Different Gas Pumps Top Off Different

[diamondlarry]

Originally Posted by xcel

Hi All:

Top offs for me because I have to and because I want to Hundreds of fills and no charcoal canister or vapor recovery system issues to date.
Wayne

I'm approaching 65K in the Prius and closing on 20K in the Insight and countless thousands of miles in various other vehicles and topped them all off...with NO problems/issues either. It is definitely the way I like to do it.

[some_other_dave]

Originally Posted by PaleMelanesian

... Trying to deduce anything from an average of several tanks would be futile. ...

Not futile; it is quite possible to work on your techniques by using tank-to-tank averages. See my Mango Bango log (in the sig) for one example.

Of course, that only gets you so far. I was never going to be able to get to 200% of EPA without instrumentation. Actually, I don't think I'm going to be able to get there with instrumentation either, but not for the same reasons.

Futile, no. Sub-optimal, yes. Instrumentation helps.

...But I fill at full speed, and stop on the second click...

-soD

[PaleMelanesian]

It's a catch-22. The better you get, the longer you go between fills so the results are more diluted and ambiguous. A multi-tank average is perfect for calibrating your gauge, though.

[Unleaded]

I have read that running a tank dry is not good for the fuel pump.

[shadescape]

done it on every car I've owned, started doing it with dad and moms cars- I belived they'd fill it up and not really look at the mileage- just think we hadn't gone very far as they really didn't drive the cars much when it got low- so never really knew the amount still in- or how much it would take- course there were places you could sometimes find a bit of gas somewhere- and usually other high schoolers would be going the same places I went- we did have an emergency hose we kept close

let see- that would be every vehicle I owned or used very long since 1962-
never have had any problems- course sometimes I'd need to dribble a little gas into the carb throat- even once I had to ride on the 55 Chevy dribbling gas while my brother steered- someones boyfreind was looking and I needed to get somewhere and hide for a bit- but shees- not right on the hot back road

matter of fact- that about damaging the fuel pump sure wasn't an issue with boat motors- we seemed to have made it a habit- course usually had oars- just in case- you know- and we really weren't supposed to take the speed boat into the next two lakes- that thing was hard to paddle- and we had to get it running to get back up the river and into the boat house- hum- dad- honest- the speed boat got loose and ended up there- we went to get it and ran out on the way back- maybe the boys from the other resort came up and snuck off with it-

you see- we did push it to run every drop out at times- most times getting it/ whatever running without any noticable damage or that dad could be sure of us sneeking off by catching us- in those good ole days folks stopped "need some help"
so we quickly caught on about when we went it had to be the time so that we could get back before dad got home- or woke up early- sometimes we just barely won by getting thru the bedroom window as the waking up was going on

you can rest assured- dry fuel pumps sure have proved tough and in some cases- think God had a hand sometimes- we sure seemed to do a lot of praying- oh god let us get this running and home before we are found out- we promise to never do this again
we'd forget the promisses sometimes- seemed there were so many HE had to understand

I did it last year in January on the drive back from the mountains with the 08 & 09 Escape-
said I would find out if I could make it home on 1 tank- pour some gas in- turn the key to ignition- wait a bit- both fired right up

as a mechanic I was hoping I could charge more than just the tow charge when one was pulled in out of gas- sorry- but in my opinion it's just another wives tale

[Mendel Leisk]

I can't understand the rational of intentionally pushing the limits with gas. I'll fill up anytime I'm driving past my favourite brand of station, if the tank is below half full. One benefit: if I do the fillup it ensures I get the info I want (litres pumped, odometer reading, trip meter and Toyota's "claimed" mileage).

Thinking back: my parents had a '58 Volkswagen. Gas level was checked by raising the front hood, taking off the cap, and putting a stick in, see how much was wet, LOL.

[Right Lane Cruiser]

Speaking of VWs, a lot of those old ones had a reserve tank activated by a little lever under the dash. It was standard procedure to drive until it started sputtering or died, then flip the lever knowing you had something like 2 gallons to work with and it was time to find a gas station. A bit less refined than a low fuel light and I'm sure it resulted in a dry fuel pump many times...

[Mendel Leisk]

^ That reserve tank rings a (distant) bell, ours might have had that. I just drove it a few times with a learners license, learned the perils of parallel parking on steep hills, joy.

[xcel]

Hi All:

Adding a bit of "cents" to the discussion... Running out a MPFI car is not really a big deal although the fuel pump can get hot.

In addition, the Sonata/Optima Hybrids should never be run dry as the HSG will spin that engine over until it kills the Li-Po pack.

And finally running a diesel out can cause you all kinds of hell to get it started again as the common rail needs the upstream pump to be fully primed or it will just spit. Do not ask me how I know this but I spent a few tense hours discovering this out in real time with a certain European Civic

Wayne

[frv]

I've never run out of diesel in my FR-V - as Wayne says not worth the hassle (I have same engine as the Euro Civic he drove).
I've driven 15.3 miles past zero range on FCD but I have an Ultra-Gauge so I knew I had 0.8 gallon left or about 40 miles even then.
When I'm close to empty I'll sometimes fill up earlier than I would want to as my commute is 22+ miles each way and it's not convenient to fill during the trip - it has to be before I've set off or after I've dropped off car pooler or at a weekend.

I fill fast to first click, then slow fill to second.