Just went through my first full tank of fuel and noticed the light came on with about 4 gallons of fuel left. That would mean it still had a 1/4 tank. The fillup only took just over 11 gallons. Any other observations of this???

Anybody tested the limits of the reserve tank yet. I drove with the low fuel light on for at least 30 miles and it would only take 12.3 gallons when I filled up, I hate to fill up before I have to....

yeah, this is pretty common it seems. the low fuel light comes on extremely early. i was awazed the first time i filled up and it only took 12.5 gallons...(it think the tank holds > 15)

I guess the theory is that when the light comes on, you can drive 60-80 more miles to the next gas station.

The tank holds 15.9 and the light comes on around the 11.9 mark. You should have at least 4 gallons left so 80 to 100 miles sounds right. I drove about 70 miles after the light came on, anyone drove longer :roll:

the night i drove mt E home from the dealer that was 212 mile away my light came on while on the interstate and being the first time driving it I was more than a little nervous That I would not make it the 56 mile to the next exit when I did make it my E took 13.7 gals. that so far has been the lowest Ive run it!

Has anyone had the problem of:
When you fill your E up with gas that the low fuel light stays on for a couple of minutes (as long as 5or so) after your fill-up and you get back. It does go to show full but that first few miles are annoying as hell.

Mine is doing this - has since my first tank, took it in and the dealer reset something electronic - back on the road again, next tank of gas............same problem.

Any help would be appreciated!
ORANGEE
:shock: :shock: :shock:

In Canada we have a 60 litre tank. My light comes on with what I believe to be 15 litres remaining. At approximately 10 littres to 100 kilometres, I would be able to drive about 150 kilometres before running dry. That would be about 95 miles.

Having said that, it is not a good idea to run the tank dry. It can be difficult to start it again. I have been told it is also hard on the fuel delivery and injection systems as well.

I am still tickled pink with the mileage I am getting. Averaging close to 29 miles to the imperial gallon. I fill up less often than before, and it costs less. :D

You drove 95 miles, WOW :shock:

29 miles per gallon , WOW :shock:


You must drive 90% highway miles or the air in Canada is really high :D

[quote:45c7cb466d="Element"]You drove 95 miles, WOW :shock:

29 miles per gallon , WOW :shock:


You must drive 90% highway miles or the air in Canada is really high :D[/quote:45c7cb466d]

1 U.S. gallon = 0.84 imperial gallon =3.8 liters

Has anyone had the problem of:
When you fill your E up with gas that the low fuel light stays on for a couple of minutes (as long as 5or so) after your fill-up and you get back. It does go to show full but that first few miles are annoying as hell.

Mine is doing this - has since my first tank, took it in and the dealer reset something electronic - back on the road again, next tank of gas............same problem.

Any help would be appreciated!
ORANGEE
:shock: :shock: :shock:
I have not had that problem at all. It sounds like it is an isolated issue.

Has anyone had the problem of:
When you fill your E up with gas that the low fuel light stays on for a couple of minutes (as long as 5or so) after your fill-up and you get back. It does go to show full but that first few miles are annoying as hell.

Mine is doing this - has since my first tank, took it in and the dealer reset something electronic - back on the road again, next tank of gas............same problem.

Any help would be appreciated!
ORANGEE
:shock: :shock: :shock:[/quote:ee2d109017][quote]

Orangee
got my E 5/23, gas light comes on and does not register gas every time you fill it up. have been to the dealer twice and still does not work right. now it will go 0.5m come on, go off 1.9m stay off till 2.9. this was after being in the garage all day. mechanic said ground wire was loose and fixed. WRONG :? mazie mobile

This is proving to be a pain
The low fuel light stays lite and blinks after each fill-up for a few minutes.
Hope someone can help with what the problem might be - the dealer can't seem to be able to figure this out!
gotta be a sensor problem but I can't seem to get the dealer to go that route yet.

HELP

ORANGEE
:lol: :lol:

good thing i ran into this section... i too have a question concerning the low fuel light and where exactly is it??? also when the needle comes down to empty.. is it the line where the E is or at the E itself.>??? I have only had my Blu-E for 3 weeks and this is my first tank fill up...thought it was running on E then it took 12 gallons... have a long trip coming up and want to know exactly whats going on....thanks for your replies!
Batman

it seems that the light simply turns on a little bit early. a lot of us have noticed that if we fill up when the light comes on that the e only takes about 12 gallons (and the tank holds 15.9). not sure why this is, but it seems to be pretty standard.

My light comes on when it is very close to the "E" mark, and yet I still find I have about 3 to 4 US gallsons left. just something to get used to.

I know what's going on with the Low Fuel light! I finally finished reading my owner's manual today (while I was waiting for my E to get its first oil change) and the manual says not to let the E get really low on fuel, that it could do something to the catalytic converter. Obviously, Honda doesn't think that we'll read the manual or follow that advice, so they've set the Low Fuel light to come on with 3-4 gallons left in the tank, figuring that we can't ignore that bright yellow gas pump! :D

And I've seen that darned thing too many times! lol

Mazie Mobile still not fixed. Have figured out that if you fill the gas tank up (full) light starts blinking and E is registered. If you only put a few gallons in and not fill it up, the gauge works :roll: Now my dealer is going to try a new approach. Guess we are waiting for a new dash. They now think that this is a the problem, except unable to find the part. They said yesterday we are on top priority for your part :? Don't know when we will get it, but we will call. Does anyone know when the lemon law comes into effect.

I took my car to the dealership last week because I have yet to fill my 60 litre tank fully. What I mean is that if the fuel gauge says E, I am only able to put about 40 to 41 litres into the tank. The dealership had it for the morning, tested the fuel sending unit, the light, the gauge and the resistance, and it all tested normal. They said that once the gauge hits E there is still 100 to 150 kilometres left in the tank. The theory is that the vehicle may be used for off-roading, or beach runs and therefore far away from a gas station...needing more of a reserve to get you to the nearest gas station.

I had this happen to me also. The low fuel came on, I gassed it up,and the light stayed on! I had some stops to make and after I got back in the car, I noticed it had shut off. I haven't let it run that far down since then so I don't know if it's still doing it. It was a little annoying though. :?

When the low gas light is on, how many miles left with the tank ?
thanks.

You've got approximately 4 gallons left when the light comes on...your mileage may vary.

I remember reading another thread on here that said that they could get at least 75 miles when he light comes on, so I always keep that in mind whenever I'm looking for gas.

I'm perpetually annoyed by both the function and the purpose of the low fuel warning light. It's stupid.

Like I need a bulb to tell me that the gas guage is sitting on 'E.' Shouldn't automakers include a second speedometer right next to the first one, just so we're all sure how fast we're going? How about a video display on the dashboard with a wide-angle frontal view from a camera lens mounted in the grille . . . just in case we can't see what's happening through the windshield.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the low fuel warning light is the result of a government mandate or some trash lawsuit (driver ran out of gas and got hit by passing car when he went to check under hood . . . cha-CHING !!).

Stupid uber-safety features like this are why cars weigh hundreds of pounds more than they should. Reduced performance, increased fuel consumption.


The 2005 Honda Civic weighs 2,500 lbs.
The 1995 Honda Civic weighs 2,100 lbs.

The 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse weighs 3.400 lbs.
The 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse weighs 3,000 lbs.

The 2005 Ford Mustang weighs 3,600 lbs.
The 1965 Ford Mustang weighs 3,000 lbs.


Stupid.

actually, i think the increased weight is due to increased body and engine size.

have you seen how much larger an accord or camry of 2005 is than 1995? they are *twice* the size!

Don't forget to add the weight of all the airbags, side crash reinforcing beams and new emissions controls . . . ,:shock:

I don't use my gas guage to tell me when to fill up, I use on of my trip meters (tank meter). The low fuel light usually comes on at about 290 miles, then I fill up at about 360+ miles. I usually have 1.5 - 2.0 gallons remaining in the tank.
Don't attempt this if you get less than 24 mpg.

my light comes on shortly after 250 miles. So we have a 16 gallon tank huh?

my light comes on shortly after 250 miles. So we have a 16 gallon tank huh?

That's what the owners manual states.

I'm a new owner too,
Seems like the 'empty' light comes on wayyyyy too early.
Most times I am filling with 10-11 gallons.
I do hope my range is greater that 240-280 miles.

Alric

Funny that people complain about a 250 mile range with the light coming on after 12 gallons. On my recent vacation trip in Canada I was filling up about every 150 miles. But then I was driving in an area where signs like 'no services for 70 km' (40 miles) were common. Throw in a 30 mile side trip on low speed gravel roads, and it is nice to have a half tank buffer. Running the tank down to a couple of gallons is ok if you can count on finding a gas station in the next 10-20 miles.

paulj

This happened to me on the way back from a fishing trip. I missed getting to a gas station by 3 minutes and even pleaded with the manager to please allow me to buy gas with cash and he said sorry - The pumps are locked up. Anyway, the next nearest fuel location was 60 Kilometers away and my light had just come on - so we trudged on the reserve fuel, maintained hwy. speed limit and made it to the next fuel station without a problem. From here on in, I will use that as a reminder. Fuel light comes on = you have 60 km worth of driving left.

My wife just called me to tell me she took the Element to work today but didn't realize the fuel light was on when she left from home. She wants to know if she can make it a few miles to the nearest station or if I have to come and bring her some fuel. Does anybody know how much fuel is left when the warning light comes on. My Element is an 04 if that makes a difference.

Thanks!

If you search, there are a couple of threads about this.:rolleyes:
Generally it is very conservative and on mine comes on when I have 3 gallons left, good for quite a few miles. She should be fine.

Mine comes on at 4 gallons + or -. Would prefer it came on when a gallon was left. I would recommend every quarter driving your E until you have less than gallon of a gas left to burn up all the old gas, water etc especially now with Crapanol I am sorry Ethanol be added to gas. Bring back MTBE!

She'll be fine. I've driven 30 miles after that fuel light came on.

There are 2-3 gallons left.

:)

Its a 15.9 gallon tank. The light comes on after you have used 12 gallons, so you have about 3.9 gallons left. :)

I've actually never seen my gas light turn on... I was wondering if it was malfunctioning as the gas meter drops to almost below empty and still no light comes on...

I've actually never seen my gas light turn on... I was wondering if it was malfunctioning as the gas meter drops to almost below empty and still no light comes on...
That would probably be a sign its not working correctly ;-) :razz:

i push it about 50 miles past E. i have squeezed 400 miles out of my tank. (manual trans owns!):D

i wonder the same too.but when lights comes up..
i think it still has 3 gallon in the tank..but i am not sure..:confused:

Almost 4 gallons left in mine it comes on at about 12

Do yourself a favor and try to make a point of refueling prior to the light coming on if possible. You do not want to run the tank to the last gallon, unless you plan on replacing fuel filters more often. Any condensation and crapenol will mix into the fuel constantly. The problem with running the tank close to dry is that you can end up building up sediment at the bottom of the tank, which inturn will be picked up by the pump.

Do yourself a favor and try to make a point of refueling prior to the light coming on if possible. You do not want to run the tank to the last gallon, unless you plan on replacing fuel filters more often. Any condensation and crapenol will mix into the fuel constantly. The problem with running the tank close to dry is that you can end up building up sediment at the bottom of the tank, which inturn will be picked up by the pump.
Per a Honda mechanic friend today's gasolines have a lot less crap in them than they used to - it really isn't a problem to run the fuel down to almost empty. With today's engines a clogged fuel filter isn't common....cars go years and hundreds of thousands of miles without sucking up enough debris to clog.

The entire system is pressure sealed - helps with condensation. Using a "Top Tier" gasoline also help - better quality = less sediment.

As always - just sharing info - you should do what you think is best. For what it's worth I have been driving cars for almost 35 years right down to the Empty peg and the last fuel filter I replaced I was still in college - pre fuel injection.

I filled my tank with 12 Gal and my light was on for about 20-30 miles.

Regards,

yeah...don't make it a habit to let the light come on. I did that with my Nissan Pathfinder. I would wait for the light before I'd fill up (mostly cause I was strapped for cash most of the time). I did it so much, the light finally burned out! :-( which I learned the hard way.

Per a Honda mechanic friend today's gasolines have a lot less crap in them than they used to - it really isn't a problem to run the fuel down to almost empty. With today's engines a clogged fuel filter isn't common....

More of an issue may be burning out the fuel pump when the pump runs dry(?)

Regards,

When it starts to putter, and kick back and forth, and then stall...you are almost out of gas....:lol:

Mine seems to come on at -12.5 gals which would leave 3.4. Of that 3.4 it's probably safe to use 2.5 which equates to 50 miles in round numbers.

Simply put: the light is your 50 mile warning.

I have driven nearly 80km after the lidht came on. After running it until the light came on on several occasions and then filling up I estimate that the reserve is about 10 litres which in my case (average consumption is about 10km/l) is nearlt 100 km (~65miles).

My light comes on at four gallons in the tank, give or take, and that point is nearly at "E" on my fuel gauge. I've driven almost an hour, and spent another 30 minutes sitting on the Canadian side of the Ambassador bridge after the light came on, and I still had over a gallon of gas in the tank.

I say, let us all be thankful there's a light. I had a 1989 Bonneville that had an orange hashmark at the bottom of the gauge (no light), and if the needle hit that hashmark, you HAD to get gas immediately. I learned that after I drove 20 miles while watching the gas gauge drop while looking for a gas station. I pumped 17.9 gallons into an 18 gallon tank.

Bottom line-if the light comes on in the E, you can ignore it for quite a while.

its usually about 4 gallons, however, sometimes when you turn on and off the car the fuel light goes away. it sometimes just depends on how the fuel touching the fuel guage inside the tank. once my low fuel light came on when i had a full tank of gas. ( i was however, almost verticle on a little off-road fishing trip)

I just did my first test on how much gas is left when the "low Fuel" light comes on. Now the light was on for several miles ( Km) before my fill so it will obviously not be completely accurate.

Low Fuel light on:

Liters remaining: 17
US Gallons remaining: 4.5

Now this seems like quite a bit....I know my 03 E was similar, lots of miles left when the Low Fuel came on....it looks as if the same applies to my 07.

My light comes on when I have used 12 gallons which leaves 3.9 left

My light comes on when I have used 12 gallons which leaves 3.9 left
As if you could use all of those 3.9 gallons.

I will restate (...ad nauseum...) the reasoning behind the "early warning": the tank is long and flat. On a level surface, 4 gallons will be at a level roughly 1.5 inches above the bottom. The fuel pump pickup is 1/3 the length of the tank from the front, and on the right side of the tank.

So... ignore the "low fuel" light for a few miles then drive up a steep grade with the vehicle leaning to the left. You will starve the engine.

As if you could use all of those 3.9 gallons.

I will restate (...ad nauseum...) the reasoning behind the "early warning": the tank is long and flat. On a level surface, 4 gallons will be at a level roughly 1.5 inches above the bottom. The fuel pump pickup is 1/3 the length of the tank from the front, and on the right side of the tank.

So... ignore the "low fuel" light for a few miles then drive up a steep grade with the vehicle leaning to the left. You will starve the engine.

Hey sorry to "ad nauseum" bring up the subject...I guess I never went throught the hundreds of posts to find your explanations....I have driven with the low fuel light on WELL into the 3.9 or 4.0 gallons without so called fuel starvation when I had my 03....I doubt if the design would be such that fuel starvation would occur unless you were down to 1 to 1.5 gallons.

07 is the same as the 03. Seems like what I would expect.

The 'low-fuel' sensor is mounted on the tank unit (fuel pump assembly). There are some (vendor) variances in the exact location that it is mounted. A quarter inch difference between two vehicles will obviously create a difference in the point at which the lamp will illuminate.

The fuel sensor's internal resistance changes when it is not immersed in gasoline. There are some production tolerances here as well, so two identically mounted sensors may not react identically.

Honda has never given an exact specification for the amount of gasoline left in the tank when the low fuel light illuminates, only an approximation. Individual results will vary, but on average, if you pulled into a gas station the instant that the light came on, the gas pump will click off at about 12 gallons. Topping off beyond the first click will give greatly varying results - some people will wait longer for the fuel level to stabilize betwen attempts to add more and will be able to over-fill the tank more than others.

Running the engine too low on gasoline can result in misfire DTCs being set, which would cause the MIL to illuminate. Doing this too often could result in catalytic convertor deterioration.

That said, the farthest I ever ran my '03 MT it took 15.6 gallons to the first click. I will admit that I was getting very nervous. I normally run 60 miles after the low fuel light comes on, and feel comfortable that I could go to 80, but beyond that I get nervous. (real nervous).

The 'low-fuel' sensor is mounted on the tank unit (fuel pump assembly). There are some (vendor) variances in the exact location that it is mounted. A quarter inch difference between two vehicles will obviously create a difference in the point at which the lamp will illuminate.

The fuel sensor's internal resistance changes when it is not immersed in gasoline. There are some production tolerances here as well, so two identically mounted sensors may not react identically.

Honda has never given an exact specification for the amount of gasoline left in the tank when the low fuel light illuminates, only an approximation. Individual results will vary, but on average, if you pulled into a gas station the instant that the light came on, the gas pump will click off at about 12 gallons. Topping off beyond the first click will give greatly varying results - some people will wait longer for the fuel level to stabilize betwen attempts to add more and will be able to over-fill the tank more than others.

Running the engine too low on gasoline can result in misfire DTCs being set, which would cause the MIL to illuminate. Doing this too often could result in catalytic convertor deterioration.

That said, the farthest I ever ran my '03 MT it took 15.6 gallons to the first click. I will admit that I was getting very nervous. I normally run 60 miles after the low fuel light comes on, and feel comfortable that I could go to 80, but beyond that I get nervous. (real nervous).

Good info...appreciate a "factual" account.
For myself on my '03 ( 60 liter capacity) I've put in 50-55 liters on several occasions and I live in a mountainous area...but like yourself started to get nervous because when you go that low the gas needle is HARD to the Empty mark. When you get that low the risk of an intermittent fuel supply loss is greater but it hasn't happened to me.
From what I've seen almost all new cars these days have the low fuel advisory light come on a substantial amount of fuel remaining so that one can make your way to a gas station sooner versed later, just in case your cruisin to some good toones and loose track of the gas guage, however the risk of fuel starvation would only come into play when your down to last few liters.

Not sure how true this is, but my dad is pretty good with vehicles and maintenance etc. he always told me to never run the tank down too low because you will suck up any gunk and debris in the gas tank into the engine. Seems to make sense.

Not sure how true this is, but my dad is pretty good with vehicles and maintenance etc. he always told me to never run the tank down too low because you will suck up any gunk and debris in the gas tank into the engine. Seems to make sense.

The pick-up for the fuel pump is at the lowest point in the tank to begin with. Unless the debris and gunk has a lower specific gravity than gasoline, it'll already be down by the pick-up screen.

As nice as it seems to be for the manufacturer's to provide us will low fuel warning lamps, consider that the catalytic convertor is a pretty expensive item, and in the USA it is warrantied for 8 years or 80 thousand miles. There are people in Congress who want it to be lifetime warrantied.

Since fuel starvation will result in engine misfire before it actually dies, and since misfire will dramatically increase the temperature of the catalytic convertor and will eventually damage it, what Honda and everybody else are trying to do is minimize warranty convertor replacements. So if you head straight to a gas station when the light comes on, there is much less of a possibility for convertor damage.

If you manufactured vehicles, how much lead-time would you want to give your customer's before they run out of gas and potentially cost you a lot of money in warranty repair?

The pick-up for the fuel pump is at the lowest point in the tank to begin with. Unless the debris and gunk has a lower specific gravity than gasoline, it'll already be down by the pick-up screen.

As nice as it seems to be for the manufacturer's to provide us will low fuel warning lamps, consider that the catalytic convertor is a pretty expensive item, and in the USA it is warrantied for 8 years or 80 thousand miles. There are people in Congress who want it to be lifetime warrantied.

Since fuel starvation will result in engine misfire before it actually dies, and since misfire will dramatically increase the temperature of the catalytic convertor and will eventually damage it, what Honda and everybody else are trying to do is minimize warranty convertor replacements. So if you head straight to a gas station when the light comes on, there is much less of a possibility for convertor damage.

If you manufactured vehicles, how much lead-time would you want to give your customer's before they run out of gas and potentially cost you a lot of money in warranty repair?

Ya no arguement there...however it's nice to know that when driving the Coquahala (beautiful toll highway here in Britsh Columbia) in which gas stations are sparse, you've got a goodly amount of km's left when the low fuel light comes on.

Ya no arguement there...however it's nice to know that when driving the Coquahala (beautiful toll highway here in Britsh Columbia) in which gas stations are sparse, you've got a goodly amount of km's left when the low fuel light comes on.
Good luck with that.

Good luck with that.
no luck involved...Low fuel light "ON" equates to 15-17 liters remaining...which equates to approx. 168 km ( real conservative ), so I'll drive for another 100 km MAX....no problem. That works on the Coq.

Gang,

Before I go back to my dealer and see if this is messed up I figured I'd try to see if it is just my "E" or if it is a consistent issue.......

I've filled my E 3 times and have yet to put more that 12.5 U.S Gal in the tank.....one that is supposed to be 15.9 U.S. Gal.......is there really that much left in the tank when the light comes on??

If that's the case, is there any way to change when the light comes on?? I'm never THAT FAR from a station..........yet!

Yes it is, no there isn't :)

Bloody Hell!

Paul

:)..........................

I have found that when the light comes on you have about 1 to 2 gallons of gas left in the tank. I have never been able to put more then 12 to 13 gallons of gas in my element in the 7 months that I have had it.

HOTS.

Its something you get used to. I don't rush to fill up when the light comes on, but I don't ignore it.

I believe the explanation is that the E has a large, shallow tank. When the gas level is low enough to tirp the sensor, there's still plent of gas left. There have also been concerns about parking on a hill with a low tank for the same reasons.

And remember, the good aspects of E ownership vastly outweigh minor inconveniences such as this. Enjoy it and welcome to the club.

The lights turns on when there is exactly 12.5 gallons left in the tank. I've filled up quite a few times when the light had just come on.

Nothing wrong with your E. You can easily drive 40-60 miles after the light comes on.

When my light comes on i can easily go 2 more days or roughly 50 miles before filling up.

The lights turns on when there is exactly 12.5 gallons left in the tank. ...You can easily drive 40-60 miles after the light comes on



Err...Larry, your calculations are a bit off there but, yes I too have driven at least 100 km. or 60 mi. (at reasonable highway speeds) after the light comes on.

yeppers, thats normal . the light comes on and i have about 40-45 miles yet to go.:D

Like others have posted You can drive another 60 miles. 14.5 gallons is the most I've ever filled up with. I guess its better than running out or having the pump suck fumes and wear out sooner.

Even though it's possible to go farther it wouldn't be recommended. The fuel pump in the tank is emersed in liquid gas and that is what cools down the pump from excessive heat. When you run it down too low it takes the cooling away from pump and it can fail prematurely.

Ok, so last night I'm driving home from work and a few blocks from home the light goes on. I get up this morning and drive 7 miles to work, the light doesnt come on. Drive home from work, no light. pull into parking space at home, light goes on. This is all relatively flat, so its not like I am parking on a steep hill.
Anyone else's E do this? My old E did it as well, but I'm just curious... :)

Ok, so last night I'm driving home from work and a few blocks from home the light goes on. I get up this morning and drive 7 miles to work, the light doesnt come on. Drive home from work, no light. pull into parking space at home, light goes on. This is all relatively flat, so its not like I am parking on a steep hill.
Anyone else's E do this? My old E did it as well, but I'm just curious... :)

Both my 03 and 07 have done this on occasion.....and I mostly drive on flat too.......that's just bizzare!

Every time I hit around 289 miles my gas light comes on:confused: and because of that I get gas about 3 times a week:x! Does anyone else have this problem and is it common? I drive about 74 miles round trip to work everyday doing about 70 to 75 mph on average, I don't know....maybe that's the reason. I would love some opinions, thanks.

How much gas are you putting in per fill up? Have you computed your mileage? Do you have larger than stock tires?

Gas gauges are notorious for "running out" before the tank is empty to do just that...Leave gas in the tank so the idiot driver can make it to a gas station before running out.

And I would love to get 289 miles per tank...

I've been putting in on average about 12 to 13 gal. I have the stock Wranglers still.

The low gas comes on when there is approximately 4 gallons left in your tank so that's normal. 289 / 12 gallons = ~24 MPG which is fairly normal for this vehicle. The only way you may be able to reduce your gas consumption and push it to the high 20's is to slow down to 60-65 and reduce engine speed. You won't be saving much, but it will help.

It kind of sucks that you have to fill up that often, but it seems like you chose the wrong vehicle for commuting with respect to how often you're visiting the gas station. My father is a 250 mile/day commuter round trip and went with the Civic. He's averaging something around the high 40's with a MT. I'm personally commuting 52 miles round trip 5 days a week with my E and I have to fill up about once every... 5-7 days depending on any other kind of driving I do with an average MPG of 18/19. I'm a bit of an aggressive driver hence the lower MPG. :)

289 / 13 = 22.2 mpg @ 75 mph in a brick...

I have only put in two tanks of gas since I bought the E and today I got 17.6 mpg in mostly short in-town driving in cold temperatures...

I am not seeing an issue...

How is your air pressure in the tires?

If Im doing my math right that works out to 22-24 mpg. Thats just about, and slightly better, than what I average.

Thanks guys for all the feed back....don't know what the pressure is but I'll check, doesn't hurt.

I can't wait until I get 289 miles of of a tank!
Right now I get 207 miles when the light comes on.
Last fill up I put in 11.5 gal. (=18mpg)
I know, I know, I'm still in the break-in period (3750) so my average doesn't count yet.
But I felt the need to vent...
All better now,
Thank You :)

I get around 22-24 MPG, but I have a question about the tank size. My EX is advertised as a 15.9 gallon tank. The low gas light usually goes on at around 270 miles, and if i fill up right away i sometimes only have to put 11.5 - 12 gallons. Does anyone know at what level of low the light goes on? How much gas do you think is really left when the light goes on. It seems odd it goes on with 3-4 gallons left.

Thanks

I get around 22-24 MPG, but I have a question about the tank size. My EX is advertised as a 15.9 gallon tank. The low gas light usually goes on at around 270 miles, and if i fill up right away i sometimes only have to put 11.5 - 12 gallons. Does anyone know at what level of low the light goes on? How much gas do you think is really left when the light goes on. It seems odd it goes on with 3-4 gallons left.

Thanks


Thats pretty much normal for the E. Many owners have reported in the past 3.9 seems to be the majic number for the light to come on. I can drive for 2 days after my light comes on before filling up.


http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39623&highlight=fuel+light

http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36274&highlight=fuel+light

A good practice is to refuel at the 1/2 tank mark. You never know when you'll need to pull a Thelma and Louise. :rolleyes:

I drove WAY too long once with my gas light on...about 2 days (40 miles) ...I'm lazy...but I didn't run out and finally filled up.:)

I hate being on a long trip, and the light comes on. Do I pull over? Can I go another hour? Who knows? I hate that....

The gas tank is 15.9 Gal.

The low fuel light Is just under 2 Millimeters. :D

Dom

i have a 50 mile commute one way.

I have an 03 civic si and it does the same thing. Hondas owned by my family do, too. I think it's just a Honda thing.

In my experience you have 15-20% of the tank left when it comes on. I've never driven it to empty but have rarely put more than 11 gallons in my 13.2 gal Si, even when I drive 10-20 miles with the light on.

i got the same thing going on.. i din't know i could go another 40+ miles!!! I would have just kept driving the other day if i would have known that!!

thanks yall.. this site is AWESOME!!!!

:D:D:D

I get nervous when I don't refill my tank with a quarter of a tank left. I feel like I'm playing Russian Roulette with my car. Pitiful...I know

I get nervous when I don't refill my tank with a quarter of a tank left. I feel like I'm playing Russian Roulette with my car. Pitiful...I know

Your not alone, I'm the exact same way.

I use to have a car that the gauge floated, ran out of gas once in the middle of an intersection as a teen, terrified of it happening again. Traumatized I tell you, completely traumatized. I found in Phoenix not many want to help you push a car out of the way, they rather honk and yell at you.

I had a Toyota Supra in the 90's and after drivng the car to complete empty fuel tank (I couldn't find any nearby gas station so I kept going and stalled out), the fuel pump went bad a few days later. Mechanic said the fuel acts as a cooling medium for the pump and driving a car with extremely low fuel level will do this - overheating the fuel pump and killing it. It was an expensive lesson.

That was going to be my next question. What derogatory effects (besides being stuck on the roadside), does running to the bottom of the tank have? I have on 2 occasions gone 40-45 miles once the light came on, only by necessity. The main reason that I try to fill up once I get down to a quarter tank or so was because I remember hearing somewhere that there is sediment that builds up on the bottom of the tank and if you go to empty, you're running all of that crap through your engine.

Is this true? Any other mal effects of running your tank low?

That was going to be my next question. What derogatory effects (besides being stuck on the roadside), does running to the bottom of the tank have? I have on 2 occasions gone 40-45 miles once the light came on, only by necessity. The main reason that I try to fill up once I get down to a quarter tank or so was because I remember hearing somewhere that there is sediment that builds up on the bottom of the tank and if you go to empty, you're running all of that crap through your engine.

Is this true? Any other mal effects of running your tank low?

The fuel pick-up is pretty much at the bottom of your gas tank to begin with, so regardless of the fuel level, any material having a greater specific gravity than gasoline will be at the bottom of the tank - and susceptible to being pumped into the fuel rail, as long as it is small enough to pass through the screen filter at the pump pick-up.

The old myth about keeping the gas tank filled was generally advised to keep water from condensation from getting into the tank. The truth is, any significant amount of water or debris that gets into a gas tank gets there from the pump at the gas station.

If you run the gasoline level low enough that the pump begins to lose pressure, the engine will start to misfire before it stalls completely. Misfires are particularly damaging to the catalytic convertor, and should be avoided.

The low fuel warning lamp will illuminate with about 4 gallons remaining in the tank. In theory, if you averaged 25 mpg, you could go nearly 100 miles after the lamp came on, but I wouldn't recommend it. Personally I'd be very wary of going much farther than 80 miles into the light, and feel safer not exceeding 65 miles.

I get around 22-24 MPG, but I have a question about the tank size. My EX is advertised as a 15.9 gallon tank. The low gas light usually goes on at around 270 miles, and if i fill up right away i sometimes only have to put 11.5 - 12 gallons. Does anyone know at what level of low the light goes on? How much gas do you think is really left when the light goes on. It seems odd it goes on with 3-4 gallons left.

Thanks
That is about how it works in my E. At about 12 gallons the light comes on. However most of the time I fill up at about a 1/2 a tank. It is a living in hurricane country thing.

I have an 04 e, and I'm good about filling up as soon as the light comes on.
I have never had to put more than 12.6 gallons in the tank.
So about 3.6-4.0 gallons in reserve.

I once put in 15.3 gallons. I missed my targeted exit. I thought I heard a sucking sound for the last couple of miles on empty. I started wondering if the stories of fuel lines collapsing from the vacuum were true.:shock:

I get the light at around 270+. I fill around 12 gallons or so. I get 22+ in the commute and 25 on the highway since I got the E. 08 EX AWD.

A good practice is to refuel at the 1/2 tank mark. You never know when you'll need to pull a Thelma and Louise. :rolleyes:

you dont need fuel to go sailing!

I asked a guy at my Honda dealer about this once. He said it's basically something Honda marketing set up. All Hondas show empty when there's a significant portion of the tank left so that you never (hopefully) either A) see a Honda out of gas and B) never run out of gas in your own Honda. I had thought my fuel gauge was broken before that, now I just accept it. I routinely put in 13.2 or so gallons, as I have a tendency for the fuel light to turn on at bad times when I don't even have the extra time to get gas. Never had a problem :D

I once put in 15.3 gallons. I missed my targeted exit. I thought I heard a sucking sound for the last couple of miles on empty. I started wondering if the stories of fuel lines collapsing from the vacuum were true.:shock:

I just put in a bit over 13 last nite, butt puckering all the way to the station. I'll never get that low again.

As far as collapsing fuel lines... The pump is in the tank and the fuel is pushed to the rail. Not like old style cam operated pumps from the old SBCs where the fuel is sucked toward the engine.

I just put in a bit over 13 last nite, butt puckering all the way to the station. I'll never get that low again.

As far as collapsing fuel lines... The pump is in the tank and the fuel is pushed to the rail. Not like old style cam operated pumps from the old SBCs where the fuel is sucked toward the engine.

Don't panic til you're putting 15 :D

Low fuel light came on when I was across the street from a station. It held 12.42 gallons.

I'm OK with that and the 23 mpg I've averaged since I got the E 12/17/07. Very happy! :)

At what mileage does your E's gas light come on? Just curious how different these estimates can be including mpg etc.

I've never seen mine on because I never let it get down that low......

There should be three gallons left when the light comes on....

My gas light usually comes on between 235 and 275 depending on the recent weight of my foot and the types of trips Im driving. Best mpg ever was 27.5 mpg on a flatland highway trip.

There are a number of open discussions on this topic. Since there isn't a need for another one i am closing this one down.


http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42723

http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39623&highlight=fuel+light

http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36274&highlight=fuel+light

Gotta say I wish it would come on later. If it is a 15.9 gallon tank and the light comes on with 4 gallons left, that just means the gauge is wrong! I'd like for it to be on before I run out of course but a gallon or a little more would be sufficient. NOT a fourth of the capacity! It might as well be a twelve gallon tank and them give you a 4 gallon can to keep spare gas in. Only then you would actually know how much gas you have left. I searched this before making a new thread because my wife and I were discussing it. She had asked the salesman and he had told her it had a twelve gallon tank but I always read the specifications in the owner's manual anyway and couldn't figure out why the light came on and only held 12.5 gallons.

Thanks yall.

I also own a 2004 Odyssey and have this same issue. Except, on the Ody it is even worse (6 gallons left in the tank when the light comes on). So.....I called Honda! The response they gave me made sense and some previous posts touch on a few. Honda essentially told me that they are conservative on the fuel light for a few basics reasons: 1.) Everyone drives differently - some are light on the pedal, some not; thus having varying MPG. 2.) Climate conditions, altitude, head wind, etc also weighs in on MPG. But the biggest factor they said was 3.) If you tow someting MPG decreases significantly. Honda does not want you stranded so they are conservative where they engineer the fuel light parameter.

Drive it till it drops:lol::lol:

I also own a 2004 Odyssey and have this same issue. Except, on the Ody it is even worse (6 gallons left in the tank when the light comes on). So.....I called Honda! The response they gave me made sense and some previous posts touch on a few. Honda essentially told me that they are conservative on the fuel light for a few basics reasons: 1.) Everyone drives differently - some are light on the pedal, some not; thus having varying MPG. 2.) Climate conditions, altitude, head wind, etc also weighs in on MPG. But the biggest factor they said was 3.) If you tow someting MPG decreases significantly. Honda does not want you stranded so they are conservative where they engineer the fuel light parameter.

Interesting, when I asked sales at my local Honda dealer they said it was partially so you NEVER see a Honda on the side of the road out of gas :D

I have a call out to Cosmo Kramer. If I recall correctly he has a specific fascination with how far a car can go once the light comes on. I will get back to you all.

I have a call out to Cosmo Kramer. If I recall correctly he has a specific fascination with how far a car can go once the light comes on. I will get back to you all.

Haha, it was just a matter of time ;-)

If I remember correctly someone posted on another thread 16.9 gallons, which includes topping the neck completely off. (don't do it(!) or when it heats up you'll be leaking all over the place)

I hate the Low Fuel light! It comes on way too soon. Is there anyway to turn it off or adjust when it comes on?

Guys, when you get right down to it, there are only two times when you absolutely, for sure know how much gas you have. When you're at the station and when you're standing by the side of the road. Fuel gauges are notoriously faulty and you're almost better off sticking a ruler down the neck of the tank. I go by the old adage that when the light comes on, find the next gas station along. Unless they don't sell Moosehead beer, then the next. Apparently Honda has left us happy E owners a handy escape if we're being chased by carjackers. If the chase starts when the light comes on, you've got about 40-60 miles before you've got to pull over, get the .45 out of the glove box and make a stand.

I just fueled up for the first time since I picked up my E last Saturday. The needle was touching the Empty line on the gauge. I filled the tank and the pump read 11.74 gallons. So I had over four gallons left it appears.

That is Quite a cushion. My last Honda was a 1988 Honda CRX. When the needle was on Empty, I could get about 75 more miles out of a tank. Is this typical of all Hondas?

Incidentally, I got 18.43 M.P.G. Nearly all city driving and I do have a slightly heavy foot, so I get what I deserve.

On edit: I just noticed that this is the "problems & issues" forum. I found this thread in a search and wanted to report this, but don't really see it as a problem. Maybe as a minor issue though.

Time to close it up and put a lock on it....been beat to death many times before.

Agreed .

Do Elements have a low fuel light?

Do Elements have a low fuel light?


Yes they do. When the tank gets down to 3-4 gallons left the light will come on.

I just had my come on as I tried my best to get away from
the very high gas prices on the coast ($4.10). What people do to save a
few bucks.:rolleyes:

There was some discussion on this topic some time back. Let me find it.

Click here: http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42723&highlight=fuel+light

Dom

I took a hit to the wallet and filled up the tank... Now I try to keep at least 3/4 in the tank at all times. The way the prices keep moving up I think it's best to get as much as I can at today's price than spend a lot more to fill the tank at tomorrow's price.

just an opinion .... I could be wrong. . .

Tell the truth, clellwrn, you just like to hang out at gas stations.

Tell the truth, clellwrn, you just like to hang out at gas stations.

I thought he was a bill that liked to hang out on capitol hill :D

Do Elements have a low fuel light?

When I took the car from my wife, I had to ask her the same question.

Well usually once the low fuel light comes on in my E which is an 03 I can only get about 13 or less gallons of fuel. It's rated at 15.9. So does this mean when the light is on there is about 2 or so gallons in reserve?

I've never kept track of my mpg or how much fuel I used until my last tank. I drove it with the low fuel light on for a while and got 15.1 gallons into the tank so I know it must have been really low.

I'm at 315 miles on this tank of gas and the low fuel light came on about 10 miles ago. I've kind of gotten off topic but I'm very happy with the milage I've got from driving very conservatively cause I normally get about 230 miles to a tank of fuel.

Back on topic. How many gallons should I have after the low fuel light comes on?

pssst....psst...there are thugs roaming the forum who will cuff your ear for not using the search function....

Here is a short decent thread that sums up

http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48851&highlight=fuel+tank

I sometimes drive around for awhile after the light comes on. At fill up, about 13 to 13.5 gallons are pumped. Nice to know there's another 60 miles of driving left if needed.

Stupid uber-safety features like this are why cars weigh hundreds of pounds more than they should. Reduced performance, increased fuel consumption.


The 2005 Honda Civic weighs 2,500 lbs.
The 1995 Honda Civic weighs 2,100 lbs.

The 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse weighs 3.400 lbs.
The 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse weighs 3,000 lbs.

The 2005 Ford Mustang weighs 3,600 lbs.
The 1965 Ford Mustang weighs 3,000 lbs.


Stupid.

A lot of that isn't added features, it's added size. Listen carefully to the car ads on TV. More room, more interior space, and larger everything are the mantras. Look at the physical size of the 1995 Civic vs. 2005 Civic. The Civic was a compact that's now classed as a small sedan. The Accord was a small sedan that's now classed as a midsize sedan. The car models have been getting bigger and bigger as everyone fights to have the most space and features, and more weight is what you get in return.

sixty seems to be about right. my light has been on before and i have driven from hb to irvine twice and back, which is basically 16 x4.

60-100 depending on driving conditions.

Mine usually has about 4 gallons left when the light goes on.

:shock:

pssst....psst...there are thugs roaming the forum who will cuff your ear for not using the search function....


:lol: True that... If I fill up when the light blinks "on", I fill at 12.6... So I have four gallons left.

When the light comes on I reset the trip "B" odometer and drive for another sixty miles, and usually fill up with 14.5 gallons. Most times total miles is around 320.

Like most others my light comes on after burning about 12 gallons. I feel comfortable going another 70 miles to the next fill up. I have never gotten less than 20 mpg.

From a full tank, when does your low fuel light come on?

Mine comes on around 240-260 miles combined city/highway driving.
Highway driving only, I get at least 280 miles.

My max is 303 miles before the light coming on.



I drive a 2003 Element EX (4WD) automatic

The early signal on the gas light seems to make sense to me, however what I can't figure out is how the initial fill-up (from the dealer) lasted me 300+ before the light came on, but when I went to fill up myself it only accepted 12 Gallons. That fill only lasted me about 220 before the light came on again (again only a 12 gallon fill).

How could the first one have lasted that much longer? My driving behaviors didn't change between weeks 1 and 3.

The early signal on the gas light seems to make sense to me, however what I can't figure out is how the initial fill-up (from the dealer) lasted me 300+ before the light came on, but when I went to fill up myself it only accepted 12 Gallons. That fill only lasted me about 220 before the light came on again (again only a 12 gallon fill).

How could the first one have lasted that much longer? My driving behaviors didn't change between weeks 1 and 3.

Maybe your dealer put real gas in the tank and filled it to the gas cap, and now you're buying gas with 10-15% alcohol mixed in and shutting off at the first click like Honda says. If you bought from a dealer that does a lot of business in used cars and trucks, it's a common policy to use higher octane gas on all the fill ups which usually has less or no ethanol in it.

I was thinking the same here. I had high MPG at first. Most likely the dealer filled up with RACING fuel at the first filler up. Or, maybe Soy sauce just not clear yet?

soy sauce?:confused:

Read the manual and it mentions a 15.9 gal tank...here's the question...when the low fuel light comes on how much is in the reserve? I'm guessing around 3.5 gal...on my first fill up I added 11.3 gal and neglected to continue reading the manual about trying to "top off" the tank. Bad for the E and my shoes!

Read the manual and it mentions a 15.9 gal tank...here's the question...when the low fuel light comes on how much is in the reserve? I'm guessing around 3.5 gal...on my first fill up I added 11.3 gal and neglected to continue reading the manual about trying to "top off" the tank. Bad for the E and my shoes!

You've got the right volume for the tank... Using simple math and assuming your low fuel light came on prior to your fill-up, it sounds like it came on with 4.6 gallons left...

As far as topping off, I thought there's no overflow valve along the filler neck so it wouldn't splash out...? I've tried to top off each and every time and haven't been able to overflow my tank and spill any on my shoes...

Oh, Dribbles, I think the COLOR of your 2010 is PMM not MM... Polished Metal Metallic... Welcome...

LBD

As far as topping off, I thought there's no overflow valve along the filler neck so it wouldn't splash out...? I've tried to top off each and every time and haven't been able to overflow my tank and spill any on my shoes...


Not an overflow valve, a vapor recovery system. Topping off will put raw gas into the vapor recovery system, eventually causing damage to it, and your cat. converter (and those things are not cheap to replace - oem is over a $Grand) :shock:

Not to mention there is also a vapor recovery system in the pump nozzle. The more you go clicky-clicky at the end, the more that system sucks what would be overflow BACK into the station's tanks, but you still get to pay for it. :razz: Smart!

You've got the right volume for the tank... Using simple math and assuming your low fuel light came on prior to your fill-up, it sounds like it came on with 4.6 gallons left...

As far as topping off, I thought there's no overflow valve along the filler neck so it wouldn't splash out...? I've tried to top off each and every time and haven't been able to overflow my tank and spill any on my shoes...

Oh, Dribbles, I think the COLOR of your 2010 is PMM not MM... Polished Metal Metallic... Welcome...

LBD

Polished Metal Metallic from the Honda Link website...still don't know how they got titanium out of the tan seats?

Not an overflow valve, a vapor recovery system. Topping off will put raw gas into the vapor recovery system, eventually causing damage to it, and your cat. converter (and those things are not cheap to replace - oem is over a $Grand) :shock:

Not to mention there is also a vapor recovery system in the pump nozzle. The more you go clicky-clicky at the end, the more that system sucks what would be overflow BACK into the station's tanks, but you still get to pay for it. :razz: Smart!

Thanks MKH...

Polished Metal Metallic from the Honda Link website...still don't know how they got titanium out of the tan seats?

Me neither... They must have had some REAL GOOD punch on color-naming day...!

LBD

Titanium has a darker color than Stainless, one might even say somewhat Tan in apperance especially when next to stainless steel. Its not THAT big of a stretch. (this posted while looking at my stainless/titanium 2 tone watch band)

I am so glad I found this! For 5 years now, I panic if the light comes on. I once put 12.9 gallons in and thought "phew, that was close!" I thought I had a 13 gallon tank because of the light coming on so early! I finally looked it up in my manual and saw it's a 15.9 gallon tank. Haha, I feel a little dumb. Darn early light. I seem to remember my old VW Jetta light came on with 4 gallons left in it. I think VW called it a Reserve. :lol:

Have a Canadian EX, 2WD, manual trans. Just got home after a 4600 mile road trip. My E has 105,000 kilometers or63,000 miles. Loaded to the rafters we averaged 32 miles to the imperial gallon or 27 a US gallon. Not bad considering the Rocky mountains. Also to note; low fuel light for me means I have 110 kilometers or 66 miles to dry.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v665/xequar/Egasgauge2.jpg

When the gas light comes on, I like to reset one of odometers. I'm comfortable letting that climb to 20 miles (3gal left), and start worrying if I can't find gas by 40, figuring I'm down to 2.

Like everyone else, the little yellow light comes on around the 11-12 gal point. I swear that I saw that little light turn red one night after driving quite a distance on "yellow". (but I also think that I saw Elvis gassing up in line ahead of me). Does it turn red at the holychitgetgas point or am I imagining things...again.

The gas pump icon doesn't change color.