This is just my second trip to the gas station since I bought my TSX last
Memorial weekend.

Just wondering if it's normal for the gas light to come on even if needle isn't
all the way down or a least near empty.
Not sure about this as my other car - an 02 Impreza only lights up when
needle is really way down.

When I filled her up, I was only able to load about 13 gallons, so there should still
be about 4 or more gallons as reserve...

It's not my practice to just fill up only when light goes on, but this caught me off guard. Any comments?

Sorry for the fuzzy picture...

[IMG]C:\Program Files\PICS\Picture104_08Jun04.jpg[/IMG]

 

The TSX has a 17.1 gallon gas tank. I notice the light comes on around 13 gallons too...so your not alone. The reserve is 4 gallons. I usually drive mines till its near empty before I fill up, usually between 14.5-15.1 gallons.

 

I typically fill up around when the light comes on. Usually put in between 12.5 to 13.5 gallons, depending on how much I drive after the light comes on.

 

Same as Agent Chen said. I just figure there is 3 gallons (80 miles) of driving left in the tank (with a 1 gallon safety cushion). As soon as I see the light come on I note the odometer, add 80 miles, and know that I need to fill up by then.

 

Same here...about 13.5 to 14 gallons and the light pops on. In the wife's WRX, when it pops on you better had been looking for that station 5 mins ago

 

Same here. I find it almost annoyingly early.

 

That is annoying. But if you have Navi, you have a trip computer that will tell you your range. Just use that and you'll know exactly when to gas up.

 

Unfortunately, I don't have Navi.

Here's my situation using round numbers.
I estimate that the range of my TSX is about 750km (combination of city and highway driving) through experience.
I've estimated that my gas light comes on with about 150km before I'm totally empty.
Given this situation, the gas light would be on about 20% of time.

Really annoying, huh?

I wish it was closer to my old Integra which was more reflective of being really empty.

Oh well...

 

Well, take it this way: Once the light goes on, you've got plenty of time to find a gas station, even if you're between Thunder Bay and Dryden!

 

I drove about 50 mi city driving after it came on last fillup and put in about 16 gallons..

So if it comes on, fill up your tank ya cheap bastard..

 

I've been religiously logging my gas mileage, and have noted the times when I fill up after the gas light comes on.

For me (6MT), the gas light pops on between 12.5-13 gallons. Like others have said, I figure I have another 80 miles or so...it's an earlier alert than I have ever witnessed.

Still have yet to cross the 400 mile/tank mark (although I imagine I'd be fine), so I have yet to ever pay $30/tank, but have come close.

 

Hey sauceman,
LOL -good one. I might be good even to Kenora.

 

Hey gfxdave99,
I'm not a cheap bastard. Just lazy. There's a difference! :0)

 

Oh.. well i can respect being lazy

 

unless im trying to calculate the mileage i get with my tank, i usually just fill when the needle is at the halfway mark or whenever its convient for me like if theres one near my destination and what not. i have this strange paranoia that my car would be harmed or wont perform to its best when the tank isnt full. i hate being paranoid!

 

I hate it too when you are.

 

I wish they programmed the Nav system so each time you press OK...it goes "You have 3 gallons left....." something like that

 

I use the navi comp to see how much gas is left. Yes, u have 80mi when the light comes on. I have no problem taking the comp down to 0mi left. Even then I can only put about 15.5 gallons in. My take is this car will go another 40mi after the navi says 0mi left. I consistently hit 450mi per tank all the time. I read in a thread once the this 80mi warning can be changed somehow in the navi. The option is either in the diagnostic or developers screen. I'd prefer it warn me when I have 20mi left on the navi.

 

u know, the TSX is the first car i'v driven that the gas needle is actully accurate...

my old cars, b4 half way, the needle drops so slow and once pass the halfway mark.. it drops so fast..

 

Yup, I've let it get down to about 40 miles left and when I fill it, it only goes to about 14.5 gallons. So plenty of room after that.

However, It's probably a good thing to not let the tank get to dry anyway. So, having a couple of gallons in is probably for the best...

 

I made a test 2 weeks ago, to see how long I would last the fuel light, and going all out on fuel economy, 90kph and all, I sputtered out of gas 247km after the gas light had first lit up.

That crowned a new record for me, as inscribed in my sig:

 

You freak.

 

I've checked the debug mode's gas stats under Trip Information, and it seems to fill up only to 16 or 16.1 G. It's probably a matter of topping off, which I don't plan on doing.

 

I believe someone rooted around the navi secret screens or actual code and figured out there was a 20 mile buffer built in so if it actually said your range was 0, you'd really have 20 miles of gas left. I'm not willing to drive my car that far down as running out of gas means you'll suck all the crap at the bottom of your tank into your fuel pump and injectors and possibly damage something, but someone else can feel free to experiment on their car.

 

hopefully your fuel filter would take care of that crap at the bottom of the tank.

 

I'm sure it would... but then you have a fuel filter that's prematurely dirty risking reduced flow/more resistance for fuel pump... etc.

 

Your biggest problem with an empty gas tank isn't the crap at the bottom of the tank (the fuel pump sucks from the bottom of the tank anyway), it's that your fuel pump will overheat. The gas in the tank keeps it cool. I just don't get why you'd want to run around town with no gas in the car all the time...

 

A mechanic told me that the if you drive around with low fuel too often, you run the chance of ruining your fuel pump. Apparently the gas in the tank keeps the pump cool and if it's not full enough, you run the risk of burning out the pump. Not sure if this is true or not, just wanted to pass it along.

 

Yes, it is true. And if I'm not mistaken the owners manual cautions against running low on gas. I know it says to *never* let the car run out of gas completely.

 

If driving around with low fuel too often causes damage to the fuel pump,
how much is "low fuel"?

What's the minimum amount of fuel you should always have in your tank to prevent this damage? 1gallon? 2 gallons?? 5 gallons???
Does anyone have a sense for this?

 

A mechanic friend of mine told me once to never let the tank get below 1/4. He was talking about vehicles with fuel pumps in the gas tank in general and not TSXs in particular but I would think that the same principal applies. Anyway, why would anybody even want to take the chance and let the tank get low? Like my daddy used to tell me, "It costs the same to drive around with a full tank as an empty tank."

 

Thanks for the info.
For me, I tend to run my tank low. I guess its out of convenience more than anything.
For example, why go to the gas station twice when you can go once?

And for those geeky accountants out there.
If time is money, then going twice would cost you more verus going once. (hahaha) Just a thought.

 

Not if "going once" (repeatedly) causes you to blow a fuel pump....