Running Out of Gas

[Kirkwood]

I ran out of gas the other day in my Genesis sedan when the computer said I had 48 miles to go, the low fuel light was not on and the gas gauge said that I had 1/16 of a tank left. I have previously gone below 30 miles fuel left and not run out of gas, so something changed. Anyone have any idea?

 

[maxmar04]

Hmm, very strange. It could be a couple of things of things I can think of:
Clogged or Busted gas line?
Dirty or faulty fuel sensor?
It couldve been a computer glitch (very possible since it is a very new car making the above scenarios highly unlikely)
There are actually many many things that could have caused this.... Too many for me to list right now

I have gone about 10 miles past the almost empty warning "-- miles left" (comes up after "30 miles left") without running out of gas.

Do not crank the car until you add more gas and rock the car side to side a bit, then head to the dealership and see what they have to say about it.

 

[mikec]

Did the engine really run out of gas or could it have died for some other reason? One out-of-gas possibility is a defective fuel pick-up pipe. A small leak near the bottom of it would make it suck air instead of gas when the gas level is lower than the leak. A dent in the fuel tank that snags the fuel level sensor float, an incorrectly installed sensor/float, and bad sensor/float will make the fuel gauge read incorrectly high.

The Genesis sedan monitors fuel tank level and compares that to what the engine computer thinks it's burned. If the "I've burned this much gas" doesn't compare to "tank says this much gas has been used" then diagnostic code P0461 is set. The tolerance is 11 liters or 2.6 gallons - i.e. if the tank fuel level is more than 2.6 gallons different from what the computer thinks it's burned you'll get the error code. This is used to monitor the fuel system for gross fuel leaks and issues with the evaporative emissions canister (the charcoal canister).

mike c.

 

[genesis20]

Not a good idea to let your tank get past the 1/8 empty level. Running out of gas is not good for the injectors because they need gas for lubrication. At least that used to be the case in older vehicles. Newer engines might be different but I think they still need to be lubricated by gasoline. Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Shawn33]

Along with this the fuel pump is typically submerged in gasline which helps cool it. Running it to empty allows the pump to heat up considerably. Keeping the fuel level above 1/8th will help prolong the life of the fuel pump as well.

Shawn

 

[CanukV6]

The 'Miles to Empty' display should not be relied on, as I believe it uses past average fuel consumption as an indicator, not real time fuel consumption. Therefore if you have had a period of economical highway driving and then you fill up, the M-T-E reading will be quite high. If you then run around the city on hot days with lots of stop and go driving, the actual fuel consumption will be a lot higher than the previous average. While I assume that the system does adapt to the higher consumption (by revising the average fuel consumption) it will still show a false M-T-E reading.

If you Reset your M-T-E at every fill up this problem will be diminished, but for those that never Reset, the average consumption may be a lot higher than actual.

 

[EXBMWGUY]

Add to this the potential harm to the catalytic converter from running out of gas.

 

[Qbedobedoo]

If you Reset your M-T-E ...

How do you reset the MilesToEmpty?? I thought it was a calculated value..

 

[CanukV6]

Sorry, what I should have said is to Reset the Average Fuel Consumption. In my car you scroll through the trip computer display on the Instrument Cluster until you come to Average Fuel Consumption then hold the button down until it resets. On my 2009 there was a seperate Reset button.

 

[swltf183]

In addition to everything else mentioned, all the debris floating on the top of the gas is sucked into the system. Like a bathtub drain. That last swallow contains all the floaters.

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[gameday22]

From Consumer Reports Dated May 2011:


Running on empty: Low gas in the tank can be costly.......


Most motorists today are pained at the thought of filling up with gasoline as prices hover around $4.00, but for those who put off the fuel stop until the last possibly moment, the costs could be even higher.

Waiting until your gas tank is almost empty before a fill up can be pricey, could be dangerous and downright inconvenient. “While the cases are rare, there is real potential of a costly mechanical problem,” says Consumer Reports Auto Test Center shop supervisor and certified mechanic John Ibbotson.

The gasoline acts like a coolant for the electric fuel-pump motor, so when you run very low, this allows the pump to suck in air, which creates heat and can cause the fuel pump to wear prematurely and potentially fail. The repair could end up costing a couple hundred dollars to fix—much more than the $4.00/gallon fill up.

Also, if there is dirt in the fuel tank, it could lead to blocking the fuel filter; again, another expensive repair.

Another effect of driving on a low tank is the risk of getting stranded or even in an accident when the car suddenly stops running--you could be in the middle of a busy highway or on a deserted road.

Luckily, these scary scenarios are preventable. Here are some tips to keep in mind to avoid running out of gas.


1) Keep your gas tank no less than ¼ full.
Fill up before heading out on a long trip or to work as you could get stuck in traffic and have a longer ride than intended.
2) Don’t rely on your car to tell you how many miles are left, as those range numbers can be deceiving and run down quickly, depending on how you drive.
3) We all want to save money at the pump, but instead of driving miles away to the gas station, use online tools or even smart phone apps to find the cheapest gas near your house.

So far, AAA hasn’t seen any measurable increase in roadside assistance calls for running out of gas—it’s still about 2 percent of the 30 million calls they receive each year. Let’s hope it stays that way, for cars stuck on the roadside are dangerous and can lead to traffic congestion, which in turn can reduce the fuel economy for hundreds of passersby.

 

[G-264958]

I have a 2011 Hyundai genesis 4.6 and my fuel reader keep saying I have 200 miles til empty even when my car is on full? IS THAT A BAD FUSE?

 

[homeofstone]

sending unit in the fuel tank is going bad. They do ware out in any car.

 

[Gunkk]

sending unit in the fuel tank is going bad. They do ware out in any car.

+1 This.

Good news is you can DIY this repair. You can get at it by lifting out the back seat.