# Fuel Tank Size



## asleepz (Feb 24, 2004)

Alright I can't find this anywhere..

How big is the 87 300ZXT tank?


The most I have ever put in it is like 9 gallons lol


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## 0341TODD (Nov 15, 2003)

like 12 1/4 gallons if the haynes book is correct


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## asleepz (Feb 24, 2004)

hmmm alright that's about right I put in 8 gallons and I had about 90 miles till it was empty

thanks man


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## JakeMonkey (Feb 3, 2004)

uh, heh...i managed to fit 16 1/2 gallons in my 87t the other day. so i have no idea how big it is yet.


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## 0341TODD (Nov 15, 2003)

I have something to add to this- The factory service manual states that it is 19 GALLONS!!!!!!!!!!! CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT THAT GAUGE BEHIND THE FUEL GAUGE DOES OR IF IT WORKS? _ I fill up everytime Im on E, but I have this feeling that the tank has more left and once you go past E it uses that small gauge- Anyone know?

19 GALLONS THOUGH..........CAN ANYONE DIFFER FROM THAT- JAKE, YOU PUT 16 1/2 IN THOUGH MAN- WERE YOU USING YOUR SMALL GAUGE?


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## JakeMonkey (Feb 3, 2004)

I still haven't figured out that damn small gauge, or, i guess i could say i haven't cared to take the time to figure it out. I usually just let it run until i think the light will come on, or let the light come on if i'm around home. Then I fill it to the brim and check how many gallons it is. Once i see how many gallons i get, i calculate for 20+ MPG, and reset my trip meter and go until i think it will be time for another fill up, about 350 miles or a little more. Sorry i can't be of any more help, but this is the only way i've figured out to do it myself.
And yes, I understand that it's bad for the fuel pump to take the tank to very low amounts, but it's the only way i can get away with doing this to work for me.


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## quakefiend420 (Jun 1, 2004)

0341TODD said:


> I have something to add to this- The factory service manual states that it is 19 GALLONS!!!!!!!!!!! CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT THAT GAUGE BEHIND THE FUEL GAUGE DOES OR IF IT WORKS? _ I fill up everytime Im on E, but I have this feeling that the tank has more left and once you go past E it uses that small gauge- Anyone know?
> 
> 19 GALLONS THOUGH..........CAN ANYONE DIFFER FROM THAT- JAKE, YOU PUT 16 1/2 IN THOUGH MAN- WERE YOU USING YOUR SMALL GAUGE?


let it go past E...that small guage is your reserve


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## JakeMonkey (Feb 3, 2004)

Oh, and mine hits the E after a little over half of a tank or so, or a little over half of my plotted miles for the tank, so it's WAY before empty.


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## Zen31ZR (Mar 24, 2004)

Haynes manual lists fuel capacity as 19 gallons for all the 84-89 Zs.


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## 0341TODD (Nov 15, 2003)

HAHA- it scares me though to just let it go past E. I know that the books are right and I am wrong- I think it is just a mental block............(Breathe in.....Breathe out....o.k.-good, now just let it go past E and see if the reserve thing is right---OH IT IS!!!!!) I have yet to see the fuel light come on. I will just let the damn thing go before I fill up next time- I figured out that for the amount of fuel I am getting that I am hitting like 18 mpg in the city- Damn man- I spent 26 dollars last time I got 12 gallons of gas! Gotta remember my car is a pimp ass hot rod automatic though- so my mileage is going to differ from you guys, since you are all pimps with 5 speeds- BALLIZTIK I WILL STILL SMOKE YOU THOUGH!!!!!!!!!! Just kidding dude


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## 0341TODD (Nov 15, 2003)

Jake, does your meter just not even work bro? Both the big and little one?


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## Zen31ZR (Mar 24, 2004)

0341TODD said:


> HAHA- it scares me though to just let it go past E. I know that the books are right and I am wrong- I think it is just a mental block............(Breathe in.....Breathe out....o.k.-good, now just let it go past E and see if the reserve thing is right---OH IT IS!!!!!) I have yet to see the fuel light come on. I will just let the damn thing go before I fill up next time- I figured out that for the amount of fuel I am getting that I am hitting like 18 mpg in the city- Damn man- I spent 26 dollars last time I got 12 gallons of gas! Gotta remember my car is a pimp ass hot rod automatic though- so my mileage is going to differ from you guys, since you are all pimps with 5 speeds- BALLIZTIK I WILL STILL SMOKE YOU THOUGH!!!!!!!!!! Just kidding dude


I've driven 40 miles with my distance to empty showing E and still having 1 gallon in the tank according to the low fuel warning. The older Zs in particular don't seem to be very accurate at measuring miles to empty. However , because of the 5-speed , I seem to be getting about 25 mpg in the city , not bad for boosting at 15 psi , and I don't drive it nice either.


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## 0341TODD (Nov 15, 2003)

Hey Eric, did you ever figure that stuff out for shipping?


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## JakeMonkey (Feb 3, 2004)

Yeah, my big fuel gauge works, but nothing seems to go on with the little one. Is there supposed to be a needle on the little one, because if so, then i'm missing a part on mine, since there is no little needle. I also get about 21-26 mpg, depending on how i drive it. Sometimes, the harder i drive it, the better the mileage, which is pretty strange.


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## 0341TODD (Nov 15, 2003)

I dont see a needle on mine either, but I am half a tank away from seeing if it actually works. Its going to be wierd driving on E for a couple days...........like--no man's land kinda. LOL


Christ, I make up some gay shit sometimes


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## asleepz (Feb 24, 2004)

yeah I read about that somewheres.

The big gauge is not to accurate I guess so they put a more detailed gauge once you get below a 1/4 of a tank? I dunno because I am blessed with the Digital Dash [mumbles under breath] frickin piece of shit[/mumbles under breath]


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## Zen31ZR (Mar 24, 2004)

0341TODD said:


> Hey Eric, did you ever figure that stuff out for shipping?


Not yet buddy , gimmee a couple days here. Doin overtime this week plus the kid's coming real soon.


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## NCSUracer (May 27, 2004)

[email protected] said:


> Haynes manual lists fuel capacity as 19 gallons for all the 84-89 Zs.


My 84 N/A usually takes about 8-9 gallons and i get about 210 miles between fill-ups. what kind of mileage do you get?


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## Zen31ZR (Mar 24, 2004)

NCSUracer said:


> My 84 N/A usually takes about 8-9 gallons and i get about 210 miles between fill-ups. what kind of mileage do you get?


According to my mileage meter , on the lower right side of the instrument panel , I get about 250 miles for 9 gallons of fuel. That's in town , and boosting at a full 15 psi quite a few times a day. When I'm not boosting , I'm cruising in top gear , though , which probably helps.


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## 0341TODD (Nov 15, 2003)

My fuel gauge always says "F-off Jerk -Im sucking your fuel like your g/f sucks chrome off bumpers!" My fuel gauge is an asshole...........I hate him and his politics




Holy S**t that made no sense- I have to stop smoking that crack pipe......


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## gremlinjp (May 25, 2004)

on my 86 once my big one hits empty it is there for about 25 miles then the little one starts to come out of hidding and the reserve last for a while. just drive it around, if the gas warning light comes on and you never see the reserve needle then there you go... it don't work.


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## Zen31ZR (Mar 24, 2004)

I have the digital dash , so the big/small guage bit confuses me. I have a big digital fuel read out , and then when it gets down to the last 2 lines or so , another small screen underneath shows the number of gallons left. :thumbup:


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## JakeMonkey (Feb 3, 2004)

Yeah, i just saw the tiny gauge needle today when i was running low. It came out AFTER the gas light came on, and it was just a tiny red needle that went from right to left. I didn't know if it really meant that I had a 1/4 tank left or not, so i just filled up early. When i filled up, it was jsut a little under the small 1/4 mark, and i fit 17 gallons in it, so i guess i had a bit more left to run it on.


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## 0341TODD (Nov 15, 2003)

HEY!!!!!!!!! So last night I drove to Venice Beach from Ft Myers with my car on E.........and I did this to find out if my gas light and my reserve tank meter(which YES I know it is not a "reserve tank") I was so damn happy! Now I have to go spend 40 dollars to fill up my tank again.......whatever. So rock on- 19 gallon tank. My little meter says I have an 1/8 of a tank left-Im so glad that crap works man....one less thing I have to buy


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## 0341TODD (Nov 15, 2003)

so as an end all to this- when my reserve gauge was alllll the way on E or "0" I went to fill up and I only got like 16 1/2 gallons in the tank- it holds 19? Did nissan engineers really plan on people being that retarded that they needed to misalign the fuel gauge so people wouldnt run out of gas? They mustve been doing more coke in the 80's then I thought


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## Zen31ZR (Mar 24, 2004)

0341TODD said:


> so as an end all to this- when my reserve gauge was alllll the way on E or "0" I went to fill up and I only got like 16 1/2 gallons in the tank- it holds 19? Did nissan engineers really plan on people being that retarded that they needed to misalign the fuel gauge so people wouldnt run out of gas? They mustve been doing more coke in the 80's then I thought


I went 40 miles past "0" the other day , and didn't run out. So there I think would be the other 2 gallons you are missing.  Damn thing made me nervous as hell , blinking "E" for all that time.


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## das280zx (Jul 17, 2003)

yeah man, z's have big ol' tanks. I've gotten over 400 miles in my 280zx before.


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## MaxQ (Jun 3, 2004)

The problem is the fuel sending unit. Mine did the same thing (86 NA manual), and the tank started reading correctly as soon as I replaced the sending unit.


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## 0341TODD (Nov 15, 2003)

maybe your Z is just not cool like ours and its trying to trick you! HA.............see-I know all!


J/k

naaaa- I know the limits of it now so Im satisfied that it read properly and I will not run out of gas no matter how stupid I really am(ignorant is the word Im actually looking for)


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## asleepz (Feb 24, 2004)

9 gallons gets me 315 miles that's all I have ever been able to put in it. When my gas gauge reads no bars left I go to fill it up and what do ya know 9 1/2 to 10 gallons never been able to do 16 gallons lol


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