# Gas tank capacity test **URL:** \ **Category:** Power/Fuel\ **Tags:** cr-v, honda\ **Created:** [July 13, 2017, 3:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833 "2017-07-13T15:01:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 3:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833/41 "2017-07-14T03:17:54Z")
Now here’s an idea back to the past. My 59 VW didn’t have gas gauge but a small reserve tank. You’d drive it till it stumbled and then reach down and flip the tank lever. You knew you were out of gas then. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 3:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833/42 "2017-07-14T03:37:21Z")
Flagged as troll. He’s being a jerk intentionally. Let’s move on and let him go find some other forum to annoy. ---
**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 11:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833/43 "2017-07-14T11:11:32Z")
Guys: I’m with the OP on this one. When my “low fuel” light comes on, I like to have some sense of how far I can go before I need to get gas. In some cars it’s 20 miles, in others it’s 100 miles. Then, I don’t see how running out of fuel will damage a catalytic converter. Sure there might be a momentary sputter, but that shouldn’t kill a converter. Last. Yes running out of fuel does deprive the fuel pump lubrication. We can only speculate how much damage it does and how quickly it happens. Cars run out of gas all the time. Some drivers seem to make a habit of it. Perhaps that’s the reason a new pump is needed when the car reaches 150K miles. We can share the pump risk with the OP and then let him decide if it’s a choice he wants to make. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 12:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833/44 "2017-07-14T12:47:10Z")
Yeah, that’s what we did, and then he started namecalling. I didn’t flag it as a troll because he asked the question. I flagged him as a troll because of the “sheep like” crack, in addition to being a general jerk to TSM with the Trump/Clinton nonsense. He’s not here to ask a question and read the answers, he’s here to ask a question and then abuse the answerers. ---
**Author:** ![wolyrobb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wolyrobb/32/45497_2.png) [@wolyrobb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wolyrobb)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 2:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833/45 "2017-07-14T14:12:31Z")
My dad’s Bug (uncertain of exact year) was the same, but mom didn’t know about the lever when she was driving it. ---
**Author:** ![Thornback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f07891/32.png) [@Thornback](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Thornback)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 2:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833/46 "2017-07-14T14:17:53Z")
Mind over matter. I always gas up when my gauge shows only a quarter tank left. Who cares how much a tank actually holds or how far you can go on a tank. This is just a bunch of numbers. You can only replace what the engine uses. And today anyone who runs out of gas is a fool. ---
**Author:** ![wolyrobb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wolyrobb/32/45497_2.png) [@wolyrobb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wolyrobb)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 2:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833/47 "2017-07-14T14:21:55Z")
I just checked the owners manual for my '15 Forester and the low fuel warning light comes on with approximately 2.6 Gallons left. ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 2:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833/48 "2017-07-14T14:38:48Z")
> [@John\_F\_Bramfeld](#): > > How happy would you be with a temperature/pressure/rpm/speedometer gauge that is correct plus or minus 9%? I’d be perfectly happy with that, and I think you will have to be too. The fuel level sensor is no more accurate than the ball float in your toilet tank, and with the constant difference in temperature and sloshing around at 60mph this is literally a “your mileage will vary scenario”. Also, remember, gas station pumping equipment isn’t perfectly accurate either. That 15 gallon fill-up may be off by as much as a pint or so in either direction. ---
**Author:** ![Waterbuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f07891/32.png) [@Waterbuff](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Waterbuff)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 3:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833/49 "2017-07-14T15:24:59Z")
> [@JoeMario](#): > > When my “low fuel” light comes on, I like to have some sense of how far I can go before I need to get gas. In some cars it’s 20 miles, in others it’s 100 miles. I think most people (including me) have no disagreement with this. And I would guess that most people do not run their tanks dry to figure out that ‘sense’. > [@JoeMario](#): > > Cars run out of gas all the time. Some drivers seem to make a habit of it. > > We can share the pump risk with the OP I’m not sure that drivers run out of gas intentionally, even if it might seem to be a ‘habit’. The hassle of it happening, and the risk of an accident, should deter most drivers. That’s why the risk to the pump isn’t the only, or even the main, issue. The risk of what’s happening in possible traffic when the OP runs out is more significant because it puts risk on others. ---
**Author:** ![JoeMario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3bc359/32.png) [@JoeMario](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JoeMario)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 3:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833/50 "2017-07-14T15:58:13Z")
> [@Waterbuff](#): > > And I would guess that most people do not run their tanks dry to figure out that ‘sense’. I do agree with you on this one. Though some of us will chose that approach in a controlled environment (quiet roads + gallon of gas in the trunk) to get that answer. I know I have. It’s not wrong - just different. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 5:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833/51 "2017-07-14T17:03:48Z")
> [@patgurr](#): > > Mind over matter. I always gas up when my gauge shows only a quarter tank left. Who cares how much a tank actually holds or how far you can go on a tank. This is just a bunch of numbers. You can only replace what the engine uses. And today anyone who runs out of gas is a fool. +1 to everything that you stated. I can recall that my brother ran out of gas a couple of times when he was a teenager, with his '54 Ford, but he was “pushing the envelope” because he was very short on cash and was trying to get to the only cut-rate gas station in the county. After the second time, he learned his lesson, and began filling-up when he got to the 1/4 mark. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 5:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833/52 "2017-07-14T17:09:14Z")
The last time I ran out of gas was about 1966 with my Morris Minor, but it got about 20 miles to a tank of gas. I think half the carb was missing and I used to carry a 5 gallon can of gas in the trunk. If I knew then what I know now, I would have repaired the carb. ---
**Author:** ![Renegade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Renegade](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Renegade)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 6:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833/53 "2017-07-14T18:20:29Z")
I run out of gas on the average of once every month or so but my truck has 2 tank’s so all I have to do is hit the switch & change tank’s that give’s plenty of time & mile’s to get to the next station. ---
**Author:** ![Waterbuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f07891/32.png) [@Waterbuff](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Waterbuff)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 6:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833/54 "2017-07-14T18:35:46Z")
> [@Renegade](#): > > I run out of gas on the average of once every month or so but my truck has 2 tank’s so all I have to do is hit the switch & change tank’s that give’s plenty of time & mile’s to get to the next station. Interesting. Does each tank have a pump cooled by fuel? That would mean your pumps can handle running dry. ---
**Author:** ![Renegade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Renegade](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Renegade)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 6:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833/55 "2017-07-14T18:47:49Z")
Yes both tank’s have a pump ---
**Author:** ![pyrolord314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6a8cbe/32.png) [@pyrolord314](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pyrolord314)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 7:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833/56 "2017-07-14T19:22:25Z")
If it were me, I’d probably switch them around a 1/4 tank to protect the fuel pump, but that is definitely a hand feature to have 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Renegade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Renegade](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Renegade)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 7:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833/57 "2017-07-14T19:26:45Z")
I do that mostly but every now & agin I forget. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 3:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833/58 "2017-07-15T03:28:23Z")
> [@shadowfax](#): > > in addition to being a general jerk to TSM with the Trump/Clinton nonsense. I didn’t even understand that one. And, frankly, I’d honestly rather not know. 😜 ---
**Author:** ![sgtrock21](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/sgtrock21/32/246_2.png) [@sgtrock21](https://community.cartalk.com/u/sgtrock21)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 4:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833/59 "2017-07-15T04:00:02Z")
I’ve done that a couple times with dual tanks. Of course that would multiply the OP’s puzzle times 2. ---
**Author:** ![sgtrock21](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/sgtrock21/32/246_2.png) [@sgtrock21](https://community.cartalk.com/u/sgtrock21)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2017, 4:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833/60 "2017-07-15T04:05:02Z")
I forgot once and the van stuttered on an interstate downgrade. I think the pump shuts off in the empty tank when you switch. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833.md?page=2) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas-tank-capacity-test/105833.md?page=4)