mmarshall

Another reason it is not a good idea to let the fuel tank get low is that, if the fuel pump is not in the tank, fuel could slosh around on sharp cornering or on some bumps, which could momentarily un-port the hole in the tank where the gas runs into the fuel-lines. If that happens, the engine could hiccup or stall.

ECL

I hate it when my car gets the hiccups!

hellomian

Good thing to know ..it turned 0 about half a mile from the gas station and I was trippin. But maybe it isn't good that u said it..cause now I'll go 0 and keep going lol

jadu

iTrader: (42)

most I ever used was 19.1 gal in the SC. the SC has a 20 gal gas tank. I would not dare to go any further lol

gengar

Good to know about the fuel pump - I didn't realize that the fuel was actually used as a coolant. I tend not to fill up until I get pretty low because less fuel = less weight. The lowest I got in the IS-F is .8 gallons. I think the miles left hits 0 at around 3.2 gallons left.

I posted on CL before that I only got the LFA down to 0 miles range once (purposefully, to test the remaining gas) - it was just 1.7gal, so a lot less buffer than typical on Lexus vehicles.

BoDarville

Lil4X

Most of us have gotten into the habit of twisting the key and starting the engine in a single motion. If you think about it for a moment, you can get a quicker start most of the time by pausing briefly at the "ign on" position before moving on to "start". I know I catch myself twisting it all the way at once regularly. It's a habit I'm trying to break.

Your fuel pump needs a split second to pressurize the injector system - or deliver fuel to a separate injector pump. If you turn the switch immediately to the "start" position, the engine will turn over a time or two before it can even get fuel to the injectors. It probably doesn't matter on most cars, but particularly if your car hasn't run for several hours, you might get the engine to light off quicker if you give the pump(s) time to get the fuel rail up to full pressure by pausing for an instant at the "on" position before cranking. If you don't have the HVAC fan running or the radio on, you may hear a quick "brup!" from the back row as your fuel pump pressures up.

hellomian

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

geko29

Depends on the car. My E90 actually pressurizes the fuel system when the driver's door is opened-you can hear the slight buzz of the pump very clearly from outside the car. That way there's no delay for fuel when you try to start. Just for the glow plug if it's really cold out

nosurprise

iTrader: (1)

The lowest I have gone is when my IS estimates the car can drive 4 more miles.

I'm not sure if you really need to keep the car from dropping below 1/4 of a tank. I don't see anything in the manual, and google doesn't seem to have an agreement.

mmarshall

Rudiculous

iTrader: (15)

I would say 1/8 of a tank, I wouldn't know miles as I don't keep miles to empty on the gauge

In rental cars though, definite zero. Some have even blinked

Rhambler

I don't think I've ever seen the low-fuel warning light ever. When I reach half-tank I'm already starting to think about filling up.

Guess there's just something psychological about having that mass of fuel there even if you don't really need it...you know, just in case. Guess I'm a habitual filler-upper lol.

I wasn't always like this, though. This stems from my years in college and being dead broke and running on fumes and/or running out of gas at the worse possible times (e.g., the day before an exam). I vowed to never let that happen again, lol!

Lexmex

I will never know exactly how low it really got or how far I really drove as, but estimate once light went on back on a trip through the boonies in the mountains in Mexico way back in July 2002 on the way home to Mexico City, light went on and I have to believe it was 30 miles after the light...best guess.

Aron9000

My buddy's car was stolen back in college. We found it later that day about 3 miles down the road, out of gas

2nd time it was stolen, we weren't so lucky. They found it stripped about two weeks later. Who would've figured that a pos Honda Civic hatch would be such a hot target. He bought a Buick LeSabre to replace it, figured no stupid ricers and Latino gangbangers were buying stolen parts for one of those.