LOW Fuel Range Warning

rogah · January 27, 2015

Does anyone, by any chance, know how to get rid of the "LOW" warning and change it to the actual fuel range that is left?

LOW tells me there is roughly 50 miles left in the tank, but I'd like to know the actual numbers instead of the LOW sign overriding the number.

LongrangeLauber · January 27, 2015

Happened to me today. You can't change it. The tank is just too low to determine an estimated mileage. Mine started reading low when my estimated fuel hit 30 miles left if that helps. It will pop up when you have 3-4 gallons left, closer to 3

thefishhawk · January 27, 2015

that's just it, there is no "actual" number. it's an estimate to begin with so if Chevy left it up and people started getting stranded when it said there was 10 miles left they'd be up in arms. I would agree and think it is too conservative but it's understandable why it is that way.

txchevy4ever · January 27, 2015

that's just it, there is no "actual" number. it's an estimate to begin with so if Chevy left it up and people started getting stranded when it said there was 10 miles left they'd be up in arms. I would agree and think it is too conservative but it's understandable why it is that way.

Been this way since at least 2000.... Too many variables to depend on an exact #...

thefishhawk · January 27, 2015

I think what might get me more is that the gauge is reading E at the same time. The low fuel indicator is one thing, but the gauge should be a bit more accurate. Not sure why the vehicle doesn't display the gallons left like the Onstar app dashboard does. Maybe that's an estimate too but I find it irksome to have the gauge read E and then you fill up and have 2-3 gallons left. It doesn't happen often but along those lines the OP is right, sometimes you need to know what's left. As it is the indicator goes off and the gauge looks empty and you know you can still drive around for a couple days.

LongrangeLauber · January 27, 2015

Couple days? I may get to work and home on 3 gallons. Maybe. Lol

thefishhawk · January 28, 2015

bummer, but at least you have a nice truck to do it in. Average commute in the US is something like 25 minutes, over 2/3rds are less than 15 miles each way, half less than 10. so yeah, a day or two. my light seems to go off when there are about 4 gals left. I always think I'm about to run out since the gauge is buried on E then end up pumping 23.x gallons with no worries.

Edited January 28, 2015 by thefishhawk

LongrangeLauber · January 28, 2015

It's not much longer, about 30 min. and 23 miles one way all winding back roads so in and out of throttle a lot. A lot of people in my area commute to DC. They can keep that hour plus commute one way.

And it's the same on my truck, had the light on when I pulled out of my driveway this morning and hit a gas station about halfway home on my way home. Pumped in 24 gallons so I would say mine comes on for the last 4 gal

Crf450r420 · January 28, 2015

Every vehicle I've had I would take a jug of fuel with me and run it out of gas, so I would know. I have not done it with this one because I don't know if it would be bad for the high pressure pump. I think I read something about it in the factory manual, but since I would read it until I'd wake up and it took 20 times of that to get through the stupid thing. The really need one for people who have driven before and one for the new drive that shouldn't be operating a vehicle without training.

j-ten-ner · January 28, 2015

If you have a 5.3L with AFM and recently topped up the oil level you're good to go for additional 20 mls...

so long

j-ten-ner

bass mechanic · January 28, 2015

i have a ultra gauge installed that tracks my MPG much more accurately than the OEM does. and also tells me exactly how many gallons i have used.

i half suspect the tank is a little bigger then 26 gallons because when the light comes on your at about 3 gallons. i find it hard to believe the engine keeps running and finding fuel even when on un level ground. with the tank that long you would think all 3 gallons would slosh to the front or back leaving nothing near the pump. but I've yet to run out even with 2 gallons left! i don't think i want to find the bottom of the tank but i can also verify that the fuel gauge is about as dead nuts accurate as you can get. at 1/2 tank I've used exactly 13 gallons at 1/4 tank i have about 6 gallons left.

if there is any discrepancy its between 1/4 and empty because it should be out at E but there seems to be a couple gallons left.

also the tank is for the most part rectangular top to bottom.

some cars have an oddly shaped tank so the fuel level verses the amount of gallons stored at different levels is not linear. but the truck tank should be easy to measure with a float.

also the fuel gauge samples the level over a period of time and determine the average of the samples it is pretty accurate. only time its been off is when i park down hill with less than 1/4 tank it will show low fuel warning because the fuel is away from the sender.

also the low fuel light like most cars is nothing more than a thermistor. it heats up and creates a lower resistance when its not covered in fuel. if fuel is around it, it cools off and the light goes out. it is a pretty accurate way of measuring the amount of gas in the tank.

the question is how many gallons are exactly in there? my guess would be 5 when the light comes on but I'm not going to test that theory.

Spurshot · January 28, 2015

I don't like running down until the "Low Fuel" warning comes on. I do it sometimes, but it's rare. I'm more a 'get gas when the tank is in the 1/4 full area kind of guy.

But the times I've had the "Low Fuel" warning appear, I was already watching the remaining fuel range reading. Once it's below 50 miles, I figure I'm just being a procrastinator. As a pilot, I know that fuel at the gas station isn't going to help you if you run out. Too easy just to stop earlier, than to risk running out...either in an airplane or my truck. Running out of fuel in a truck isn't any fun. It's happened to me a handful of times over the decades. Trucks are too big and heavy to push, and I'm getting old too. Too old to push a big truck.

Just put some gas in it early. What's the big deal?

Edited January 28, 2015 by spurshot

Crf450r420 · January 28, 2015

I always want to know for the unknown circumstances. I don't like to leave things up to guessing, but I'm like you I will fill up any time if I'm at a 1/4 tank or below and by a station.

thefishhawk · January 28, 2015

totally agree, just sometimes that situation sneaks up on you where you are towing into a headwind in the middle of nowhere and you went from half to low indicator before you know it or you are on a weeklong backcountry trip or something and things happen. I like the idea of carrying a jug a testing it out. Great feedback on the ultra gauge, thanks.