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Low gas warning at less than 2 gallons???


Paladin62

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I ran out of gas this morning. I was driving home last night (14 miles) when the low gas warning came on. I figured I had a couple gallons left as most vehicles warn you at 5 gallons. I figured I'd get gas at lunch today but didn't make it to work. I got less than 28 miles after the warning light came on. I'm supposedly getting 17.5 MPG.

Be warned that when that warning hits, you better get to gas NOW!

This is the first time I have run out of gas in 26 years.

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I ran out of gas this morning. I was driving home last night (14 miles) when the low gas warning came on. I figured I had a couple gallons left as most vehicles warn you at 5 gallons. I figured I'd get gas at lunch today but didn't make it to work. I got less than 28 miles after the warning light came on. I'm supposedly getting 17.5 MPG.

Be warned that when that warning hits, you better get to gas NOW!

This is the first time I have run out of gas in 26 years.

Wow, thanks for the tip... did you check the trip computer (do you have an SXT or above?) Because it displays DTE (distance to empty) I had my light go on and I believe it was at about 60km's once it hits that mark it does not display kms remaining, just the fact you are low.

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I haven't experienced low fuel on my Journey yet but on my past vehicle, a 2000 caravan, the low fuel light would come on and I would have enough gas for about 15-18 miles. I wouldn't trust any "five gallon" reading.

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Wow, thanks for the tip... did you check the trip computer (do you have an SXT or above?) Because it displays DTE (distance to empty) I had my light go on and I believe it was at about 60km's once it hits that mark it does not display kms remaining, just the fact you are low.

I did check and all it said was "Low Fuel". My Dodge Dakota would keep giving me readings until I was out if I took it that far. It ALWAYS showed distance to empty correctly.

I know the Dakota was at 5 gallons because I filled it when the light came on and I had 5 gallons left. I'm going to try that this next fill up to see when it comes on.

I only went less than 30 miles so I should have easily made it to a station.

26 years and I never ran out until this vehicle.

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I've never heard of a 5 gallon reference for low fuel warning. It wouldn't make sense, because that would be a 1/4 tank in the Journey and would have been 1/3 tank in my old Bonneville. A 20 gallon tank in these days is pretty large. I have always been under the impression that it was approx. 1 gallon.

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I believe it was in the manual that I read that when the gas light comes on you have roughly 30 miles give or take due to driving style and that your readout for estimated gas mileage left per tank will show low fuel. The funny thing is if I remember right it wasn't in the section about the fuel light but the one about you estimated mileage readout

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I noticed on two occasions where the yellow gas light came on, then once the 'DTE' readout showed 50kM, it went to low fuel.

the yellow gas light came on at different times before the display showed 50kM, and I think the idiot light comes on at a specific fuel level in the tank, and the computer display is based on fuel consumption.

Rick.

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Based on my experience so far mine has gone off with about 2.5 gallons left. I don't have the DTE thingy on mine, so I'm just going by how much it takes to fill back up when I make it to the station. I'll be filling up at lunch because the light came on this morning, so I'll let everyone know if anything changes.

ETA: It took just barely over 17 gallons to fill this time.

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Based on my experience so far mine has gone off with about 2.5 gallons left. I don't have the DTE thingy on mine, so I'm just going by how much it takes to fill back up when I make it to the station. I'll be filling up at lunch because the light came on this morning, so I'll let everyone know if anything changes.

ETA: It took just barely over 17 gallons to fill this time.

The book states the warning light comes on at 1/8 of a tank and it's a 21 gallon tank so it supposedly comes on at 2.625 gallons left. I went less than 30 miles so I must have gotten less than 10 MPG or the light came on late. I am averaging 17.6 mpg so something is screwy.

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  • 1 month later...

Sounds like there is.

My old Caravan had the low fuel indicator light come on with 1/8 of tank (20 gallons). I have no idea when the Journey indicator actually comes on -- (With these gas prices, I had been filling up more often.... now I am inclined to wait, so you never know......) - Phil

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I just had my low light come on and went for s fill up. I ended up putting a little over 17 gallons in it. I don't recall the exact amount

Same here. The light came on and I put a little over 17 gallons in mine. The way the car was beeping like crazy I thought I had less gas in there. Before it would do one beep every now and then. Just before I filled up it beeped around 3 times.

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