Miles to Empty seems way off

[Coachdad]

So far I've only gone through 2 tanks of gas.

• First tank I had 25 miles to empty but the fill up only took 30 gallons of gas
• 2nd tank I had 75 miles to empty but the fill up only took 27 gallons of gas

I was expecting to take well over 30 gallons both times.. Having a 36 gallon tank that only has a range for 30 gallons isn't as useful as it should be.
Is the computer still learning, or is this what I should expect all the time?
Is this normal for the Tremor?

 

[Bill-in-CenTex]

I’ve had the same experience with a little over 2,000 miles on the odometer. The most I’ve gotten into the tank is 31.5 gallons, with 20 miles showing to empty. My Tremor has the 36 gallon tank, per the window sticker; this just doesn’t add up.

 

[df4801]

My guess is that when computer says 20 miles to go, you probably could go another 70-75.

Who wants to test it! Lol.

 

[High_Country]

I expect there's a margin of safety built in. I have a 2015 F-150 with a 36 gallon tank and I've taken it down to 10 or 15 MTE and I think the most I've ever got in it was 32.5 or so. So, I don't consider it some major mistake or failure of engineering, I just think there's some margin built in. PLUS, I would guess it's not good to suck the tank down to very last dreggs left in there. I'm not familiar with exactly how the tank and sump and all that is designed, but sounds like a good way to suck up any crap that might be at the very bottom. I don't know...

It wouldn't bother me to get close to zero from my experience in my 2015 with the 36 gallon tank.

 

[TucciEd]

Odd.. unfortunately would be too much of a pain test here in the nanny state of NJ..
1. There's a $100 cutoff per transaction
2. Can't pump our own gas.. so...
3. because of 1 & 2 + gas prices, if I fill up when it's that's low, it would cut off before full.. then attendant would need to run card again and new transaction. Pretty much doubling my time at the pump lol.

Just venting - I am curious the reason. Guessing it never wants you to get that low?

 

[High_Country]

I'm guessing it's more liability/legal reasons for people that aren't smart enough or willing to manage these things on their own. Can you imagine the blame and firestorm that would reign down upon Ford if someone ran out of gas when their MTE computer still showed 2 miles? Oh the humanity. I'm sure it would result in someone being stranded in the middle of nowhere during an ice storm, someone dying, and Ford getting slapped with a $1 BILLION dollar lawsuit.
(Personal opinion here - I think a lot of people don't manage their lives with enough margin, enough room for error or just bad luck, or just life. And anything they can rely on to take their efforts out of the equation they'll take...that way they can blame something else. Sh!t happens, best have a little cushion here and there for it. ...slowly stepping down off soap box...)

 

[TucciEd]

I'm guessing it's more liability/legal reasons for people that aren't smart enough or willing to manage these things on their own. Can you imagine the blame and firestorm that would reign down upon Ford if someone ran out of gas when their MTE computer still showed 2 miles? Oh the humanity. I'm sure it would result in someone being stranded in the middle of nowhere during an ice storm, someone dying, and Ford getting slapped with a $1 BILLION dollar lawsuit.
(Personal opinion here - I think a lot of people don't manage their lives with enough margin, enough room for error or just bad luck, or just life. And anything they can rely on to take their efforts out of the equation they'll take...that way they can blame something else. Sh!t happens, best have a little cushion here and there for it. ...slowly stepping down off soap box...)

on the fuel gauge "E" means enough, right?

 

[FaKtor34]

There was guy from Pennsylvania I think autovlog, who did a test on a few vehicles where he drove them till they quit after showing 0 miles to E, some he got 75 miles out of some less some alot more. I know the f150 was one of them and I wanna say it was over 100 miles.

 

[Troy]

My guess....and I'm only guessing.

Its like a 6ft long tank. I bet when its under 5-6 gallons getting fuel to the fuel pump consistently starts to get iffy. Designing a fuel tank to actually use all 36 gallons would cost too much, but the program management people said put the biggest tank possible in for marketing reasons. And here we are with a 36 gallon tank and 32 gallons of it useable.

 

[Coachdad]

 

[TJE]

I'm guessing it's more liability/legal reasons for people that aren't smart enough or willing to manage these things on their own. Can you imagine the blame and firestorm that would reign down upon Ford if someone ran out of gas when their MTE computer still showed 2 miles? Oh the humanity. I'm sure it would result in someone being stranded in the middle of nowhere during an ice storm, someone dying, and Ford getting slapped with a $1 BILLION dollar lawsuit.
(Personal opinion here - I think a lot of people don't manage their lives with enough margin, enough room for error or just bad luck, or just life. And anything they can rely on to take their efforts out of the equation they'll take...that way they can blame something else. Sh!t happens, best have a little cushion here and there for it. ...slowly stepping down off soap box...)

This would not surprise me in the slightest. I'd be tempted to throw a full gas can in the back and run it to empty and see for myself.

 

[Coachdad]

Realistically... My 2016 F15 with a 23 gal tank would take 21 gallons when I had 40 miles to empty... So my expectation is that when I'm at around 40 miles to empty I should have around 2 gallons left..

Is everyone else seeing the same results?

 

[FaKtor34]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Dl_fD7RVd3m8&ved=2ahUKEwjelr60sc31AhVFGDQIHU_ACs4QtwJ6BAgDEAI&usg=AOvVaw0Yv08vtfVuQZr0S-bYRCHs

This is the video I was referencing.

 

[FaKtor34]

And this one, this is the f150.

 

[Pierless]

Speaking of running out of gas... Did our friend who took his truck up the mountain with his family, parked on the hill with like 1/3 of a tank left but it wouldn't start, ever get it out?

Not sure I ever saw the end of that story, hope all went well

 

[ChsTremor]

Speaking of running out of gas... Did our friend who took his truck up the mountain with his family, parked on the hill with like 1/3 of a tank left but it wouldn't start, ever get it out?

Not sure I ever saw the end of that story, hope all went well

Yes he got out. If I recall, he put gas in and it fired up. This would lend itself to @Troy theory above. Large tank that is best suited to use most of the fuel on flat ground.

 

[Robb1]

Speaking of running out of gas... Did our friend who took his truck up the mountain with his family, parked on the hill with like 1/3 of a tank left but it wouldn't start, ever get it out?

Not sure I ever saw the end of that story, hope all went well

He did eventually after adding a few gallons of gas.

This is exactly why I believe Ford added such a large reserve in the 36, trying to avoid situations like that. There is a well documented history of the F150 36 tanks leaving people stranded on an incline. The issue makes sense though if you think about it: it’s a long, low height tank, no matter where the pump / fuel pickup is located it will not feed fuel at low levels if you induce the right incline. The less fuel the less of an incline required.

We overcome this in aviation with far more complex fuel systems than any auto manufacture is going to invest in (or most buyers would pay for). Also I do not think many owners would like a tall square tank that eats up bed space, so the easiest and cheapest solution for Ford is more reserve.

 

[Tremorvol]

Yeah he got it out.

 

[Yeti]

It sounds like they took an arbitrary number (20%) and coded it in to the system. A dual pickup fuel system would solve that but it would cost time to engineer it, create recall problems and cost another $35 in parts.

I'm in with the "marketing making promises that ford doesn't want to pay for", camp.

There was a series of posts somewhere about a f150 (I think tremor) owner working through this issue with his dealership. Effectively they dropped the tank to confirm the size, ran it to E then let it run for several hours. I don't believe they ever got it to run dry.

 

[gyongue]

Anyone know which incline to stay away from. Truck pointing up or down a hill. Do you know?
I thought the gentleman stranded was pointing downhill at the time.