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Fuel Tank Capacity of 15.3 gallons

32K views 31 replies 14 participants last post by  Sportymonk  
#1 ·
The fuel tank capacity of my '15 CR-V is 15.3 gallons according to specs. Today while out and about my fuel gauge was nearing empty. Finally the yellow low fuel light/icon came on. I checked the 'range' miles and I knew from that I could reach my destination. At my favorite gas station near home, a Phillips 66, I pulled in to fill up the tank. Now the range mileage was at 1 mile! I always fill up until the pump nozzle clicks off and then stop. My tank took in 13.6 gallons of fuel. The math tells me that I still had a reserve of 1.7 gallons of fuel remaining in the tank even though the range indicated only 1 mile until empty. That means I could have driven a total of 57 more miles (assuming 30 mpg) until the CR-V came to a complete shut-down. I really did not intend to wait even this long until I refueled today. However, it is useful information to know that if the chips are down I could have driven up to 57 miles further. In an emergency this could be useful knowledge. Most usually I top-off the tank every time it is at the half full/empty mark.
 
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#2 ·
It seems all CR-V owners use the "miles left" as entertainment !! I had your exact same experience last Winter - amber pump comes on and miles left shows 9 !! By the time I got home which coincidentally was 9 miles, it showed zero !! Living in the country, you learn to always have gas on hand so I dumped in a gallon, drove the 5 miles to the nearest station and 12. something filled it !! I look at upon occasion or when bored, but it's pretty much useless as it's reliability is questionable IMO. I always reset the trip meter and start thinking gas at about 400 miles. Enjoy the car !!! Craig
 
#3 ·
That is definitely some useful knowledge. I always suggest to people to fill up well before the yellow light comes on. Your fuel pump is cooled by the fuel in the tank, so you don't want it to overheat. Also, all the sediment settles at the bottom of the tank and you definitely don't want to suck that up and clog an injector.
 
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#5 ·
It's probably meant to have one gallon in reserve, beyond 0. I think that's what I originally read in the manual. The rest is probably the contents of the fuel lines, etc. It's also possible that it never actually fills to 15.3 tank capacity before the gas pump sensor cuts off.
 
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#6 ·
If I ever question whether or not I have enough fuel, I usually ignore the fuel gauge and just start calculating what I can do based on my fuel consumption. I find the computer readout is accurate enough to make a well informed guess. Recently was coming back from a trip to Winnipeg, and didn't know if I could make it back based on the fuel gauge. Did the math and sure enough I made it to my home gas station after 460 miles with over 3 gallons left.
 
#7 ·
So there is plenty of gas left with zero on the range meter.
If you let the range meter drop to zero what does it do then?
 
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#9 ·
I've never put more than 12.3 gallons in the tank of my 2013, even though the miles left has occasionally been showing 0 miles. I've been forced to go way longer than that once in awhile. On my motorcycle, I carry an extra 1.5 liters of gas on the bike in a tool tube. When I ride in rural Canada, I also carry a small gas can, and also when in rural Canada, I fill up whenever I see a gas station. I've run out of fuel on the bike 3 times in the last dozen years, and I only had gas with me the third time. Pushing a 600 pound motorcycle uphill for even a half mile is no fun.
 
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#10 ·
I don't understand you people. I've been riding motorcycles for over 50 years, in rural and urban territories. Never ran out of gas. And never carried a spare tank with me. Big bikes and small. With and without fuel gauges. And been driving vehicles longer than that. Never ran out of gas.
 
#13 ·
All part of everyday life. Don't leave your house without getting dressed. Don't leave the water running. Don't leave without your keys. Don't leave your sun roof open in the rain. Don't run out of gas. What could be easier.

I know. Many worry only about keeping their smart phone charged. Miss a text. Disaster. :p
 
#12 ·
My question is how accurate is the fuel gauge?

I have run until the fuel gauge is about two marks off empty but the fuel light is still not on. As work is 55 miles with long stretches of no gas stations, I can't chance it. But like others, when I fill up, I have never put more than about 12 gallons in with the gauge at near empty (two marks off).
 
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#14 ·
As one of a select few who is cell phoneless, I'll try and do better on the rest in an attempt to live up to your expectations. Let me know how your life is going when you get to 74 yrs old. Craig
 
#18 ·
OK, I had to run low the other night and the range said 31 miles left and I was overall averaging 29.7 mpg. So I figure about 1 gallon left. Drove 5 more miles to the gas station and filled up. Range showed 26 miles left. Put 13.0x in!!! Just over 13. topped it off to 13.3.

So either the tank does not hold 15.3 or the gas gauge (at 1 mark off empty) and the range left and the low fuel light are ALL wrong.
Based on what I am reading here, it sounds like the tank does not hold 15.3 but the only way to know for sure is run it dry and then fill it up.
 
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#21 ·
Every Honda I have owned in the past since 1981 has has the same issue with the fuel gauge reading empty far before it was. I had a Civic VX with a 10 gallon tank and when the fuel needle was laying on the floorboards I could never put more than 8.5 gallons in it. I'm sure the tank is 15.3 as the specifications read plus the amount the filler neck holds. But for scientific reasons someone here needs to bite the bullet and run their CR-V empty.
 
#19 ·
Well I think it keeps 1 gallon in reserve(per the book), when it says 0 miles left it would be 26-27 miles or so until youre REALLY in trouble :) I have gone about 20 beyond 0 with no troubles, but don't make a habit of it. It's probably not good to let it get that low to suck in any sediment, etc.
 
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#20 ·
You got to admit, it's a great way to freak out passengers.
 
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#22 ·
Filling up as short a time after the light comes on leads me to conclude that my 2015's light comes on with 2.5 gallons left, and my former 1997's came on with 2.0 gallons left.

In theory the current one should be able to just fall over the 500 mile tank line as it runs out of gas on the highway, but I've only taken it as many as 400 the one time. The '97 should do something similar just after the 350 mile mark, but one time I did manage over 400 on a tank with the warning light only just having come on when I had a 20mph tailwind the whole way.
 
#24 ·
With no wind and a flat 55mph road with few variations, I've gotten 37mpg in my '15 (according to the trip fuel economy meter, which tends to be accurate within a few percent in my experience). That would push the range above 550 miles.

Where I live there's a fairly flat 3 mile stretch of 35mph limit with one set of lights that are usually green: the instant fuel economy reads 45-50mpg with a warm engine on that. But no way that'll translate into a whole tank's worth in practice.

The best I've found on Fuelly for a gasoline '15 so far is a 522 mile tank @37.33mpg.
 
#25 ·
As someone recently said "At this point, what difference does it make?" My last car held 18.5 gallons and got a similar fuel mileage. Why does it matter if you fuel up a hundred or so miles sooner? My gas tank easily lasts longer than my personal storage tank. I now fill up about every other stop where I once filled once every third.
 
#27 ·
Good question: greater range = more opportunity to locate cheaper gas when you're on a road trip (check Gas Buddy maps and all that); in cold weather climates greater range = if you get stuck somewhere in the middle of nowhere then you likely won't be as far up the creek if you have greater ability to run warm air; and less need to synchronize gas stops with rest stops (I don't know about the situation where you drive, but in general I find gas-less rest areas much more pleasant environments than gas stations).

It's marginal, sure, but it's not nothing.
 
#26 ·
I've become a gas guzzler. Filled up today. Averaging just over thirty mpg. I mid told me range 450miles. Which is pretty much spot on for 15 gallons and 30mpg.
 
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#28 ·
I use gasbuddy and it's not unusual to find gas 10c cheaper just by going s mile or two further. On one recent 2600 mike drive, thirty extra miles resulted in 20c a gall saving.
I spent it in coffee!
 
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#29 ·
Page 72 of the printed owners manual (which I received today) states the Low Fuel Indicator lamp will "Come on when the fuel reserve is running low (approximately 2.3 U.S. gal./8.6 Liter left)."

So it looks like an easy 60 miles when the light is on.
 
#30 ·
Sonoran Highway - Thanks for your 'lookup'! I thought I read the owners manual but I sure missed this one. It is a relief to know that we have that reserve to use when absolutely necessary. Cheers!
 
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#31 ·
I've had many cars with a low fuel light (including motorcycles) and they all had a reserve to go at least 50 miles. My F-150 did run out at about 45 miles after the low fuel light came on but I was pulling a 25' travel trailer.
 
#32 ·
Had a good opportunity (almost too good). Returning from Raleigh and realized I would be pushing the range indicator.
Pulled into the station at home with 10 miles left on range. Had traveled 417 miles at 31.6 mpg. (Fuelly said 31.8)

Filled up with no "topping off" at 13.117 gallons. So with 10 miles of range, I still had 2.2 gallons of gas. Fuel gauge was touching empty but not centered.


Drove 70 in 70 zone, 60-65 in 60 zone. Hit a high segment of 34.6. Going over 70 really affects mileage.


 
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