How low can you go on gas?

JAF1 · May 13, 2005

I pulled into the gas station yesterday and the gallons used according to the DIC was 24.8. It gave up telling me the range and just said low on fuel. How much futher have you guys gone? Not that I am trying but it would be good to know for next time.

Thanks!

debo4x4 · May 13, 2005

i have only filled up with more than 25 gallons once in the 3+ years i've had this truck and i have a bad habit of waiting until the gas light comes on before i fill up. even after driving 10-20 miles with the light on, i only put in about 24-25 gallons. ave about 350 miles per tank, mixed highway/city.

BRZ71 · May 13, 2005

Not far. I get about 350 to 400 per tank.

Scyry · May 13, 2005

Don't trust the gauge. Mine has gone empty at 1/4 and 1/8 of a tank before. I had ran it past E before too. So I just don't trust it and fill up before 1/4.

Kgry · May 13, 2005

Just filled up yesterday, 350 to the tank with like 1 gallon left in the tank. That's all city driving there. Came out to 14.5 mpg, could have been higher if the weather here didn't get so cold the last week.

J-rod · May 13, 2005

Ok, I'm horrible about riding with the low fuel light on. I've pushed it enough to know that I can go at least 40-50 miles with the light on. The time I put the most in it, I came home from work, changed clothes and when I got back in the truck to go fill up it was hard to start and then died when I put it in reverse. I had to keep my foot on the gas just a little to keep it from dying when I put it in gear the next time and when I went from reverse to drive. (yeah, I'm bad) Anyway, I believe that fill-up was 25.7 gallons.

Oh, kinda off-topic but I thought this was strange ... I was playing around the other day and shifted into neutral as I coasted down a hill in my neighborhood. A few seconds later I noticed the low fuel light come one which I thought was strange since I'd just had a 1/4 tank. The gauge would randomly bounce between empty and 1/4 tank every few seconds. I tried it again the next day and it did the same thing. Just thought that was kinda strange.

MrQuadrasteer · May 13, 2005

Heh-heh.... in my 96 Blazer once, I was WAY low, kept forgetting to stop (rushing).

Backed up the driveway (decent incline).

Wouldn't start again !!! Had to empty the mower gas can, go fill it and dump a couple gallons in the truck to go get gas.... dumb.

In the 03, I've pushed about 25 miles with the low-fuel light on. Spooky, for sure.... I'd hate to have to push this beast !!!!!

Bish · May 13, 2005

Be careful when you run the tank so low. The fuel is what cools the fuel pump. On the NBS, the fuel pumps are very $$$ ($470 at dealer) and they have been know to melt with a plugged fuel filter. I ran out on my Tahoe once and I am convinced, after research, that I overheated the pump and it eventially caused a premature failure. After I ran out of gas, the fuel pump was noisier than before and failed about 10K later.

Now I rarely go below 1/4 tank, change my fuel filter every 10K, and my replacement oem pump is going strong with 100K on it so far and still nice and quiet.

mmmikkke · May 13, 2005

Results would probably be different for a short box versus long box. The long box trucks have a 34 gallon tank. The short box trucks have a 26 gallon tank. So a long box has 1.3 times as much gas at the bottom of the tank when the low fuel light goes on. So with equal engines, the long box truck should be able to go 1.3 times farther than a short box truck.

burgundyz71 · May 14, 2005

I can get 350-375...never had low fuel light come on.

JimG · May 14, 2005

Had the light come on once - didn't feel like filling up, long commute home, figured I'd do it the next day. So that night was the party my roommate and I threw for our friends; some of them got really lost. I took my truck out, drove for a while to find them, ended up driving so far I had the low fuel light on halfway home with 15 miles to go at 12 am. Prayed it wouldn't die - made it home, next day got lucky and it started. Gas station was down the block, made it there and had over 25 gallons. Never let it happen again.

BBSilverado · May 14, 2005

I have the 34 gallon tank, the light came on and all I could get in it was 30.6 gallons. The next time I went 43 miles after the light came on and I filled it with 33.8 gallons so I know I was getting very close to the limit.

DougsTJ2 · May 14, 2005

I got gas this evening coming home from work. 25.765 gallons and the tripometer said 469.x. The range stated that I had 46 miles left. I have a 26 gallon tank. That comes to 18.203 miles per gallon.

The truck (1/2 ton 2wd Crew Cab) has about 1,900 miles on it. I purchased it on 4-23 with 60 miles on it.

I'm hoping that a tonneau cover will give me another couple mpg...we'll see. I'm also hoping that after I hit about 10,000 the mileage will improve as well.

blue2kzr2 · May 14, 2005

I'm gonna agree with Bish in this topic. I would certainly NOT make it a habit to try and see how far you can go on a tank before you're running on fumes. I haven't let my current truck drop much below 1/4 tank in the 18 months I've had it. I can count on one hand how many times I've had the low fuel light come on.

MS3DALE · May 14, 2005

Ok, I'm horrible about riding with the low fuel light on. I've pushed it enough to know that I can go at least 40-50 miles with the light on. The time I put the most in it, I came home from work, changed clothes and when I got back in the truck to go fill up it was hard to start and then died when I put it in reverse. I had to keep my foot on the gas just a little to keep it from dying when I put it in gear the next time and when I went from reverse to drive. (yeah, I'm bad) Anyway, I believe that fill-up was 25.7 gallons.

Oh, kinda off-topic but I thought this was strange ... I was playing around the other day and shifted into neutral as I coasted down a hill in my neighborhood. A few seconds later I noticed the low fuel light come one which I thought was strange since I'd just had a 1/4 tank. The gauge would randomly bounce between empty and 1/4 tank every few seconds. I tried it again the next day and it did the same thing. Just thought that was kinda strange.

Mine has done the same thing when put into neutral.

And I too would not go too far past 1/4 tank because as stated earlier,fuel is what cools the pump.