Reserve Tank Size.

[NPeyton]

My Friend the other day know that in his 03 2wd Ranger 3.0 he could drive atleast 60 miles from when the Check Fuel light comes on. I just want to know if its true that there could be almost 4 gallons in reserve?Has anyone ran it that far before?

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

your tank is either 16 or 19 gallons (depends on wheel base).

 

[MAKG]

I'm going to be very blunt here.

Only a fool would depend upon that.

How would you like your truck to stall in the middle of a left turn? How about when you hit a pothole on the highway?

 

[AllanD]

MAKG is right because on the later fuel systems when it dies, it really dies.


Remember that the fuel can slosh away from the pickup in even a slight turn
and though the engine won't quit instantly, it can do so at the damnedest times...



I probably know more about how a ranger behaves when it runs out of gas than everyone on this forum combined.

Why? because I do it all the time.

I get away with it because I have dual tanks and can easily switch.
I should add that my dual tanks are unlike any others. as I have gen1
dual tank circuitry and tank selection, but not the tanks or the pumps...
My tanks both have "sumps" that prevent the fuel from getting away
from the pickup and I know damned well how far my truck will go
(trip odo) and I plan ahead moment to moment and I ALWAYS have
fuel in the "other tank" (whichever one I'm not running), so at the
first sign of a "stutter" my arm reaches out like a striking cobra to
flick that switch...


AD

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

the stock plastic tanks have slosh baffles as well. they arent as effective as sumps but they do work. i have a 16 gallon tank and i regularly put over 15 gallons in when i fill up. i also pay closer attention to my trip odometer than the fuel guage, since its more accurate if you know your trucks average economy.

 

[NPeyton]

Well I have the 4.0 Splash with a 19.7 or something along those lines size tank. I have ran it below the needle but it was in all curiosity that I ask this question. The fluctuation in the needle is kind of scary at times I have the thought that maybe I really don't know how much gas in my truck at times.

Thank you guys anyways.

 

[koda6966]

I once drove 10 miles on empty.. I wouldn't trust it further than 5.

 

[barrys]

I wish someone who's either a Ford tech or has some knowledge from FoMoCo would answer this question from the first post directly:
I just want to know if its true that there could be almost 4 gallons in reserve?
That's what the service manager told me yesterday about my 2010 4.0 when I asked why it only took 15 gallons when the needle on the guage was reading empty. I looked at him like he was from Mars and he looked at me like I was a dumbass. He was probably right.

I don't plan to try to run it till it empties out all 19.5 gallons (yes it's a supercab). I just want to know if he's just trying to get out of fixing a broken fuel sender or some related component.

 

[Twizzler09]

According to my owners manual, my '96 4.0 Ext Cab has a 20.5 gallon tank without a reserve at all. I've run it to where it takes 19+ gallons to fill up before, and the needle was still reading slightly above empty and the Low Fuel light was on.

I suppose its possible for the newer trucks to have reserves as large as 4 gallons. Not sure why it'd be that large though.

 

[barrys]

All of the feedback about the older models is nice, but I'm not sure it applies. Ford's changed the design of that system quite a bit over the going on 15 years. I had a '94 which behaved just like yours.

On the new one, in the owners manual they discuss the "empty reserve" (a newer feature) and define it as "the difference between the advertised size of your fuel tank and the amount of fuel your tank will tank when filling when the gauge reads empty." From what I've heard from at least one dealer source, it's around 3 gallons. Another dealer claims 1.9 gallons. I thought I saw 4.5. But, I need to do some more experimenting and perhaps get a second "medical" opinion.

If it's 3 I'll deal. If it's 5 I'm going cry foul and see if Ford wants to do anything about it. If they don't, I still like the new ride.

 

[feellnfroggy]

Its all just wording, Space wise the rangers all hold a basic volume of fuel. SO yes its possible that you have a 4 gallon reserve, but your advertised tank size is prolly smaller than the older models.....