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Re: how far can we go when the fuel light comes on? Posted by Saana88 [Email]  (#207)  [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Saana88) on Tue, 26 Apr 2005 19:57:20
In Reply to: how far can we go when the fuel light comes on?, Grant, Tue, 26 Apr 2005 11:42:17 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
I have this down to a science on my '88; back then the tank's only 16.6 gallons plus a little reserve space in the evaporative emission lines. Last summer I had a habit of putting 17 gallons in my 16.6 gallon tank.
You're right, the car does have an 18 gallon tank, and so does my '92 convertible. The difference is that with the larger tanks, the low fuel indicator light glows continuously with 2.5-3.0 gallons left, and if you get 28 MPG, that translates to 70-84 miles after it stays lit all the time. Last time I put 17.2 gallons in my '92 after the light came on at 420-425 and I drove to 507. Next time, if driving conditions are the same, I'll drive a little farther and see how much she drinks. Keep in mind aggressive driving while the light is on or sitting in traffic or prolonged speeds over 70 will drain the tank quicker, so don't run out of gas on my account.
Don't run out of gas anyway; your fuel pump is cooled by the flow of fuel running through it, and even though my '88 has run dry a number of times and the original pump is still in at 196K (don't try this at home!) it's still a bad idea to run injected cars out of gas. If there is any sediment in the bottom of your tank, running low may pick it up.
Now that I've said this, go out and try it. First figure out what kind of mileage you're getting and make your driving style very consistent. Next, top off the fuel tank the same amount each time you refill. With current fuel prices, my car takes quite a bit after the nozzle clicks off, and since NY is too silly to have vapor recovery nozzles, you can fill it up to the top of the neck.
I aim to run a couple of 600 mile tanks on my '92, it's got electronic fuel injection of all things. It does take a lot of coasting, though.
Also don't get caught in between filling stations when the pump starts coughing. It takes some experience finding out where this is on your particular car. Make it iterative; drive five to ten miles further than last time until you get uneasy or until you run it low enough you get fuel delivery problems. Then, back down slightly. Even though everyone else yells at me for not filling up sooner, I'm driving around for 50-60 miles with very little fuel in the tank, and the motor isn't pulling around all that extra unleaded weight. It's just how I drive.
And I will admit I've run out of fuel twice. Once it was the fault of suburban roads, cold temperatures, outdated fuel injection systems, and a certain scrap-metal 3 speed automatic gearbox, but the second time it was my fault. Last fall, the temperatures dropped and I calculated how far I could get using the warm-weather formula, which was about ten miles longer than the cool-weather formula. I had to walk a little under a mile after coasting down a very long hill.
So here are your stats- For the '88 the light comes on around 435 and I go to 490-500. On my '92 (same as your setup) the light comes on around 440 and I go to 510-520 so far, but let me update you later in the summer.
, Tue, 26 Apr 2005 19:57:20 <-- Viewing This Message
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