"Low Fuel" FYI
Thread Starter
Rookie
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
From: mo
"Low Fuel" FYI
Not sure if this has been discussed, over the weekend we had a surprise get together planned with another couple specific time and place. When we left the house I noticed the "Low Fuel" warning on the dash.
A quick mental calculation told me that 1 we wouldn’t have time to get fuel and still make it a surprise, 2 we most likely could make our destination (barely).
About 8 miles from our destination...with the fuel level indicator pegging E the dash lit up like a Christmas tree. Traction control icon, check engine icon an upside down yield sign with an exclamation point, and naturally the low fuel icon. The "Low Fuel" warning was now alternating with the "Check AWD System" warning.
Thankfully we made our destination, and I immediately filled with fuel after dinner, and expected the warnings to reset. They remained active that evening and about 45 miles worth of driving. I decided to disconnect the battery terminals the next day for a couple of hours and hopefully it would reset. Went out the next day and everything had reset on its own.
Moral of the story when it says Low Fuel...fill up. I guess the Lexus engineers decided that the multiple warnings would get your attention.
They DID
A quick mental calculation told me that 1 we wouldn’t have time to get fuel and still make it a surprise, 2 we most likely could make our destination (barely).
About 8 miles from our destination...with the fuel level indicator pegging E the dash lit up like a Christmas tree. Traction control icon, check engine icon an upside down yield sign with an exclamation point, and naturally the low fuel icon. The "Low Fuel" warning was now alternating with the "Check AWD System" warning.
Thankfully we made our destination, and I immediately filled with fuel after dinner, and expected the warnings to reset. They remained active that evening and about 45 miles worth of driving. I decided to disconnect the battery terminals the next day for a couple of hours and hopefully it would reset. Went out the next day and everything had reset on its own.
Moral of the story when it says Low Fuel...fill up. I guess the Lexus engineers decided that the multiple warnings would get your attention.
They DID
Lexus Champion
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,973
Likes: 55
From: Ohio
I've learned from a Prius to take the low fuel warning seriously, which performed a soft shutdown of the gasoline engine on the freeway when it decided that enough warning had been issued. After being pushed to the gas station, I was a little peeved that there was at least a gallon still remaining in the tank.
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 400
Likes: 15
From: NY
I believe once the icon "Low Fuel" goes off you still have about 50 miles driving. One evening I was dropping my friend off at Long a island train station and right as I pulled out from there I got a sign that I have low fuel, I successfully made it to Brooklyn with it light up, which is about 25-30 miles away. It's not good to drive with low fuel since there might be bad **** and potentially clog with engine if you do it often, but still you get plenty of miles once it goes off.
Driver
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 59
Likes: 3
From: Georgia
Not sure if this has been discussed, over the weekend we had a surprise get together planned with another couple specific time and place. When we left the house I noticed the "Low Fuel" warning on the dash.
A quick mental calculation told me that 1 we wouldn’t have time to get fuel and still make it a surprise, 2 we most likely could make our destination (barely).
About 8 miles from our destination...with the fuel level indicator pegging E the dash lit up like a Christmas tree. Traction control icon, check engine icon an upside down yield sign with an exclamation point, and naturally the low fuel icon. The "Low Fuel" warning was now alternating with the "Check AWD System" warning.
Thankfully we made our destination, and I immediately filled with fuel after dinner, and expected the warnings to reset. They remained active that evening and about 45 miles worth of driving. I decided to disconnect the battery terminals the next day for a couple of hours and hopefully it would reset. Went out the next day and everything had reset on its own.
Moral of the story when it says Low Fuel...fill up. I guess the Lexus engineers decided that the multiple warnings would get your attention.
They DID
A quick mental calculation told me that 1 we wouldn’t have time to get fuel and still make it a surprise, 2 we most likely could make our destination (barely).
About 8 miles from our destination...with the fuel level indicator pegging E the dash lit up like a Christmas tree. Traction control icon, check engine icon an upside down yield sign with an exclamation point, and naturally the low fuel icon. The "Low Fuel" warning was now alternating with the "Check AWD System" warning.
Thankfully we made our destination, and I immediately filled with fuel after dinner, and expected the warnings to reset. They remained active that evening and about 45 miles worth of driving. I decided to disconnect the battery terminals the next day for a couple of hours and hopefully it would reset. Went out the next day and everything had reset on its own.
Moral of the story when it says Low Fuel...fill up. I guess the Lexus engineers decided that the multiple warnings would get your attention.
They DID
Driver
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 122
Likes: 2
From: Ontario
Why would any manufacturer do such a scary thing? Someone on highway could get into accident because of it.
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Thread Starter
Rookie
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 62
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From: mo
Lexus Champion
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 4,507
Likes: 38
From: Bethlehem Twsp. Pennsylvania
personally i do not like to go below a 1/4 of a tank. reason is it can suck up dirt sediment that dwells on the bottom. same thing happens when you let an oil furnace go too low in the tank.
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 327
Likes: 65
From: Ca
Fuel pump is located at the lowest point of the tank, it sucks up everything from the bottom anyway. In addition fuel constantly circulates it flows to fuel injectors and returns back to the tank.