New Guy w/a question

[marcusa]

I recently bought a 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue to replace my wrecked Saturn SL1. It's a real beauty and I love every bit of it. I have noticed one thing though, even when I run the gas tank low I can never put in more than 13 gals. After filling up the gauge read full, so I know it's filled up. My dad's Taurus doesn' like to fill up properly, is my car this way too or should I drop the gas tank and look for cocaine packages or something?

[THe_DeTAiL3R]

Fuel tank capacity is 17gal according to edmunds.com ... so if you're putting in 13gal (which is 50L) that would seem pretty normal.

[1990lumina]

Run it till it actually runs out of gas, then fill it. I'm pretty sure the guage has a little inaccuracy to it.

[JNGTP94]

and isnt there something like 2gallons left in the tank once the gas light comes on in these cars as well? i know all companys are different on it but most do have a small amount in there after the light comes on

[chadz34]

Personally, I'd check for the cocaine.

[THe_DeTAiL3R]

Look how flat these things are. Once they read "E" or close to empty, theres still gonna be a fair bit left even after it sucks all the fumes...

 

(this is 88-96 w-body gas tank BTW)

 

[john99gtp]

yea i heard something like 3 gallons after it reaches E, and we all know the light comes on before E anyways.

[sl3196]

Most I've ever put in the GTP was 14.7 gallons. And that needle was well below E.

[Dannymik]

yea i heard something like 3 gallons after it reaches E, and we all know the light comes on before E anyways.

 

thats why its a warning light...I've heard that running your car til that light comes on every time you fill up is bad for the fuel pump. I personally try to fill up at the 1/4-1/8th tank point.

[marcusa]

Thanks guys. That is a really flat gas tank, though. I was just checking to see if I was the norm or an anomally. And I ran it on Empty for a little while to check and I was surprised it kept going at all (and that it only took 13 gallons to fill it up).

 

And yes, running it low is bad for the fuel pump. The fuel pump uses the gas flow and gas around it to keep it cool, by running it low it has less gas to cool itself with and also has to work harder. This phenomenon can be observed by the fact that your gas gauge always moves up a bit when your engine warms up, especially in the morning. And fuel pump or not, running it low will let more condensation fall and also will suck all the trash in the tank right onto your filter.

[john99gtp]

i did not know running it low was bad for the pump

 

oops :oops:

[digitaloutsider]

i did not know running it low was bad for the pump

 

oops :oops:

Yep. Marcusa is dead on. We had to replace the fuel pump in our Grand Am at 45k miles because my mom ran it completely dry all the time. She'd always pull into the station running on fumes.

[Kalgorn]

Tell me something... why would a person ever let their tank run that low anyway? As low as your mom ran it. I just don't understand. Why even take that chance?

[Dannymik]

because "E" means enough

[jeremy]

Tell me something... why would a person ever let their tank run that low anyway? As low as your mom ran it. I just don't understand. Why even take that chance?

 

I don't get it either, my tank rarely goes below 1/2

[Kalgorn]

I used to do that until I realized how many miles I can get out of a tank. If I drive really nice (which rarely happens) I can pull 300 miles easy. I usually fill up at about 260-270 miles anymore, just to be sure.

[THe_DeTAiL3R]

Fuck, since my old gastank leaked last winter I never put much more than 1/3rd in and would fill up when it started to go past 1/4. I love having a gastank that doesn't leak now, cause I hate not having lots of gas!