Technique for getting the gas tank full?

[pauldjv]

Is there some special technique to make sure the tank is full? I ask because I ended up not getting a full tank on my first fill-up after delivery. I was being cautious because of the Quick Start Guide's note about not overfilling the tank, but two tries with a low flow rate resulted in the pump shutting off with the gauge indicating about 7/8ths of a tank.

[JPaul]

It has happened to some: the gauge, being non-linear to start with, may not show full for a while just after fill-up. It should go to full shortly thereafter.
The best way, IMHO, is to stop filling at the first click of the pump. Personally, I set the nozzle at its first holding position. And I don't try to round up the amount...

[MrVvrroomm]

It's a sensor problem. If it clicks off, you're full. Mine is hit or miss. About every 3rd fill mine only shows 7/8.

[John_H]

Different gas supplies will foam differently. Filling full-throttle to cutoff will leave a gap from the foam. Give it several seconds to settle. Then flow at a slower pace (not dribbling) until the cutoff again. There shouldn't be too much of a "head" on your tank with the second fill but do NOT try to get more gas in after the second cutoff.

Using the low flow rate helps reduce the amount of foaming but that first lather needs to settle out whether it's a high or low flow rate to be able to fill the tank further without overfilling.

I've only filled 1 or 3 tanks myself because I live in a state where I'm not permitted to pump my own gas. The fill results I get are pretty inconsistent.

If you're just trying to measure mileage "best," fill when you're between the 0.9 to 0.0g level (but not too far into 0.0g) and used the difference between fillups to adjust the current amount of gas you put into the car for the actual gas used over the previous tank worth of mileage. You'll be about as accurate as you can get. Even if you put $5 in, the $5 +/- the difference in the "fuel remaining" reading will be accurate for the $5 worth of mileage.

I've gone more than 20 miles past 0 but I'm wondering if it pushes the "floor" of the fuel gauge lower because I can now get about 8.7g into an empty tank rather than the 8.25 from before.

[pauldjv]

Today, with about 80 miles on the car after the fill-up that didn't result in a "full" fuel gauge, the gauge suddenly started displaying all eight segments. Guess there's a gremlin in there somewhere.

[MCMarathoner]

Originally Posted by JPaul

It has happened to some: the gauge, being non-linear to start with, may not show full for a while just after fill-up. It should go to full shortly thereafter.
The best way, IMHO, is to stop filling at the first click of the pump. Personally, I set the nozzle at its first holding position. And I don't try to round up the amount...

Originally Posted by pauldjv

Today, with about 80 miles on the car after the fill-up that didn't result in a "full" fuel gauge, the gauge suddenly started displaying all eight segments. Guess there's a gremlin in there somewhere.

Jean Paul gives great advice. I've noticed that sometimes my gauge likes to rest before registering full. Considering it's about 270+ miles before I need to be concerned, I get in touch with my zen and don't worry about it.

Happy motoring,
26.2

[SuperGeek]

Originally Posted by pauldjv

Today, with about 80 miles on the car after the fill-up that didn't result in a "full" fuel gauge, the gauge suddenly started displaying all eight segments. Guess there's a gremlin in there somewhere.

I've read on a few other threads that this situation happens with a bad fuel sending unit. If it starts out as 7/8 and then goes UP after 20-30 miles, your fuel gauge may not be reliable due to bad info sent from the tank itself. In that case, keep an eye on your miles so you don't run out of gas... at least one person ran dry with two bars showing. It's not a widespread problem, but I think a few bad units were made and they can be replaced if you talk to the dealer.

Best practice ... Don't taunt the MPG gods... run dry at the wrong time and you could be in a world of hurt when someone rear-ends you at 70MPH. On any car, don't trust the last 1/4 tank of the gauge - keep it at half full if at all possible.

[jimvw57]

I tried a different brand at the last fill-up and it didn't register a full tank. After 20 miles, it went to full. I figured I didn't fill it all the way up at the pump since I wasn't familiar with how fast the fuel comes out /pump pressure and not wanting to overfill. We'll see how the next fill-up goes.

[MrVvrroomm]

Again, it has nothing to do with the type of gas, the gas pump, the store, etc. It is a sensor problem.

[Dave Van]

My black Smart shows full every time....the Bee shows 7/8 almost every fill up.....both filled at same station...sometimes same pump....small glitch in sensor/gauge...