verified capacity of fuel tank

[Drewmcg]

Okay, the manual for my '02 Explorer XLS RWD days 22.5 gallon gas tank capacity. I recently got this back on the road (replaced engine) after several years' hiatus (look it up). I replaced the fuel filter but wanted to get all that old gas otta there.

So I intentionally drove it to near empty. At the lower edge of the red "E" line on fuel gauge the "check gages light came" on. I headed to Costco for some "top tier" gasoline. 30+ miles later, I'm waiting for the two cars in front of me to finish filling up, and my engine dies!

I politely asked the gentleman who pulled up to the first pump (thank god leaving the second one open for me--lucky) to help me push the 'sploder up to the pump. After adding 1.5 bottles of Techtron, I pumped precisely 22.5 gallons in before the handle shut off.

Capacity confirmed!

 

[TechGuru]

Well that is what it says, if it were different people would be suing Ford, lol.

 

[extra-medium]

I squeezed in 22.7 gallons a couple years ago when I was moving from Utah to Maryland. I drove from Limon, CO to Salina, KS on a tank, with the whole back filled with my stuff and a bike on a bike rack on the back.

 

[CDW6212R]

There's a large amount of volume in every fuel tank, above the fill hose inlet. The tanks are large in area, so that volume varies greatly depending on the angle of the ground surface. It's easy to put less or more than the capacity into an empty tank. But of course it's very hard to drive until empty when you reach a gas pump. So not many people experience actual fuel capacities. I've been over the 22 gallon capacity inmost of my Fords, not often but over the years I've ended up near empty lots of times. I suspect a bad gas station pump when I ever get over 22 gallons in, but all you could do is find a 1-800 number and call to report them(they'll just come and check those pumps soon).

 

[96firephoenix]

Most I've done is 22.430.

 

[IIGood]

Capacity confirmed!

Sucks you had to find out the hard way!

I've made it a habit on my current '03 to fill up when it gets "near" the E mark, or maybe around the 1/8 tank mark. Since this doesn't have a proper "LOW FUEL" light or the Message Center, that CHECK GAGE light is too inconsistent for me to truly rely on that. The few times I did run it down to trip the CHECK GAGE, each time gave me a different "reading." Once I filled it with 21.7, another with 20.5...and I hadn't driven too terribly far after the light came on each time. The previous '03 I had, it was a little more consistent...I could typically count on filling it with 20.5-21 gallons when that light came on.

With my '03 Mustang GT, the LOW FUEL light comes on pretty consistently when approximately 2 gallons are left. That's not failed me in 14 years of ownership.

 

[CDW6212R]

...

With my '03 Mustang GT, the LOW FUEL light comes on pretty consistently when approximately 2 gallons are left. That's not failed me in 14 years of ownership.

That's what you want, to have the light tell you when you have a couple of gallons left. Mine are also not predictable, the gauge is more accurate, kind of. When the gauge is buried at the E for a short while, not hits it when going down hill etc, then I know it's getting within a gallon or so.

 

[IIGood]

That's what you want, to have the light tell you when you have a couple of gallons left. Mine are also not predictable, the gauge is more accurate, kind of. When the gauge is buried at the E for a short while, not hits it when going down hill etc, then I know it's getting within a gallon or so.

Yeah, I certainly can't rely on the "CHECK GAGE" light in the Ex...and even the fuel gauge has some degree of inconsistency to it. I've filled up when the needle is around what would be the 1/8 mark, and 19 gallons will go in. I've also filled up when the needle is hovering over the "E" hashmark, and 19 gallons will go in. So...yeah. LOL.

 

[MrPulldown]

That is pretty amazing. I have never done a test such as yours. But I have never even come close to the rate fuel tank capacity. I always chalked this up to the size of the tank doesn't necessarily = the amount of usable fuel you can extract from it. Good to know that the Exploder can rally use all 22.5. I think I ran it 20 miles past the point the computer said I had no gas, and I only put in 19 gallons. That means I had 3.5 more gallons!!!!!!

AWESOME

 

[CDW6212R]

Do not rely on the message centers for MPG data. Those are all wrong, they are purposely made to be optimistic, around 5-10% optimistic. I've owned several Fords with the message centers, and always kept a record of every fuel fill up, and the MPG for each tankful. The MPG and DTE display is basically always high, and when you near the tank being empty, the DTE drops very fast. It's made to do that on purpose, to make you think you get better mileage than you do, and to keep you from running out of gas.

Trust actual fill up data, and do it for every tank. Each MPG figure you calculate is inaccurate for that tankful. But taken with other data from tanks before and after it, the total results are accurate. Those can give you an accurate average over long distances. People keep checking their mileage for one tankful, or one trip they take, and they assume that those are typical figures. It takes multiple fill ups in a row to get actual true results.

 

[MrPulldown]

I did a 2.5K mile road trip and kept MPG number per tank. I think my conclusion was that I got about 18 mpg mostly highway and the MPG reading from the data center was consistently 1/2 mpg short.

Though I know the DTE is very conservative, I have never ran a "run till dead" capacity test. From my experience with other vehicles the listed tank capacity is almost NEVER what you can extract from the tank even in a run till empty scenario. I was surprised/impressed that was the case with the EX.

My motorcycle for example, I put a 4.2 gallon tank on. Ran till it died and fill up 3.75. That is more typical IMO.

 

[IIGood]

Do not rely on the message centers for MPG data. Those are all wrong, they are purposely made to be optimistic, around 5-10% optimistic.

My dad's 2005 must be broken then. LOL. His reads lower than actual...it's always showing around 14 and he'll actually get 16ish. I took it on a road trip from MD to Myrtle Beach one time and got 18 mpg out of it. I think that's been the most it's gotten on the highway even though he has the V6. I chalk it up to his having the 17" wheels. My '03 V6 has hit 20 mpg on several occasions...mine only has the 16" wheel. Both his and mine are 4WD.

 

[CDW6212R]

Okay, I shouldn't have used the absolute word "all." Generally the OEM figures for MPG are wrong, enough off that you should rely on your own testing, as I described before.

I wish the message centers were adjustable, that would be very helpful. You could do your own testing, and correct the car's display. Making modifications to your vehicle alters its efficiency, it would be great to be able to adjust for that too.

 

[IIGood]

Okay, I shouldn't have used the absolute word "all." Generally the OEM figures for MPG are wrong, enough off that you should rely on your own testing, as I described before.

I was just messing with ya ...but yeah, definitely do the "real world" testing rather than relying solely on the car's computers. My girlfriend starts panicking when her car gets to the 1/8 tank mark and if I'm there to fill it up, it's usually got about 5 gallons left in it at that point. Her mother is worse.

I don't go too terribly low, but I'm at least familiar enough with my limits.