FuelTank Size/or gas float not set right

[rsk55]

So go ahead - have a laugh

I also have a new 07 LTD Tundra and I just hate things that don't work right. My fuel gauge and computer in my mind are not working right. I brought this to the service managers attention and was asked to drop it off so they could check out my complaint. I'm in Canada, so everything is metric so here goes.
Our 07 tanks are 100 liter and with the fuel gauge on empty, the computer telling me I have only 15 kilometers of driving left I head for the gas station. I have been filling up with between 78 - 80 liters of fuel which is about 80% of the fuel tank capacity. In other words we have a 20% reserve which I find very stupid, the last thing I want to be doing is quessing how much fuel I have left when I'm in the bush!
The dealership has only sold two Tundras this year and have very little product knowledge, so he asks me if have run it past the indicated computer readings and run out of gas. So being the smart *** that I can be when I'm not happy I ask him if he would like to step off the side of a highrise so he could test the law of gravity for me! Okay, we will check it out, also had a few outher things done while it was in for service (3500K).
When I came back to pick it up he had no answers for me so we measure up the tank (61cu/in per liter) and it checks out for 100 liter size. So there's only one thing to do right - run out of gas - lets see how far we can get.
The following Saturday I grab my 10liter spare fuel can off my quad and talk the wife into a lovely ride up the valley to check out the raging rivers for the day. Off we go coffe in hand and it's a beutyfull day. Just before hope I'm on empty and still driving, 20, 50 80 kilometers past emty my stomach and the scaks tell me it's time for lunch so we pull over and have a wonderfull lunch. Still beaming about how far we have come on empty I'm say lets continue up the canyon. At just over -120K and on my way up a hill in the slow lane she starts to cough and I have just enough momentum to get past the concrete barriers and pull slightly off the hiway. So here we are, brand new Toyota Tundra out of fuel on a busy hiway with two lanes of traffic trying to merge into the fast lane so as not take my rearend off. ( not talking about the truck here) I'm feel a bit embarrased grabbing for the fuel can as a Dodge coming up the hill is laughing and then boots it right beside me. Oh boy! Oh Boy!
I proceed to the gas tank flip open the lid and fish for my keys, I go through my keys not once, not twice but several more times to find that my gas key for the fuel lock is not there. I have this alfull funny feeling in my stomach, I look around at the traffic with this sickaning feeling that they must know whats just happened. I put the gas can back into the cargo hold and jump into the cab. I scramble through my storage cases thinking the dealer may have left the key in one, but nothing is found. I decide to take a small screw driver out to see if I could maybe pry it off - not a chance. I jump back into the cab and call the dealer from my cell and ask them if they might perhaps have my fuel tank key since I took their suggestion to run out of gas to find out just how big my tank is. The service manager, in a nervious voice said no sir - I'm sure I handed it back to you. I reminded him that I had returned the ignition key while he was standing in front of me.
I ask him how I could remove the gas cap easily and thinking the worse because I did not want to damage my new truck - but it was easy, thats if you have one, you use a plumbers pliers and squeeze the top and pop off the locking part the just unscrew the remainder of the cap. Grat know where do I get a plumbers pliers!.
Then I remember, the 1-888 number. Toyota to the rescue. I call the Toyota service and get someone in who knows what city or country on the phone. Sir Can we be of service. I say yes, I'm out of fuel about 20k North of Hope,BC on the #1 Hiway. Are you parked safely sir, No I reply I'm parked in the slow lane on a hill. Thank you sir. Is there a Toyota dealer ship near you. Thats when I lost it. !!!!!!!!!!!!! Please sir don't use that type of language with me. Then listen to what I'm saying and get that##%@^&&!!! towing truck on its way out here now!
At that point my wife looks at me and says boy you sure get excited easaly.About 1 kilometer ahead of us is a small road side picnic area beside a small lake I make a polite suggestion that she should perhaps take the dog for a nice walk!
Approximatley 45minuets later a tow truck shows up and the driver asks with a smile on his face Did your fuel gauge not say empty! Yes I say, and attempt to tell him the story even showing him the service invoice to really prove that I purposely ran out of gas. I ask if he might have a plumbers pliers with him and he leans over into his cab and pulls one out. He hands it to me and said you do the honours, so I grab the pliers open them up and with as much force as I could ripped the top of the locking gas cap off. It was almost delightfull to here the cracking of plastic against pure hard steal and the ripping sound as the cap gave loose. I could feel the pressure release in me as the 10 liter gas can slowly empted into the tank. The tow truck driver mosied up to my window as I'm resetting the gauges and computer. As I'm signing the form he suggest that I should perhaps turn around and head back into town to fillup my fuel tank. I think that was adding insult to injury but I drive forward just to pick up my wife and then headed back to town.

So, here is what I learnt
-Tank is 100 liters
-Gauge and computer only register 80 liters because Toyota dosn't think we are smart enough to know empty signals like E, a empty gaslight, low fuel message and you only have 10k of fuel left.
-Yes, if you step off a high rise you will immediately confirm the Law of Gravity, why not E = empty
-resetting the gauges and computer did not work
-Service managers don't know every thing about the vehicles they service and he still dosn't
-Yes, they did pay for a new gas cap and no solutions
-My wife still loves me even if I didn't check for a gas key before we left-Like I always check your my gas lock key.
-I stll don't understand why there is a 20% reserve, could it be a faulty float in our tanks and Toyoa just hasn't owned up to it yet.?
-this stunt was completed by a non-plumber, if you try this on your own take a plumber with you-Toyota would expect nothing less to be safe.
-I will go to any length to discover the truth - even if it's embarassing

Thanks for reading my story on Tundra fuel tanks!

RSK

[fireman9170]

I think it is a safety feature, that keep people from pushing it too far, you know theyre people out there who do that and try to wait until the last minute and get gas, this way they dont run out of gas. right or not I dont know, I try to not let it get that low, so no big deal to me.

[sevenpedaler]

In tank fuel pumps need fuel to cool the electric motor. When you run them down past "E" often you are asking for trouble. I've seen a few Chevy CK's that had fuel pumps go out from this.
I've noticed that when I'm on "E", I only need about 20 gallons to fill. Not a big deal. I watch my trip meter more than the gauge anyway for average driving anyway. Toyota is trying to make their trucks "idiot proof", and who can blame them. I just try to see beyond all the BS that is made for stupid people. I could tell you a running out of gas story about my ex, but I won't go there. Basically, it was the same thing, but she expected the car to ask politely for some fuel or it was going to run out.

[RAP5]

I have never been able to put in more than 21.5 gallons. I think others have posted on this same subject with similar readings. I know one thing, it ain't like a GM. The gauge drops immediately after 15 miles from filling up. Which to me means it's accurate. I remember 90 model GMS would go 40-60 miles before the gauge moved.

[Vermonter]

I hear you pain, but not the run out of gas part. My gauge, warning light, and "Get Gas Now Stupid" display all start yelling with at least 5 gallons (19 liters for our northern friends) left. So I wondered if the display would read minus miles to go ("You ran out of gas 35 miles ago"), or maybe at least "learn" where the bottom is. No such luck. Ran more than 30 miles after the display read "0 miles" and the warning light blaring, and the display still said 0 miles.Then I put in all of 22.5 gallons.

I understand Toyota giving a safety cushion, but 20% is way too much.

[StatCoder]

OK - No locking gas cap for me. I'm liable to not have the key a lot more often than I have gas stolen from my truck or have some vandal put something put in my tank.

Regarding the safety zone, I find myself driving around a lot more with the "E" light on just because I know that I probably have 60 miles left before I run out.

[bugchucker]

Am I the only one who actually reads the owner's manual? I refer you to page 439. You can damage your 3 way catalytic converter driving with low or no fuel. The CC can overheat thus creating a fire hazard.

I known nothing about engines but I can read!

[93cruiser]

i can not believe you took that route. Knowing the overall tank size, and how much gas you put in when the light comes on, you can reason what is left in the tank at that time, which is about 5 gallons. So say you average 15mpg, you can drive an additional 75miles.
I would have done the simple equation, much easier.

[rsk55]

Thanks guys, as I said the service consultants did not know why but thanks to your replys it makes more sense now. I should have posted here before continuing on with their "reset the computer idea", but it turned out to be not such a bad day after all. Sat and watched the high water floating by with a few Corona's pals.

1 - Fuel pump needs a coolant/lubricant
2 - running low on fuel could damage catalytic converter

Thanks for your imput and I will share this with my service consulatntsso they don't send some other idiot on the same mission.

RSK55

[Cruiser13]

Originally Posted by bugchucker

Am I the only one who actually reads the owner's manual? I refer you to page 439. You can damage your 3 way catalytic converter driving with low or no fuel. The CC can overheat thus creating a fire hazard.

I known nothing about engines but I can read!

True! However that begs the question, why the Toyota Tundra seems to be the only vehicle that requires a 5 gal reserve?! In other words, all other vehicles will require a reserve to cool the CC and fuel pump too, so why do we get to have 20% of our fuel capacity rendered useless when others do not. Toyota should have then put a 30gal tank on the truck! It is what it is, but I hate the misleading info. Don't tell me I have a 26 gal tank, but can't use it all!

[Wgasa84]

The tank is 26 gallons. I don't see why everyone is complaning, yes the trip computer and the low fuel light are off to the pervious toyota vehicles. I have personaly put 25.XX gallons in and it wasn't a big deal, aside from the gas bill. Once you trust your math more than a low fuel light and a trip computer they don't really do much besides let you know to fill up within the next 60 or so miles. There are other things to worry about than a gas gauge that is a bit off.

[rsk55]

I have to agree that the reserve is over kill, the last thing I want to be doing in the bush is calculating out how much fuel I have left. I believe this to be a design flaw if the pump and cc need 20l(5gal) of fuel in the tank to help stop damage to other parts of the vehicle. Certainly defeats the purpose of have a 100l(26gal) tank and thinking that I'm going to have plenty of fuel for my trip.

I don't really view this problem as me complaining as so much as a problem with Toyota and lack of disclosure on their part. Wonder if we could write them a letter to have them explain themselves. I would hate to be running on empty and burn out my fuel pump/cc and then have Toyota turn around and say that it was my fault for running on empty!

Seems really odd actually,

rsk55

[crewmaxman]

I am absolutely amazed at the number of people who are upset about getting gas (based on the fuel gage) while they still actually have 4 or 5 gallons left. I don't mean to be rude, but if that is all you have to worry about, you truely lead charmed lives!

[direwolf]

ROFLMAO

What he said

[laytonj1]

Originally Posted by Toxarch

If you have no fuel, then you have no combustion. So you can't damage the catalytic converter since the engine isn't running.

And how is low fuel supposed to damage a catalytic converter? The catalytic converter is part of the exhaust system. It's just there to burn off excess fuel vapors and other toxins in the exhaust. It has nothing to do with the level of the fuel in the tank.

Just before going completely dry the engine will start to misfire. This can cause a lot of unburned fuel to enter the catalytic converters which will quickly overheat them.

Jim