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.
Fuel Tank Capacity of 15.3 gallons
1 reading
jimbob15
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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.
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.
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.
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I don't really see how the fuel gauge being a little conservative is an "issue". It helps to stop you getting stranded and prevents parts of your vehicle from wearing unnecessarily quickly. I think Honda kind of hit the nail on the head in identifying the weakest part of the fuel cycle, specifically, the organic bit behind the wheel not filling it up when it needs to.
As for Toast's range calculations, 500 miles on a tank isn't a theory. It's well and somewhat bravely doable. With a 20 mph tailwind the whole way and assuming there is actually 15.3 gallons in there, it wouldn't surprise me to see a Cr-v be over 600 miles before running out.
Although instead of running the tank dry to see how much goes in, wouldn't the tank have a drain plug or something along those lines on it?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
So it looks like an easy 60 miles when the light is on.
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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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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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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