For some reason, I thought the fuel capacity in the xB was 9.9 gallons, but then I watched the CD that came with it and it said the tank holds 11.9. I was wondering then how much fuel is actually left in the car when the low fuel light comes on. Thanks for the help.

 

It's about two gallons. You have plenty of time to get to a gas station, but don't push it. Frequently running it low may cause damage to your fuel system.

I always fill up at 1/4 tank, before the light comes on.

 

^^^^ That man has all the answers!!

11.9 Sounds about right.

 

and in other posts, they say the light comes on between 11/2 - 2 gallons left.

Can't low gas volume cause vapor lock in cold weather, or is that a thing of the past with fuel injection. << Caution response may be full of it and incorrect.

 

A quick google search on "vapor lock" to save some typing and a quick cut and paste from: http://www.misterfixit.com/vaprlock.htm
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Vapor lock is highly unlikely with today's fuel systems. Vapor lock occurs when the vapor pressure of the fuel is higher than the surrounding environment. In older engines with "sucking" fuel pumps at the engine the pressure in the fuel line to the tank was reduced by the sucking action of the fuel pump drawing fuel form a fuel tank nearly twenty feet away, and when heated, the gasoline actually boiled creating a vapor of gasoline which the fuel pump could not handle, thus the name "vapor lock".

Today's fuel pumps are in the fuel tank where they push the fuel under pressure to the engine systems. Excessive fuel which is not used is sent back to the fuel tank. This causes a constant flow of pressurized, cool fuel in the lines to the engine system, be it fuel injection or carburetor. As a result you would have to heat the fuel line with a propane torch to get the fuel to boil and even then it would be cooled by the flowing fuel circulating from the tank to the engine and back again to the tank. Vapor lock as we once knew it is a thing of the past.

 

So vapor lock is a thing of the past, but for different reasons than I thought.

Thanks.

 

Don't forget that the light comes on at about 2 gallons left, but then it starts flashing once you get down to about 1 gallon. Just fill up the tank just after the light comes on, then subtract the amount you added from 11.9, then you know how much your tank has when the light comes on.

The only danger in running low on gas is the possibility of having some junk in the tank from some bad gas. Dirt sits on the bottom, so running low can suck up the dirt and clog the filter. It's rare, but it does happen.

 

The only thing that might get damaged from running too low on fuel will be the fuel pump overheating and stop working. The fuel actually cools the pump and extends it's life. Forget about trash in the pump, it has a screen on the end of the pickup. Until the warranty ends I wouldn't worry bout it though.

 

Thanks gang for the excellent 411.

 

I have never seen mine flash,Do all years do this or have I never ran it that low?

Scott

 

You usually need to get it halfway between 1/4 tank and empty for it to come on. Mine has never flashed, but don't get me to lying. I don't know if it flashes or not. ARRG!

 

in my experience it comes on a little after 9 gallons have been used (from full tank) ... I verified this at the pump by filling up and not topping off. So you probably have at least 2.5 gallons left. But its probably safer to treat it as 2.

I basically try to not let the trip meter get over 330 miles per fillup. So I pretty much start looking after it hits 300.

 

I never seen it flash but what i noticed was common in my moms old 91 prizm was the light would come on then go off a few miles then come back on 10 15 miles later. i was close to running my tank bone dry once and it never flashed. just stayed on.

If it flashed i would have had a panic attack

 

Yes, on my first tank, the light went on, then off again, and came back on again in a couple miles.

 

My 2000 Beetle used to light up, but it would also beep every couple of minutes. It would freak-out my wife and she'd make me stop and fill up.

 

In late 82 I bought an 83 Maxima SW with the 6 cyl diesel. Back then the voice warning systems were popular and this one had it installed. The first several tanks I would run the tank down low til the light came on but the voice warning would never come on. I wasn't sure if it was a defect but had always been told to never run a diesel out of fuel So I was reluctant to really run it down. My wife kept saying it would get to the point that it coughed once as it ran out and then the voice would come on "I told you so!" Her rational was that it was a womans voice and she sounded married
Eventually I got up enough nerve and would run it til the voice came on. Typically it would take another 30 to 40 miles after the light came on. I think there was still at least 2 gallons left at that time.

Walt

 

only problem with this...we do not have a fuel return system...
it was discovered that the returning fuel was warmer (duh...absorbed engine heat when it was there) and still caused some vapor lock problems. the problems were very few but it still happened.

so here comes the returnless systems again, this time with purge systems and better charcoal canister set ups...

 

My light turns on when there's about 2.5 gallons left..

 

My light pops on at about 2 gal's left...but don't try to run it low that often...usually fill up at 1/4 tank

 

From a different angle:

I always really-really top off the tank - just so I don't have to fill up every single day - and so I can check my mileage accurately.

So, on the way home I was watching the miles (trip meter) and the fuel guage. Till this tank I'd not exceded 400 miles. Ha! This tank 400.1. Not kidding. I'd already decided if it didn't get to 400 I was going to go around the station until it did.
Anyway I pumped 10.364 gallons (again - really topped off).

And - NO low fuel light on - not flashing - not steady. Anyone know how much the filler neck holds

Thought for sure, based on the lack of light, I was going to hit the 40mpg mark (My Sorry Goal in Life) - but it wasn't to be - 38.6 was all she wrote - Daing It