horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

Hey gang, my 2001 Honda Accord and my 2006 Acura TL both have fuel tanks which are virtually identical in size; 17.1 gallons in both cases. When the low fuel light comes on in the Accord there is probably an eighth of a tank still showing on the fuel gauge, and when I fill the tank when the needle is pointing directly at "E", the tank typically takes 15 to 16 gallons. On the TL, the low fuel light doesn't come on until the needle is just a hair above "E", and when I wait for it to drop to full empty, I am only able to put in a bit over 13 gallons; even if I wait longer I still have yet to have a 14+ gallon fillup.

Is this typical for the Gen 3 Acura TLs?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

reserve of 3-4 gallons when the light comes on!

thoiboi

Yes

NBP04TL4ME

Yes - very typical and exactly the same on both my 04 TL and 08 TL-S.

losiglow

iTrader: (1)

That's what my '06 6MT did as well. I thought it was strange that the spec said it had a 17 gallon tank but about the max I could get in was the same as you, 13-14 gallons when empty. However, one time I got a $2 per gallon discount with a bunch of fuel points at our local Smiths (Kroger) which brought the price down to about $1.50 or so (this was when gas was about $3.50 a gallon). After the pump stopped, I pulled the nozzle out a bit and continued to fill. I got nearly 4 more gallons in the tank without any overflow. Once it reached just shy of 17 gallons displayed on the pump I stopped.

So yes, it has a 17 gallon tank but the evaporative emissions system seems to provide enough air backflow at 13-14 to kick the pump off. The practice of filling further probably isn't a good one. I don't do it regularly. I've never done it on my '12.

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

Thanks folks, I'm kind of curious why my V6 Accord, with a very similar fueling system exhibits very different, and much more usable, indications regarding remaining fuel.

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

I've been told, and have experienced as well, a phenomena where manufacturers publish a fuel tank capacity of say, 17 gallons when the actual fuel tank size is more like 19 gallons. Case in point, the fuel gauge was off on one of our family minivans; official tank size 17.0 gallons. The thing was, shortly after buying the van I ran it out of gas because the fuel gauge had not quite reached "E". Fortunately I was pulling into a station as the engine started to surge, and when I filled it up, it took over 19 gallons before the pump clicked off.

The explanation for the above is since the advent of in-tank fuel pumps, a reserve of two or so gallons is necessary to keep the pump immersed in nice cool gasoline. Whether this is true for all, most, or just some manufacturers I do not know.

With the above said, I'd be rather annoyed to find out the tank in our Gen 3 TLs is actually over 19 gallons and yet it indicates empty with some 5 to 6 gallons still in the tank.

BreezyTL

iTrader: (8)

I always thought about filling up a 2 gallon tank and keeping it with me and running the car out of gas to see how many miles I actually have left before empty. Obviously there would be differences based on driving habit.

NBP04TL4ME

Could be any number of reasons: Different sending unit or manufacturer? Different calibration? 5 years more data and/or communication from owners? Change in Corp risk aversion?
Once you have had your TL longer, you will get used to it. Based on my driving, I also know I can easily get 430 miles per tank before needing to fill up. I can go further but no need to push it.

BreezyTL

iTrader: (8)

HOLY CHIT, 430 Miles to the tank! I love it when I hit 300... I think I should adjust my driving style!

NBP04TL4ME

I drive a lot of highway miles and the TL is a highway cruiser.

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, I've been getting between 380 and 450 per "tank"; clearly if I push it to say 16 gallons consumed I'd easily pass the 500 mile threshold. I also do a lot of highway miles.

NBP04TL4ME

I have driven over 500 miles on one tank three times when I had my 04 TL. Haven't done it in the TL-S as it seems to be a little more thirsty or my foot has gotten a little heavier

WDPanda

My 08 type S does 8-9L/100km vs my 06 which did 10-12L/100km. Both 6MT. Same driving habits.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

when did you get a type-s!? congrats!!

frankjnjr

03 TLS, 334.4 miles driven, 70% highway, Low Fuel Lamp on for 10 miles, always fill-up at same pump and always in the late evening, 13.813 gallons @ automatic pump shut off, so approx. 3 gallons remain in tank on my car. 24.20907 mpg., average cruising speeds of 70-80 mph. When driving 90% highway, and limiting speed to 60-65 mph., 34+ mpg. is easily obtained.

Jackass

In a previous car, my gas gauge stopped functioning and I had to go purely on miles driven. Did that for 4-5 years and got pretty good at guestimating remaining fuel. Even on my next several vehicles, I don't pay as close of attention to my gas gauge as I do to how many miles I have driven. In my TL, I know I can get 350 miles pretty much no matter what driving conditions I have been in. If all highway, then 400 is my comfort limit.

Running my car any lower on fuel has never been on my to-do list. I rarely run mine even close to empty....although my wife generally does.

NBP04TL4ME

It was actually quite a while ago. I traded my 04 TL for a CPO 08 TL-S back at the end of 2009.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

wusty23jd

So based on this comment, it seems that we all may be conflicting one another.
1) The low fuel light is accurate. Meaning, when the light comes on, we can only fill our tanks with 13-14 gallons because it's actually the emissions system kicking in during our fill-ups. Therefore, we COULD fill up our tanks a little further. OR
2) The low fuel light is wrong. Meaning, when the light come on, we actually have 3-4 gallons of "reserve" left in our tanks.Therefore, we COULD drive our TLs a little further.

Does anyone else see what I"m getting at here? There appear to be two separate hypotheses.

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

I'm thinking option #2. Why?

• Based upon my experience with my Gen 6 Accord, which has the identical sized tank as the Gen 3 TL, when the Low Fuel light illuminates I can put in 14-15 gallons, and when I wait until the gauge needle is pointing directly to "E" I can put in 15-16 gallons.
• I've owned a lot of cars over the years (and driven many-many more) and I have never seen one which indicated Empty with between 4 and 6 gallons still in the tank.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

it's a dummy light for dummies!

NBP04TL4ME

Some of you may simply be over thinking this. It's consistent, confirmed and may even be puzzling or silly, but at the end of the day, it is what is it. The low fuel light comes on early in the 3G TL.

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

Agreed.

Unfortunately I'm an engineer and my brain won't let it go. Given the Gen 3 TL is more or less a tarted up Gen 7 Accord, I posted a message over on one of the Accord forums I track to ask Gen 7 Accord owners if they experience a similar early alert relative to their fuel status.

NBP04TL4ME

- I hear you and completely understand the engineer piece. I've been driving a 3G TL for 13.5+ years and have just accepted it. However am curious to see what sort of responses you might get.

BreezyTL

iTrader: (8)

I fill up at 300 miles light on or off, why risk relying on technology that will fail at some point!

truonghthe

Yes I got low fuel warning twice in the past and the most I able to put in the tank is around 13.5 gallon. I rarely let my gas tank running low (well back in 2011-2013 you all know how much it cost to top off a tank), on the other note my RL tank actually bigger than the TL so I have to take that into account when fill up.

NBP04TL4ME

So does the warning light in your RL come on early as well??

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

Assuming the odometer isn't the thing which fails.

Question: What if you had to spend a week commuting in or around the likes of say NYC or LA and the low fuel light comes on at 240 miles and the needle on the gauge registers below "E" at 260 miles; will you still wait until 300 miles to fill the tank?

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

I'll be sure to report back.

wusty23jd

This is exactly what I was thinking lol

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Not really certain as to where this is headed, nothing to do with emissions, and after 14 years it's been proven that the light illuminates after @ 13 gal used, or maybe 4 gal remaining. I don't care if the car is at idle for hours, driven in the city, or on a long highway run, the light is consistent.
So, if at idle for hours, the car won't see any additional miles and just run out and shut down, guess city driving one might see 60 miles, but highway driving, probably 125 miles.

BreezyTL

iTrader: (8)

Well if I lived in a highly concentrated area, like the ones listed, I would most likely have to lower the miles before fill up. My average driving here in Wisconsin allows me to go 300 miles per tank safely and leave me to fill up between 12-14 gallons usually.

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

Interesting; I typically go closer to 400 miles before I fill and don't typically get more than about 13 gallons into the tank.

BreezyTL

iTrader: (8)

Not to group you with the older generation, but generally the older you get the driving styles (slower, I hate driving with my dad) change. I am not reckless in any means, just like to let my car breathe! I am sure if I drove like it was a Sunday afternoon with nothing to do all the time, I could get 350+, but ain't nobody got time for that!

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Pretty decent mileage, @ 31 mpg, might be a record for all around driving.

Jackass

I am part of a slightly older generation...and I agree with this a lot. My driving style/habits have changed a lot over the past 15 years. I am waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay calmer in driving in my 40s than I was in my 20s. I was never reckless, but I without a doubt pushed my car, tires, and brakes on a regular basis back then. I personally feel that I am so lucky I never owned a car with more than 170HP in my teens and 20s...I would have been dead or in jail due to stupidity.

Now....my wife does stare/glare at me when I do my random full throttle runs randomly for no reason other than I can. I tend to do it a lot more in my TL than I do in her car...mostly because it is a manual and well...you just have to run through the gears sometimes. There is a reason she usually gets 2-4MPG better than I do when she drives in either car.

nfnsquared

Kramer!!!

The light comes on ~45 miles remaining (~4.5 gallons remaining) on the MID for me. When the MID reads 0 miles remaining, I have ~3 gallons left, which would equate to ~3 x whatever the MID MPG reading is. I pushed it one night and almost paid for it. I made it to a gas station on literal fumes and filled it to 16.9 gallons.

I've run well beyond the MID "0 miles remaining" many times, but never cut it as close as I did that night. I know with confidence that when the "0 miles remaining" shows, I still have ~75-90 miles of gas left in the tank.

horseshoez

iTrader: (2)

Trust me, I often hang with the big (younger?) boys; recently drove end to end on the Merritt Parkway averaging eighty plus.

The above said, on my typical daily commute there are so many patrol cars staking out the freeway, and so many great hiding places (i.e. crest a hill, bang, you're nailed; patrol car just over the crest in the trees and a second patrol car a half mile down waving folks over), I typically set my cruise control to a relatively sedate 73.

GreenSpades

This is my first car that has a digital readout of mpg, mph, degrees, all that snazzy shit. And also first car that tells you how many miles you have. I tend to find that the light comes on when the car says about 40 miles to empty. Well there is also about another gallon after that reads 0 and in my opinion that is a lot more similar of an amount left, compared to when my older cars would have the light come on, than is the actual light on the TL.

So yeah I agree that it comes on earlier, but I bet you that many of the newer cars are soing the same thing now. It's a redundancy for the idiots that cannot comprehend the idiot light. They need an idiot gauge to see how far they can drive with the idiot light on. Sometimes I am an idiot.

I usually get about 280 miles per fill up and usually fill right around when the light comes on. Usually it's 13-14 gallons added. I do a lot of driving and it's mixed probably 50:50 city:highway. But 120 miles in the city @20mpg is six gallons and 150 miles on the highway @25mpg is another six gallons so I drive more miles on the highway but use more gallons in the city. My average is actually lower around 21-22mpg so overall I probably drive more "in the city". Hell living in Philly even our highways some of you country folk would consider city lol. I used to live in the country and never experienced stop and go driving on a major highway for 10-20 miles in a row until I moved to Philly.