are always siting about 3 and half inches off the bottom .

 

Years ago I pulled the gas tanks off of a couple of my Pontiacs that were at least 20 years old at the time. I estimate that at least 10000 gallons of gas had gone through those tanks if not twice that much. The tanks were perfectly clean inside with essentially nothing on the bottom.

 

Nice to know that are gas is clean. I heard moisture/water can build up in the tank when the fuel is low .

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Forum Statistics

    250.6k
    Total Topics
    2.7m
    Total Posts

  • Member Statistics

    343,007
    Total Members
    8,960
    Most Online
    Brendan C
    Newest Member
    Brendan C
    Joined

  • Who's Online   0 Members, 0 Anonymous, 1,071 Guests (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • Grumpy Bear
      Joke Thread

      By Grumpy Bear · Posted

    • Grumpy Bear
      The Peckish Synapse

      By Grumpy Bear · Posted

      You're better read than that Atlas. 😏   British science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke formulated three adages that are known as Clarke's three laws, of which the third law – that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" – is the best known and most widely cited.   Stribeck and the pivotable Hersey Number isn't voodoo nor snake oil. That part is physics. It's what marketing and bean counters do with it that is snake oil and voodoo.    Stribeck is the relationship between Hersey and the Coefficient of Friction. Within the Hersey Equation if viscosity and viscosity is 'Dependent' on.......heat.......and.......viscosity index or the temperature to viscosity slope.    Specifically Hersey is the viscosity AT THE TEMPERATURE IN THAT LOCATION FOR THAT SLOPE.   Hydrodynamic lubrication exist when the film thickness in the location is 3X the Ra roughness of the surface. This is irrespective of the hardness of the substrate. To obtain that thickness X viscosity is required for Y velocity at Z load. That's a lot of moving parts. It is also impossible to maintain in an ICE but nearly possible with a turbine under constant load.    What does that mean? Error heavy and operate light. Wear is inevitable but the rate of wear and the milage obtainable are a function of prevailing conditions and HABITS. The only penalty is viscous drag and at fractions so low as to be well worth the effort. Double the life, half the manufacturing carbon foot print. Greed is the only impediment.    The materials generated by SwRI are the RESULT not an estimation or a hypothesis.    Don't delude yourself sir, EV's have as many pitfalls as ICE's. We just don't know what they are yet and it will take longer to sort as MARKETING and GREEDY CEO's have had more time to polish the turd they are selling. 
    • Grumpy Bear
      The Peckish Synapse

      By Grumpy Bear · Posted

      You can always count on greed to prey on ignorance and stupidity.    Friend bought a 2019 Ford Flex and asked me about using Valvoline R&P 5W30 in it. Told him give the miles on it and the fact it wasn't yet using oil that it was a good plan. He uses a Valvoline quick change shop for his oil service.   First they tell him that isn't the oil the OEM recommends. He told them he didn't care what the OEM thought. Then they floated the, "But it will void your warranty"    His reply was it's a 2019, there is no warranty and informed them their knowledge of the law was lacking.    Then they tell him 'But it will ruin your motor"!.    Mine to ruin he says. Finally they give in and charge him 150% the semi-syn price    Point it the brainwash is so embedded that even the service industry is drunk on their swill. The public is right behind them. Echoing the same lies on every forum and media platform. If the end goal is indeed EV then I'd say that ship is about built. 
    • CamGTP
      Gas Prices

      By CamGTP · Posted

      Diesel hit $6.00 here today at the truck stop.   Payed $2.79 for E85 today too.
    • richard wysong
      Electrical Problem - solved

      By richard wysong · Posted

      Thanks for posting, I'm sure it will help someone

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...