"Empty" issues

[SterlingDave]

On my first long trip with gennie a few weeks ago, I noticed some issues:

1. Distance to empty seems to be well short of what the [actual] gas left should support.

2. The gas gauge shows near empty and low fuel warning light comes on too soon (at least it appears to do so).

3. I was averaging about 26.5 (per the trip computer) on the interstate. That should have allowed me over 500 miles for a full tank.

4. After approx. 400 miles the low fuel indicator light came on and the distance to empty showed about 30 miles.

Note:The owners' handbook says "Driving with the fuel level warning light on or with the fuel level below “E” can cause the engine to misfire and damage the catalytic converter."

Naturally, I stopped as soon as possible (after about 5 miles) and gassed up. I was displeased to note that the tank took 16.4 gallons to fill. And, yes, I had filled the car myself just before starting the trip.

I think I read that a couple of members have stated getting about 500 miles out of a tank, WTF?

So, I have a couple of questions:

1. Is there some way to manipulate the trip computer/gas gauge/low fuel warning light?

2. Should I take the Owner's Manual's warning at face value?

3. Am I stuck with refilling the car (on highway trips) with refilling when ever the low fuel light comes on (approx 400 mi)?

4. Am I beating my head against a brick wall expecting any other results?

GRRRRRRR.

BTW, I got about the same mileage on the second leg of the trip, but I went ahead and filled up after about 300 miles.

 

[TJPark01]

So, I have a couple of questions:

1. Is there some way to manipulate the trip computer/gas gauge/low fuel warning light?
2. Should I take the Owner's Manual's warning at face value?
3. Am I stuck with refilling the car (on highway trips) with refilling when ever the low fuel light comes on (approx 400 mi)?
4. Am I beating my head against a brick wall expecting any other results?

My experience the gauge goes to E with 4-4.5 gallons left in the tank. The light comes on with 3-3.5 gallons left. The most gas I was able to fill the car with was 18 gallons, which means there was 2.3 gallons left. I had driven about 510 miles all highway. (which in theory I could have gotten to 550 easily).
1. No.
2. Yes, probably. Heard that driving wih very little gas can affect fuel pump, but I suspect the warning the manufacturer gives is for your saftey and to limit their liability
3. Probably yes.
4. Definitely yes.

 

[dataguy]

Since the trip computer calculations are based on averages anyway and since some drivers tend to take "distance remaining" too literally, I think they err on the side of caution. While you could get 25+ MPG off of the remaining fuel, you also could get 12.5 MPG.

As with any car, you can probably just ballpark your safety margin once the light does come on.

One other thought is that I'm not sure whether the tank fuel capacity is actual or theoretical. Somehow, I think even if you ran the car until it stopped that the published tank numbers wouldn't correspond to the amount you put in.

 

[ctrcbob]

Dave,

This is a non issue. The cars computer computes the DTEby figuring the type of driving you did in the last (and I'm guessing here) 800 or 1000 miles. If you ever take a loooong trip, you will notice that the "Distance to Empty" figure will more closely be correct.

The same if you just came off of a long road trip, and started to drive only around town, your Distance to Empty figure will be wrong, as it is calculating from the past xxxxx number of miles.

Non Issue. Just believe your gas gauge. Thats what I do.

 

[mcginnpm]

The book says, "This mode indicates the estimated distance to empty based on the current fuel in the fuel tank and the amount of fuel delivered to the engine." but I think Bob is correct in that the car "remembers" what your past fuel economy was to make it's overall estimate.

I haven't paid much attention to it, but I'm thinking it only looks at how you did for average mpg on the previous tank of gas.

I took a long, highway trip after a lot of city driving. When I tanked up before starting the trip, the DTE quoted was way too low, but as the trip progressed it seemed to keep updating the "guess" with a mix of current mpg and that from the previous tank of gas.

Conversely, when I got home from my trip and did a bunch of city driving, the DTE was overly optimistic on the first tank of gas. As I burned that tank of gas down, the DTE kept getting more and more realistic. When I filled up again, the DTE was then what I usually saw for my daily in-town driving, so I don't think it's keeping track of past mpg for 800-1000 miles.

 

[wallymn]

I don't mind the DTE missing but the fuel gage should not report empty and "low fuel" warning when there is 3.5 gallons in the tank.

17% full should not trigger a critical fuel warning.


I have started to ignore the warning, I drive about 50 miles past the low warning light and I still haven't put more than 18 gallons in the tank.

 

[ttsig]

I'm not sure the "low fuel" light is supposed to indicate a "critical fuel warning". To me, 3.5 gallons seems about right for such a warning, although I guess it could vary based on where you live. When driving on a long trip a warning at 75-100 miles doesn't seem that early since there are places on a few of my trips where gas is easily 50 miles apart, at least if I'm driving at night. My wife's van give about 75-80 miles of driving, and my Ranger used to light around 1/8 of a tank, which was about 50 miles, and seemed awfully short sometimes. I don't find the Genny all that different. I think of the "low fuel" light more as a reminder in case you get distracted and aren't paying attention to the gauge. I know there's probably 100 miles in the tank, but I probably won't drive that far.

I usually base my fillups on some combination of fuel level, MPG, and total miles driven. I regularly drive 500+ miles between fillups in my V6, usually filling up after the DTE has gone to '---'. Even with this rarely have I ever put 19 gallons in it, usually 18.5-18.7.

 

[scottdk]

I don't mind the DTE missing but the fuel gage should not report empty and "low fuel" warning when there is 3.5 gallons in the tank.

17% full should not trigger a critical fuel warning.


I have started to ignore the warning, I drive about 50 miles past the low warning light and I still haven't put more than 18 gallons in the tank.

I've even put 19.9 gallons in once

 

[TJPark01]

I've even put 19.9 gallons in once

Whoa that's pushing the boundaries of space and time. Reminds me... you ever see that Seinfeld where Kramer goes on the test drive and they see how long they can go on E?
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuEdU_lrtZk"]YouTube- Kramer test drives car on Seinfeld[/ame]

 

[mcginnpm]

...but the fuel gage should not report empty and "low fuel" warning when there is 3.5 gallons in the tank.

The lawyers probably made them design it that way.

I went back to review the owner's manual and was shocked to find that it does not even mention an estimated fuel remaining when the light comes on. All my other cars with low fuel lights would mention that "there is approximately X.X gallons of gas when the low fuel light illuminates".

The Genny sedan's light must come on at about 3 gallons remaining (+/-). I typically drive until I get a light and then I fill up. On average I'm putting 17 gallons in each time.

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[SterlingDave]

I've even put 19.9 gallons in once

Scott, you like living on the ragged edge, don't you? Remind me not to ride with you in your car. The suspense would kill me.

As for the rest of you gentlemen, thanks for the inputs; I feel better about the numbers I have been getting and the appropriate interpretation of same. We came back to Denver yesterday (an 835 mile pull) and I was much more comfortable with your combined knowledge and experiences. It now seems that bladder issues take precedence over trivial issues like how much gas is left. <= me <= the wife So, if we fill up when we tend to "other" matters, everyone is happy (more or less).

(The two gallon gas can in the trunk eases my mind more than a little.)

Editorial: after having driven gennie for two 835 trips I am convinced that Hyundai has built a GREAT car for a better than fair price!

And Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

 

[sandy]

FWIW, when I bought my first fuel injected car (1981 Saab), I remember the service guy telling me not to let the fuel run too low in the tank because sediment can be picked up and clog the injectors.

(Jeez. How come I can remember that and I can't remember where I put the house keys last night?)

 

[CanukV6]

The Low Fuel Light and the DTE are definitely very pessimistic. Unless you are at the point where the fuel pump cannot pick-up fuel from the tank, I can't see how you could harm the engine or catalytic converter. Even then you might be running the engine a bit lean (which isn't good) but I'm sure the electronic monitors will cut the engine anyway if it starts behaving abnormally. Let's face it, people do run out of fuel, fuel pumps quit, gas lines freeze (at least up here they do ), so I can't believe our Genny's are any more vunerable than any other cars. Hyundai is just covering their corporate butts!

What really annoys me is that my DTE display will count down to 50km and then go blank and start flashing. This makes no sense. Most cars I've had with this feature will count down to zero and some will even go negative! When I filled up recently after a few miles of the DTE flashing blank, there were still 6 litres (about 1.6 galls) of fuel left in the tank. Based upon my calculated average mileage (which I have found to be quite accurate by the way) that would have been good for at least another 64km (40 miles).

 

[TJPark01]

What really annoys me is that my DTE display will count down to 50km and then go blank and start flashing. This makes no sense. .

News to me. The ones in the US don't flash they just go blank. Just looking at the fuel system, there doesn't seem to be too much danger in damaging the engine per say. There is a gas pressure regulator, and the only concern I would have with running the tank too low is that newer cars have the pumps in the gas tank and in warmer climates the fuel will keep the temp of the pump cooler.

 

[mcginnpm]

Sediment at the fuel injectors shouldn't be the reason for not running the tank low (isn't that why they put a fuel filter between the tank and the motor?). I think TJPark01 hit the nail on the head. Most cars today have electric fuel pumps and many have then in the tank itself. Electric motors that pump liquids generally don't like it when they are run dry. Small, high performance pumps that are immersed in liquid probably don't like sitting high and dry.

 

[ttsig]

News to me. The ones in the US don't flash they just go blank. Just looking at the fuel system, there doesn't seem to be too much danger in damaging the engine per say.

Mine flashes "---" under 30 miles. Perhaps different Tech vs other models (mine's a base model)? I believe I could probably drive 60+ miles at that point but I usually fill up within 5-10 miles of that point.

 

[ashs]

Mine flashes "---" under 30 miles. Perhaps different Tech vs other models (mine's a base model)? I believe I could probably drive 60+ miles at that point but I usually fill up within 5-10 miles of that point.

My US 2010 Tech does the same thing (flashes "---").

 

[CanukV6]

I think TJPark01 hit the nail on the head. Most cars today have electric fuel pumps and many have then in the tank itself. Electric motors that pump liquids generally don't like it when they are run dry. Small, high performance pumps that are immersed in liquid probably don't like sitting high and dry.

Probably correct, although I'd bet that Hyundai (and others) engineer things so that the pump is never high & dry, which probably explains why there are a few litres left in the tank at "Empty".

To clarify, my DTE display flashes "----" below 50km.