# How much fuel is left when the indicator comes on?



## slhaas (May 1, 2005)

I'm just curious as to when the indicator light comes on for low fuel. The manual just says that it'll come on when there is a low amount of fuel. Does anyone know if it is set to go off at a certain point in the tank, and if so, does it even loosely equate to a certain amount of fuel left in the tank? The manual also stated that even when your fuel guage is at the empty mark, there is a small reserve of gasoline left. Does anyone happen to know how much a "small reserve" is exactly?


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## ReTroAcTive (Oct 21, 2004)

Well I have a 03 Spec-V so I don't know if it would be the same.But when the fuel light comes on and I fill it up it take about 11.50gl. to 12.00gl. to fill.


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## ReTroAcTive (Oct 21, 2004)

Oh I forgot to say that the Spec-V has a 13.50 gal tank.So about a 1.50 gal is left when light comes on.


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## Psch91 (May 18, 2002)

On my 04 spec, the light comes on when I can drive 25 more miles. So however much fuel that is. I have the 2.5 liter motor however.


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## slhaas (May 1, 2005)

Butt Hurt said:


> On my 04 spec, the light comes on when I can drive 25 more miles. So however much fuel that is. I have the 2.5 liter motor however.


What kind of MPG do you get with the Spec?


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## ReTroAcTive (Oct 21, 2004)

With a CAI and running synthetic I get about 27 to 29 MPG


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## slhaas (May 1, 2005)

ReTroAcTive said:


> With a CAI and running synthetic I get about 27 to 29 MPG


CAI? I didn't know synthetic made a difference with fuel efficiency. I may have to try that out.


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## Psch91 (May 18, 2002)

I used to get around 18/19 or so, but now I get like 23/24 mostly city driving.


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## ReTroAcTive (Oct 21, 2004)

A CAI = Cold Air Intake and yes Some time Little things like switching to Synthetic help you MPG


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## slhaas (May 1, 2005)

ReTroAcTive said:


> A CAI = Cold Air Intake and yes Some time Little things like switching to Synthetic help you MPG


How much of a difference did it make? Wouldn't the CAI change kill your MPG?


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## ReTroAcTive (Oct 21, 2004)

No the CAI alows the cars engine to have a more efficient combustion allowing a better fuel /air mix that make more WHP. More HP = Less fuel to go the same speed . Nismo CAI @ 3,500 ft above sea level give about 7 to 8 HP and synthetic about 2 to 3 HP depending on oil weight..


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## Psch91 (May 18, 2002)

ReTroAcTive said:


> No the CAI alows the cars engine to have a more efficient combustion allowing a better fuel /air mix that make more WHP. More HP = Less fuel to go the same speed . Nismo CAI @ 3,500 ft above sea level give about 7 to 8 HP and synthetic about 2 to 3 HP depending on oil weight..


How does HP = less fuel at the same speed? The engine is working harder at that speed and is mixing more fuel with more air, that would mean less mpg. You cant tell me that a 800hp spec consumes less fuel than a 175hp spec. I know mpg goes up a bit with a cai, but isnt it because of the engine being able to utlize th air better or something?


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## Zac (Mar 10, 2004)

When about 2 gallons are left, the light will come on and obviously will go off or on if you are on a strong hill even if you have slightly more or less than about 2 gallons.

A CAI does increase mileage as does a K&N box filter, irridum spark plugs, synthetic oil and especially Techron.


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## Flying Vv (Apr 10, 2003)

ReTroAcTive said:


> No the CAI alows the cars engine to have a more efficient combustion allowing a better fuel /air mix that make more WHP. More HP = Less fuel to go the same speed . Nismo CAI @ 3,500 ft above sea level give about 7 to 8 HP and synthetic about 2 to 3 HP depending on oil weight..


 oil does not give you a HP increase. Oil and HP are non-corrolated as far as cars are concerned. and an CAI will net you maybe 3-5hp at the crank at sea level, and even less at higher altitudes. HP= more fuel consumed. thats why a 500hp V8 consumes more fuel than a 150 hp 4 cylinder. You should slap who ever told you this, becuase they were leading you on hardcore


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## ReTroAcTive (Oct 21, 2004)

Well try running down the street with 1 nostril plugged and then the 2nd time with both open and after tell me if you Have more energy left in the 1st or 2nd run. That why restricter plats are use in NASCAR on Carb and in other types of racing. Thats also why Racing teams only use synthetic. Not only to protect the engine from friction but also to gain HP Read up on Red Line fluids man


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## sukebegigi (Mar 5, 2005)

slhaas said:


> Does anyone happen to know how much a "small reserve" is exactly?


Doesn't matter. First off, you shouldn't count on that system to tell you how much fuel you have because it simply isn't accurate. My Spec V actually has a distance to empty display which is somewhat useless if taken literally. The second issue is running low on gas. I won't make a comment but I wouldn't recommend having this as a driving habit.


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## HATEnFATE (Dec 24, 2002)

Running low on gas is a great way to kill your pump and clog your filters.

According to most Service manuals, when your light comes on you should have between 25-35 miles before empty. No two are the same and never EVER rely on that light for accurate information. 

I let that light come one once to see what my DTE told me. I went from 29 miles DTE to 3 miles DTE in approx 2 miles of driving on the interstate with my cruise on. That should help you with DTE reliablity.


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## slhaas (May 1, 2005)

sukebegigi said:


> Doesn't matter. First off, you shouldn't count on that system to tell you how much fuel you have because it simply isn't accurate. My Spec V actually has a distance to empty display which is somewhat useless if taken literally. The second issue is running low on gas. I won't make a comment but I wouldn't recommend having this as a driving habit.


It isn't my habit, but I'm curious about it. I wanted to know what my actual range is on a full tank. I've waited until I thought it was a completely empty tank (on E and the light had been on for some time), but it only took about 12 gallons. On other occasions where I was near this amount it took more and less respectively. I'm just curious, and I'm sure there is someone out there that knows what it's set at. There is probably a switch that activates when the float is at a point equal to a certain amount of fuel left. Also, the float telling the guage that it is empty is probably set with a specific amount of fuel left beyond that, too.


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## xbrandonx (Mar 27, 2004)

like zac said, it also depends on what kind of surface you are on. Going uphill, flat ground and going downhill will read differnt levels. Some vehicles you can really tell this. I had an older Silverado and when I was about 1/2 or lower and I got into it, you oculd see the gas gauge bouncing from the gas sloshing around. I could be on 1/2 a tank going flat, and when I started up a hill it would go way down and when I hit down that hill, I would be over 1/2.


Just don't let it run that low. you never know exactly how far you can go and you never know when the nearest gas station is going to be.


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## sukebegigi (Mar 5, 2005)

xbrandonx said:


> Just don't let it run that low. you never know exactly how far you can go and you never know when the nearest gas station is going to be.


Yeah. Don't play with fire. Curiosity or not, it's a good habit to be filling up once you're around 1/4 tank.


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## 05SpecVicious (Mar 13, 2005)

Butt Hurt said:


> On my 04 spec, the light comes on when I can drive 25 more miles. So however much fuel that is. I have the 2.5 liter motor however.


 Same here it , When I fill up it will take 11.5 Gals. I think that was when it was below 10 DTE. So you might have 2.5 to 3 gals left when it says 25 miles left. I was a little surprised to see that there was that much gas left.

MPG on Highway I avg. 32 can get it up to 38-39 often.
City i'm at 28-30.
When I'm driving Chi-town style it stays around 26-27.

Man I love my car.


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## sukebegigi (Mar 5, 2005)

05SpecVicious said:
 

> Man I love my car.


Man, I know exactly how you feel.


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## skatehard90 (Dec 20, 2004)

Flying V said:


> oil does not give you a HP increase. Oil and HP are non-corrolated as far as cars are concerned. and an CAI will net you maybe 3-5hp at the crank at sea level, and even less at higher altitudes. HP= more fuel consumed. thats why a 500hp V8 consumes more fuel than a 150 hp 4 cylinder. You should slap who ever told you this, becuase they were leading you on hardcore


ok, so there's an arguement about oil! first of all, take in the acount of how thick an oil is going to be! example, wave your hands around in the air, then wave your hands around in the water. . . which ones harder ? obviously water, but this is the same with oils, some are thicker than others. 
so if you have a thinner oil in your car, then all the moving parts that incounter that oil, are going to move easier and less stressfully: therefore less horsepower robbing! 
go ahead and drop the thickess oil you can find into your car, and you'll feel how much horsepower is being robbed from a thick oil

and the comparison btwn a 500hp and 150hp car's gas mileage ?
i mean, that's obvious, but don't push your luck! i've seen big ponys push lots of miles compared to smaller engines.
and look at it this way. . . 
if you gain 5 hp to the wheels due to some kind of tech devise, then this means that the engine is working more on moving your car forward, than actually moving it's internals. . . so this doesn't mean it's taking more fuel! 
say you have 150whp, and now 155whp due to thinner oil with less friction. . .. well your engine is putting out the same amount of work but now it is taking that 5 hp it took to move thicker oil and through friction, and is now applying that 5hp to the wheels. so it's gunna be easier for the car to move
therefore, the car moves faster with the same amount of power, technically.
and with same gas usage,and time, more distance covered faster, this means a better gas milage! now i'm not talking serious significants in gas saving, but i'm giving you an idea about what this means

there was a commercial out with an example like this. . . i think it was a Quaker oil commercial with a STi as it's car---- 'you paid for 300 horses, but are you getting all of them?' as i remember
just pay attention to that and maybe you'll understand

p.s. more horsepower doesn NOT always mean more fuel consumed

have a good one


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