How much fuel do you take?

[Dusty_GMT800]

I looked online and google says I've got a 26 gallon tank in my 02 Tahoe, however the pump says otherwise, after driving roughly 180 miles, using 3/4 of a tank, my tahoe only took 14 gallons. Which is pretty far off from what it should have taken.
So how much gas do you guys usually take to fill up?

 

[iamdub]

The gauge isn't very linear. It's only half-ass accurate at full and empty. If you really wanna test it, carry a can of gas with you next time the tank is low and go until it sputters. Have you tested this out a few times? Some pumps are sensitive and shut off easily. If you wait about 20 seconds, you can put more gas in it. I've had pumps shut off but then I ended up adding an additional 3-4 gallons.

 

[CamReynolds]

i just made a thread about this. gauge tells me i have way less gas than i do. and i always burn the 2nd half of the tank much faster than the first

 

[iamdub]

i just made a thread about this. gauge tells me i have way less gas than i do. and i always burn the 2nd half of the tank much faster than the first

I've always noticed this with any GM vehicle I've ever owned/driven. I think it has something to do with the length and location of the float arm in relation to the shape of the tank. It's like GM engineers didn't invest much time in it. They got it "close" and moved on. They should've invested more time on this and the design of the fuel pump power and ground circuits.

 

[Dusty_GMT800]

The gauge isn't very linear. It's only half-ass accurate at full and empty. If you really wanna test it, carry a can of gas with you next time the tank is low and go until it sputters. Have you tested this out a few times? Some pumps are sensitive and shut off easily. If you wait about 20 seconds, you can put more gas in it. I've had pumps shut off but then I ended up adding an additional 3-4 gallons.

It'll show full after the gas pump cuts off. I might do that soon to see how much the truck will take.

 

[CamReynolds]

The gauge isn't very linear. It's only half-ass accurate at full and empty. If you really wanna test it, carry a can of gas with you next time the tank is low and go until it sputters. Have you tested this out a few times? Some pumps are sensitive and shut off easily. If you wait about 20 seconds, you can put more gas in it. I've had pumps shut off but then I ended up adding an additional 3-4 gallons.

Dont they say never to top off haha

 

[swathdiver]

I once drove 50 miles and the whole time the Tech2 said I had 11% fuel left. Mine comes off of full rather quickly and then moves steadily to 1/4 where it stays a while. ALL of my other GM cars were the opposite. When the idiot light comes on, it's still rare to put in much more than 26 gallons. Being that the tank is long, I reckon there's about 3 gallons of unusable gas; mine is rated for 31.2 gallons or 31.5 depending on the source.

 

[adventurenali92]

I think my XL is supposed to have the bigger tank but it never seems to take that much to fill. I’ll have to clock it as I start driving when I get home. I’m curious now...

 

[M1Gunner]

Never continue to fill the tank after the pump cuts off the first time. You continue to do so and you will soon have an issue with your Evap system, wether it’s replacing the vent selonoid, canister or both. That will cause premature failure of a component that may be rather pricey. If the tank is not filling as fast or to the proper level then you already have issues.

 

[swathdiver]

With the old G-bodies, we could fill them up past full, store fuel in the filler neck! My '06 Montana with all the same computer gizmos as our trucks can also take on more than its tank is rated for. But our other Montana, the 2004, rarely takes on more than 21 gallons and those two tanks are both rated at 25.1 gallons.

In my ignorance I used to fight the clicking pumps to fill them up all the way to their rated capacities until I learned what Jason said. Never had a problem with the systems though. Sometimes its the pumps, just drive down the road and finish at another filling station.

 

[iamdub]

Dont they say never to top off haha

I didn't mean topping off. I meant the pump stopped and I noticed the gallons dispensed seemed a bit low, so I tried again and it stayed on for another few gallons. I've had this happen a few times over the years.

I don't really "top off". But I do run it to the next even dollar. Sorry, but my OCD won't let me leave it otherwise. I'll pull the nozzle out and spray the fuel on the ground if I have to.

I was joking about spraying the fuel on the ground. I'm loony, not an idiot.

 

[iamdub]

I once drove 50 miles and the whole time the Tech2 said I had 11% fuel left. Mine comes off of full rather quickly and then moves steadily to 1/4 where it stays a while. ALL of my other GM cars were the opposite. When the idiot light comes on, it's still rare to put in much more than 26 gallons. Being that the tank is long, I reckon there's about 3 gallons of unusable gas; mine is rated for 31.2 gallons or 31.5 depending on the source.

My thinking that it's simple lack of effort in the design and/or position of the float arm and/or shape of the tank is because I vastly improved mine on my S10. I mounted a 2-door Blazer tank behind the axle, centered between the frame rails to replace the original one in front of the axle on the driver's side (part of the improved weight transfer/balancing stuff). I had to modify my original pump module to fit the tank. I took a bunch of careful measurements and positioned the module so that the float arm would max out just a hair before hitting the top and bottom of the tank. I also positioned it so that hard accelerating, braking and cornering would have minimal effect on the gauge readings. All said and done, I've never had a more accurate and stable fuel gauge. "F" meant full and "E" meant empty. When testing it a few times, I consistently had 15-20 miles before it stalled after the light came on, depending on how I was driving it.

 

[CamReynolds]

I didn't mean topping off. I meant the pump stopped and I noticed the gallons dispensed seemed a bit low, so I tried again and it stayed on for another few gallons. I've had this happen a few times over the years.

I don't really "top off". But I do run it to the next even dollar. Sorry, but my OCD won't let me leave it otherwise. I'll pull the nozzle out and spray the fuel on the ground if I have to.

I was joking about spraying the fuel on the ground. I'm loony, not an idiot.

Haha yeah if you don't get the even dollar you are a disorganized human

 

[M1Gunner]

lol I don’t get the whole exact even dollar at the pump anymore. Especially when everyone pays with a card now. I understand it when we had nothing but paper money to pay with and didn’t want a pocket full of change but now everything you buy is not an exact dollar but oh dear lord when we get to that pump better it be exact! LOL!

 

[D is for DENALI]

I still live in a town where you park, grab the pump, hit the gas option , and wait for them inside to turn it on.. population 643, merica...love it

So i pay cash often, and it's always to the nearest .50... I never push the tank capacity, too many things to mess up for only 15 miles...

Granted, Springfield is only 20 miles away and it has 260,000...lol

Ive noticed I tend to carry more cash than others I hang put with, some actually have laughed at me when I laughed at them for not having 1 ******* dollar on them... millenials..pssshh. hahahahahaa

Then they'll retort with something like, " well how much cash do you have on you mister cash macgyver??"

"I have 2 100s and 2 50s in my lower sleeve tucked away,I and whatever cash I have in my regular wallet sleeves"..

"You have over $300 in cash on you right now?!?!"

"Yes, I figure 300 will get you out of any situation or make a deal when a cash purchase arises."

And they look at me like im the weird one...lolz

 

[retiredsparky]

One possible reason for the excess fuel is pump cooling.

However, it doesn't take 6 gallons to cool that little pump. That is how much I have in my tank when "empty". It is probably a combination of sloppy engineering and unknowns. Using the same pump module for multiple vehicles to save purchasing costs for GM maybe? I keep an eye on the trip odometer if I am down at E so it doesn't get too low.

 

[PG01]

I still live in a town where you park, grab the pump, hit the gas option , and wait for them inside to turn it on.. population 643, merica...love it

So i pay cash often, and it's always to the nearest .50... I never push the tank capacity, too many things to mess up for only 15 miles...

Granted, Springfield is only 20 miles away and it has 260,000...lol

Ive noticed I tend to carry more cash than others I hang put with, some actually have laughed at me when I laughed at them for not having 1 ******* dollar on them... millenials..pssshh. hahahahahaa

Then they'll retort with something like, " well how much cash do you have on you mister cash macgyver??"

"I have 2 100s and 2 50s in my lower sleeve tucked away,I and whatever cash I have in my regular wallet sleeves"..

"You have over $300 in cash on you right now?!?!"

"Yes, I figure 300 will get you out of any situation or make a deal when a cash purchase arises."

And they look at me like im the weird one...lolz

I hide emergency backup money in my wallet too. Always have cash in my pocket, i feel strange without. Startedvwhen i was a kid, my father made me carry a key chain with a quarter hidden in it for an emergency phone call at a pay phone.... betcha nobidy knows what that is .... pay phones .... i miss them

Flip up monte and there is room for a quarter in the pocket behind there...lol

 

[Rangel]

My suburban usually stops at 34 gallons.

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[Rangel]

I didn't mean topping off. I meant the pump stopped and I noticed the gallons dispensed seemed a bit low, so I tried again and it stayed on for another few gallons. I've had this happen a few times over the years.

I don't really "top off". But I do run it to the next even dollar. Sorry, but my OCD won't let me leave it otherwise. I'll pull the nozzle out and spray the fuel on the ground if I have to.

I was joking about spraying the fuel on the ground. I'm loony, not an idiot.

Did this one day. Best feeling ever.

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[SirReal63]

My suburban usually stops at 34 gallons.

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How much is that highway versus city?