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Sort of interesting fact that really isn't that important but.....Although I usually don't let my car's fuel get down to empty mark I noticed our new ILX had only a 30 mile range left before it would be empty of fuel. I was shooting to make it to Costco for gas and by the time I arrived it showed a 15 mile range left based on my driving.
Assuming the car's 13.2 gallon fuel tank was basically empty, I filled it up including topping it off and was only able to put 10.766 gallons in. Technically it still had 2.43 gallons of gas left in the system. Enough for maybe another 75 miles before running out depending on my driving. I just assume they built in a little wiggle room for not running out of gas.
I went on a trip with my girlfriend over the weekend to San Francisco. About quarter way through my red light came on, so I asked my girlfriend, do you want me to get some gas at the next city? She said that no, cause there is a city in a "few" miles that has it way cheap. Anyways, long story short, this city was not a "few" miles away,but a good 70 miles away from that spot. So I ended up using the 35 miles that I had left when the red light came on, and another 35 miles with the range at 0. A bit nerve racking, but I had it down to 0 before and went for 10 miles, so I wasn't too worried. Either way, when I got to the pump, I only got 12 Gallons. I still had another gallon left. The gouge was way below the Empty too when I made it to the gas station.
I've actually been testing this little by little each tank. I really want to see how far I can get on an empty tank.
If I fill up the moment the gauge read "0" I have a little over 2 Gal left. Basically no point in filling up at "0"
Then I tried driving exactly 25 miles after my gauge hit "0" and I had roughly 1.25 - 1.5 Gal left in the tank.
As we speak, I'm currently on "0" now and I've put about 20 miles on it so far. I will drive another 30 miles or so then fill up. If my cauculations are correct, I should have roughly 0.5 Gal left when I fill up.
As a conclusion, I estimate you can go a good 50-75 Miles (depending on City/Highway driving) after gauge reads "0" before you actually "Need to get gas"
Yes. I may or may not have burned up a fuel pump in a U-Haul truck doing this...
So don't do that.
I'm no Engineer, but I'm pretty sure a 2016 Acura ILX has a slightly better fuel pump then a U-Haul truck.
I have put over 160k on my 1997 Integra and "ran on fumes" nearly every tank. As a matter of fact, my brother with a 1998 Integra Type R would actually compete with me, to see who can get the most mileage on "E" before actually running out of gas. Every tank was a Seinfeld Episode lol.
I'm fairly confident that today's fuel pump technology and gas tank position is highly superior to the fuel pumps of the past. It's a bit like comparing the old wife's tale of every car needs an oil change every 3,000 mi. We have this image burned in our heads that our cars will "blow up" unless we treat them like our grandpa's 1979 Ford pickup.
I'm pretty sure Honda builds these cars highly "idiot proof". Simply "running on fumes" or even, running out of gas should not harm a thing. Imagine all the blown motors we'd see on the road if this was the case.
In any case, to get back on topic. I was able to put exactly 50 miles of city driving after my gauge read "0".
When I filled up, my car only too 12.4 Gal.
I'm getting closer to the conclusion that I can easily go 75 miles after hitting "0".
See, in tank fuel pumps, be it a uhaul or a remarkably luxurious Acura ILX, rely on the gasoline in the tank to provide cooling and sometimes lubrication for the pump.
So running the tank dry will cause the pump to run hotter and be more susceptible to failure. It's not like Honda is using some hyperdrive fuel pump technology passed back through a wormhole from a future civilization of alien pump designers. It's sort of the same ol' technology it has been for 30+ years.
I mean, keep doing what you're doing. I don't care. But in my vehicles, it's pretty cheap insurance to just not do that. YMMV.
Source: I talked to an engineer once. His was a wood burning steam train and made a hellish racket when it was going full steam.
I'm no Engineer, but I'm pretty sure a 2016 Acura ILX has a slightly better fuel pump then a U-Haul truck.
I have put over 160k on my 1997 Integra and "ran on fumes" nearly every tank. As a matter of fact, my brother with a 1998 Integra Type R would actually compete with me, to see who can get the most mileage on "E" before actually running out of gas. Every tank was a Seinfeld Episode lol.
I'm fairly confident that today's fuel pump technology and gas tank position is highly superior to the fuel pumps of the past. It's a bit like comparing the old wife's tale of every car needs an oil change every 3,000 mi. We have this image burned in our heads that our cars will "blow up" unless we treat them like our grandpa's 1979 Ford pickup.
I'm pretty sure Honda builds these cars highly "idiot proof". Simply "running on fumes" or even, running out of gas should not harm a thing. Imagine all the blown motors we'd see on the road if this was the case.
In any case, to get back on topic. I was able to put exactly 50 miles of city driving after my gauge read "0".
When I filled up, my car only too 12.4 Gal.
I'm getting closer to the conclusion that I can easily go 75 miles after hitting "0".
anecdotal evidence doesnt mean it's true.
wouldnt you like to know how something works? what causes it to fail? and how to prevent that?
I'm no Engineer, but I'm pretty sure a 2016 Acura ILX has a slightly better fuel pump then a U-Haul truck.
I have put over 160k on my 1997 Integra and "ran on fumes" nearly every tank. As a matter of fact, my brother with a 1998 Integra Type R would actually compete with me, to see who can get the most mileage on "E" before actually running out of gas. Every tank was a Seinfeld Episode lol.
I'm fairly confident that today's fuel pump technology and gas tank position is highly superior to the fuel pumps of the past. It's a bit like comparing the old wife's tale of every car needs an oil change every 3,000 mi. We have this image burned in our heads that our cars will "blow up" unless we treat them like our grandpa's 1979 Ford pickup.
I'm pretty sure Honda builds these cars highly "idiot proof". Simply "running on fumes" or even, running out of gas should not harm a thing. Imagine all the blown motors we'd see on the road if this was the case.
In any case, to get back on topic. I was able to put exactly 50 miles of city driving after my gauge read "0".
When I filled up, my car only too 12.4 Gal.
I'm getting closer to the conclusion that I can easily go 75 miles after hitting "0".
My Acura told me I was low on fuel, reading empty, so I filled it up at the gas station, but the fill took less than 10 gallons. What is the actual reserve, and how many more miles can I drive on empty?
All cars do this. They still have some gas when the gauge reads zero. If you really want to find out exactly how far you can drive, you have to drive it until you run out of gas.
My Acura told me I was low on fuel, reading empty, so I filled it up at the gas station, but the fill took less than 10 gallons. What is the actual reserve, and how many more miles can I drive on empty?
From when my job involved driving my ILX all over the place for years, I got a pretty good feel for the gas tank. We have a 13.2gal tank. I believe when there are ~3 gallons left the fuel light comes on. Then when there are about 2 gallons left the range reads 0. However, when you are running below 1 gallon in the tank it's Russian roulette as for when the car will stop running, so treat the gauge hitting 0 as a signal that you have one gallon of usable fuel left.
10-13-2015, 03:29 PM
2017 Acura ILX gas empty
