Low Fuel Light?

[Mach_Tuck]

Ok, manual states this light comes on when fuel is low.

I have yet to see this light and have driven the car down to 18 on the "range remaining" display.

Has anyone actually seen this light come on, and if so, what was the "range remaining" at the time.

Thanks

 

[phxgt]

Wow really? My light came on with about 60 miles remaining per the display. I then was only able to put 11 gallons in the tank so the 60 even was a bit misleading.

 

[Mach_Tuck]

Hmm...that is interesting. Typically i fill up around the 30-50 remaining and it usually takes 12-14 gallons. MPG varies based on driving style but i have been into the 20s on the range on multiple occasions with no light.

May add that to my dealer list for next week!

 

[mldavis2]

Sadly, we do not have access to service manuals for the Stinger unless you want to subscribe for hundreds to see it online. But typically, a fuel sending unit is a simple device with a floating capsule connected to an arm that moves a slider along a rheostat. It is simple, crude and not very accurate, the signal of which is transmitted to the fuel gauge on the instrument cluster. They usually build in a few extra miles to be "safe" but they are not very accurate both because the rheostat can be just wound wire, and because the arm can be slightly bent during assembly which would affect "calibration" (such as it is.)

 

[EBdiesel08]

It actually came up today at 19 miles left.

 

[Mach_Tuck]

Sadly, we do not have access to service manuals for the Stinger unless you want to subscribe for hundreds to see it online. But typically, a fuel sending unit is a simple device with a floating capsule connected to an arm that moves a slider along a rheostat. It is simple, crude and not very accurate, the signal of which is transmitted to the fuel gauge on the instrument cluster. They usually build in a few extra miles to be "safe" but they are not very accurate both because the rheostat can be just wound wire, and because the arm can be slightly bent during assembly which would affect "calibration" (such as it is.)

Agreed on all. For my E46 M3, the light comes on, supposedly, when 1.6 gal of fuel remain. This equates to roughly 50 miles and it is pretty consistent.

I can understand calibration and such but it would be good to know when it is supposed to turn on and i can go from there based on actual MPG. Filled up at 22 remaining today and no light. May just have to fill up the 1 gal portable and drive it until the light shows or 5 remaining...better yet, maybe ill give my Roadside assistance a call and have them deliver me 2 gal!!

 

[eflyguy]

I wonder if there's a drain plug on the tank. Run it low and see how much more comes out?

 

[SOCAL2.0]

most cars won't show 0 miles to empty but what does Stinger show as it runs low on miles to empty?? My light has never come on so I don't know

 

[Ucinn]

I will probably never see the light. I don't on any of my vehicles. It get's down to a quarter tank and I'm looking for a gas station. Good thing about that is after 35 years of driving, I have never ran out of gas

 

[Crisis]

most cars won't show 0 miles to empty but what does Stinger show as it runs low on miles to empty?? My light has never come on so I don't know

My guess is that the Stinger will show 0 miles to empty. My Sonata showed 0 miles to empty more than once and the Stinger's driver info center shares a lot of the same screens. Before you think I'm a nut for taking my tank so low, one of the beefs with Sonata owners was the overly large reserve capacity that had you showing empty with approximately 1/8 of your fuel capacity still left.

 

[BlaydeX15]

I will probably never see the light. I don't on any of my vehicles. It get's down to a quarter tank and I'm looking for a gas station. Good thing about that is after 35 years of driving, I have never ran out of gas

I try to fill at 1/8 to 1/4. I've only run out once, in an intersection outside of my work when gas was $4.70 and I was making min wage. Restarted and made it to my parking spot. Lol. Car was a beater and you had to use the odometer to tell how low it was, since it always showed a full tank.

My wife though? She won't be driving this one. I've never met anyone else who will stop at a gas station for drinks, and then come home and complain about the beeping the car makes when it's at low range. A few years ago, we lived in a bigger city and swapped cars around all the time depending on who had the good parking spot, and I don't think she put gas in either of our cars more than a handful of times in the ~2.5 years we lived there.

As for the light, I should be able to hit 10-20 miles remaining next week sometime, and will take a picture. I saw it during my test drive. Damn stingy dealers.

I'm thinking the "low" light comes on based off of volume, not remaining mileage, which is why some people aren't seeing it at 15, but others see it at 20. I'm also pretty sure the car pretends that it's tank is smaller than it is. I last filled at dead on 1/8th based off of the gauge. You'd think filling 7/8ths of a 16 gallon tank would be 14 gallons, but it was barely 12.5. Car must have >1 gallon in reserve.

 

[Mach_Tuck]

I'm thinking the "low" light comes on based off of volume, not remaining mileage, which is why some people aren't seeing it at 15, but others see it at 20. I'm also pretty sure the car pretends that it's tank is smaller than it is. I last filled at dead on 1/8th based off of the gauge. You'd think filling 7/8ths of a 16 gallon tank would be 14 gallons, but it was barely 12.5. Car must have >1 gallon in reserve.

I would hope this as well and thats the info i want to know. Id like to know that the light indicates XX gallons. i can take it from there. Ive not put more than 14 in in any event and a few times the needle was def on the last bar.

Id rather know the volume remaining and current miles on tank than trust the gauge or the range reading.

 

[MikeyCanuck]

most cars won't show 0 miles to empty but what does Stinger show as it runs low on miles to empty?? My light has never come on so I don't know

I believe it did show 0 km briefly and then it went to a few hyphens... I was sweating and gripping the steering wheel hard until I got to the gas station... should have taken a pic!

 

[JasonC3962]

I got down to 10 miles remaining, car took 15 gallons to fill. That was close! I think the light came on with about 30 miles remaining

 

[mldavis2]

If I may interrupt here, there is one factor that is being overlooked and perhaps O.T. but it should be mentioned. The low pressure fuel pump on the Stinger (and on virtually all cars these days) is an electric pump inside the tank. It depends on the position of the pickup tube to suck up the last dregs of fuel. Sometimes on a low tank, if the pickup tube is flexible, cornering on a near-empty tank can cause the pickup tube to move a little which would change the amount of remaining fuel it is able to pick up. In addition these pumps are electric and are lubricated to some degree by surrounding fuel. If you run the pump dry, it will cavitate and lose lubrication and possibly seize up and fail. It is always a good practice to fill the tank before it runs dead empty.

 

[ScottE]

Interesting discussion. On my Optima, the light came on predictably at 36 miles of range. I haven't seen it on my stinger yet...

 

[Mach_Tuck]

If I may interrupt here, there is one factor that is being overlooked and perhaps O.T. but it should be mentioned. The low pressure fuel pump on the Stinger (and on virtually all cars these days) is an electric pump inside the tank. It depends on the position of the pickup tube to suck up the last dregs of fuel. Sometimes on a low tank, if the pickup tube is flexible, cornering on a near-empty tank can cause the pickup tube to move a little which would change the amount of remaining fuel it is able to pick up. In addition these pumps are electric and are lubricated to some degree by surrounding fuel. If you run the pump dry, it will cavitate and lose lubrication and possibly seize up and fail. It is always a good practice to fill the tank before it runs dead empty.

Agreed, in no way was i suggesting to run it dry. Merely seeking to understand when and it comes on.

 

[RVance]

Run til light comes on. Fill. Subtract gal's. from 15.9. Estimate range?

 

[Mach_Tuck]

Run til light comes on. Fill. Subtract gal's. from 15.9. Estimate range?

Will do this after i put 1gal into portable container just in case the light comes on "late"

 

[BlaydeX15]

@Mach_Tuck

Bumping this with an answer: Drove my car till the light came on at 22 miles til empty. When I filled, it was at 16 miles DTE and I ended up putting 14.34 gallons in. Think it's pretty safe to assume that the light comes on at 2 actual gallons left, and the car has 1 gallon in reserve that doesn't show on the gauge or DTE measurement.

Would have filled it immediately at the light, but I left it with family over the weekend to have it dropped off to get some audio work done. They hotrodded it a bit and left me lower than expected.