UCSB

I can't remember if there is a chime or not, but the center info display between the two large gauges displays "low fuel' in large letters. That plus the light next to the fuel gauge has been enough for me ... but, I check the center info display pretty often to see my hybrid drive status. There are at least 2 or 3 gallons of gas in the tank when you hit 0 miles on range/empty ... so don't panic. I do think the car chimes once or twice when that low fuel message comes up. If you run out of gas, remember your Lexus road side service.

tfischer

I don't get it.
Cars used to have a simple, readily available reminder, which was dubbed the "gas gauge." The driver used it to keep track of the most important item in the car, the fuel. Many years ago, when a few unqualified chimps unfamiliar with the conventions of the analog display, got a hold of some vehicles, the manufacturers added a little red light that would turn on to signal that the amount of fuel in the tank was getting low. These drivers were trained, apparently, to buy gas when the pretty red light turned on.
More recently, with the addition of the LCD screen, an additional (third) signal was added to signal that "miles to empty" was approaching zero, but these require some literacy.
The gas gauge should be enough, and for most drivers it is, but when the additional two warnings are still not enough, and a driver has such a high threshold of embarrassment to admit it, then those drivers should not be issued licenses on the ground that they are surely too distracted by text messages, phone calls, or flashing roadside signs, which they essentially now seek to bring inside the vehicle.
I say let them run out of gas.

Cruiter

Rolling in laughter here and I totally agree with you , but don't we have to consider whether or not that would be politically correct ???

At least that's what the PC police would say

tfischer

Cruiter, you are correct, as usual.
To keep PETA off our case, I apologize for the "chimp" remark.

kitlz

Pretty funny. I'm just glad we're talking about cars and not small planes. Otherwise we'd have to keep an eye to the sky.

I agree with UCSB about the warning light being enough. Looking at the instrument display is ingrained in us well enough. I still find myself looking down to check my speed even though I have HUD. The gas tank is topped off every two weeks, usually less than ten gallons. Works for me.

EMSLEXUSRX

This thread has me laughing out loud also, as my sister-in-law has complained about this in the past after she bought my '07 RX. She had previously been driving a Chevy Trailblazer that had the audio sound for when the gas gets real low. She would complain to me how she almost ran out of gas a few times in the RX because she wasn't getting the warning beep. I just responded that it was never a problem for me in all of the four years that I drove it 'cause I rarely let it go below a quarter of a tank before filling up anyway. Come to think of it, since I've been driving Japanese cars for the last 30 years or so, I've never dealt with a gas gauge that beeps at me when the gas was getting too low. Boy, she sure was annoyed about it though. I guess she's finally gotten used to it after driving the car for three years now.

I'll will say this though: That '07 RX has held up ten times better than the Trailblazer did that she drove for four years!

tfischer

Your sister-in-law's story is interesting. She is (or was) driving all over the place and only filling up when the low gas chime made a noise. In other words, she was trusting her ability to continue driving and not endure the ignominy, embarrassment and giant hassle of running out of gas on a highway or in a friend's driveway to what may well be the cheapest part Chevy put into the car. Her faith in the American automobile parts suppliers and assembly line workers is unsurpassed.
I still think a chime (and in the case of Chevy, probably a loud, incessant and annoying buzzer) is a bad idea.

EMSLEXUSRX

LOL!! Yep, sounds like my sister-in-law. I wish you could see the inside of her RX. I believe she must store pretty much her entire closet of stuff in her RX. When I'm visiting with them, we can never go anywhere in her car, 'cause it's so full of junk!