DAMN, talk about running on vapor.
You be a mighty close there.
BUT, you made it. All that counts.

 

I hope you did not fill the charcoal canister!
Rod J

 

Maybe, just maybe those Miami gas pumps need to be recalibrated.
Nothing surprises me today.
🤣 🤣

 

They are checked regularly..
I've spoken with a guy who takes the measurements.
I know my 5 gallon gas can can hold more than 5 gallons.
None the less.. this does seem a little crazy

 

They are checked regularly..
I've spoken with a guy who takes the measurements.
I know my 5 gallon gas can can hold more than 5 gallons.
None the less.. this does seem a little crazy

Yes, I know.
They SAY they check ours regularly as well.
My 5gal can holds,5 1/2.
At least you knew your full tank was actually FULL.

 

Hmmmm.... 🤔

 

I ran mine low on purpose a few weeks ago to drop the tank to get to the canister for a replacement, I put 27.6gal in. Thankfully I pay $2.45/gal right now before an extra 5% cash back (brings it to $2.33).

 

5 gallon can holding 5.5 gallons = 10% extra space at top
27 gallons holding 28.5 gallons = only 05%+ over.
(some of that may be the filler tube too?)
Maybe I was refilling the fuel lines too.. lol

No doubt it's probably good I pulled in the first gas station on my way out to work.
Usually I shop best price.. and know where those stations are.

Over the decades I've documented 27.3, 27.6 etc.. but first time to exceed 28.
On a few occasions I've driven "well below E" too (this time included)... sometimes even on the highway.
I have literally "coasted" into gas stations a couple times with engine dead...
I call those a "photo finish".. lol.
I drive A LOT (every day).. and I guess I've grown tired of gas stations.. lol

What can I say... I don't play by the rules.
Cruising the highway BELOW EMPTY... LOL

At least I know how FAR my gauge can go..

A couple "documented" previous refills:

Oddly, my 92 is still running on (same tank)... earlier this year
I haven't been driving it as much as I usually do
The V8 actually gets pretty good fuel economy.. even with performance upgrades.

Speaking of fuel... here's a typical "summer scene" here in South Florida
(fueling up for HURRICANE SEASON)
I have a LOT more cans than shown here.
This is me "rotating fuel" and filling up

Me and GAS go WAY back!
Fortunately, I "like" the smell of "fresh" gasoline too
I even wash my hands with it.. but don't recommend drinking it

 

MM..Gas can producers/companies usually have /leave more room for vapor and fumes at the top of the listed amounts for cans because crazy people like Floridians like to fill them to the brim (got to get that perfect 5 gallons for my golf cart!)..and then leave them in their cars closed up on typical hot days...

Astro tanks seem similar..My "Low Fuel" light seems to light up when I have about 7 gallons left.. ???..for a 27 gallon tank?

 

Since you like to run on vapors, I guess you will have a good reason to put in a new fuel pump. One day.😁

 

Maybe one day.
We ALL change pumps.
(I think the ethanol is the bigger reason)

For the others who don't know..
The pickup grabs fuel from the very bottom of the tank.
The fuel pump however, runs submerged in a mini-tank of it's own returned fuel.
None the less.. it's a much better practice to not get below 1/4 tank.

SAFETY TIP
Kids:
I'm a rule breaker...
Don't do what I do

 

I always used to run below empty on many occasions.
Especially back in the poverty days.
Well, until I tried it with my 92 S-10.
When I first got it, I did the same old routine.
Until I found out that the gas gauge was not entirely accurate and I ran out of gas at 1/4 tank.
Lesson learned.
Now I still try to keep it above 1/4 tank no matter which vehicle I use.
When you live 15 miles from the nearest gas station, hard coasting in when empty.
Although probably could, it's all downhill.
Regardless, grandpop warned me about running on empty and stay above 1/4 when I started driving.
Especially in the winter. (Not much of a problem in Florida though)
Then I found out why. He was right. Although I too have pushed it quite a few times.

Whenever I get a different vehicle, I always carry a 5 with me and run it empty, just to see how accurate the gauge really is.

 

I always used to run below empty on many occasions.
Especially back in the poverty days...

For me.. it's MOSTLY about "pushing limits"... I do it with lots of things.

• I've NEVER changed a "fuel filter"...
  (on any of my vans, even though I have new replacements)
• Never popped the rear cover on my 92 (over 300K AND behind a V8 now)
• Driving on (or below) Empty (multiple occasions over the years)
• Literally coasting into gas stations (see above lol)
• Doing a V8 installation (by myself) in a weekend... lol
• No heaters in either of my vans (I can get away with it in Florida)
• Pulling trailers at 80+ (been doing it as long as I can remember)
• Towing 6000+ lbs (well over spec rating)
• Speed Limits are "minimum" suggested speeds
• Travel out of state trips with well over 200K+ (now pushing almost 300K)

I'm sure there are more examples in my case.. not meant as bragging, just who I am.
I push limits.

Again, I don't recommend ANY of this for others.

In response to "how low can you go:...
I could have just as easily asked:
How fast have you ever driven?
What the most you ever towed?
Etc, etc

I did find out the Gen 2 vans have a governor that kicks in at EXACTLY 100
Know your limitations

Funny thing...
I used to LOVE gas-station fill-ups in my younger days with my supercharged 502 van.
It almost always resulted in someone coming over asking "what do you have in that thing"...
And of course... up with the hood, and show-off what I got.
I still get that sometimes with my rumbly rough-idle 92.. but not much anymore.
Most of today's generations has no clue.

I drive a LOT.. day after day.
Every week I'm filling up... and it's pretty much getting boring and old (like me lol).
I recall the Seinfeld episode where they were low on fuel and decided to just "keep on going" ... lol

GOOD NEWS:
I've been driving like this since my fill-up (3 days ago)... lol
(photo taken this morning on my way to work)

I like to see HOW FAR the gauge can go (at BOTH ends)
At 20, I can go MUCH further MUCH longer.. lol

Footnote: I'm just having a little fun with this thread...
CHEERS!

 

My comments are more the same way,just having fun. My Floridan one is just an example of people all over the country using two cycle tools and vehicle power that have to know how many ozs of oil are needed per gallon mix to run them. If the cans and that were exactly six gallons..and you forgot to put the oil in first..or tried to squeeze that six gallons (after putting the oil in there) in there and flooded out your can..one would be a bit POed about the "quantity of fuel the can was supposed to have"..or "how many Ozs of oil do I need for a 32/1 mix for 5.78 gallons of fuel..Yikes..What do I do now..Siri...HELP!?! (How many people can mentally figure that out these days). If your can is filled to the top..you can't just pour out the excess on the ground or at the pump..to get your exact amount of space for oil needed.

The extra is there for that reason..would you buy a boat gas tank that you know holds less than 6 gallons of fuel if you have to put a certain percentage of oil in it? More than likely you'd buy the slightly bigger can..so you don't have to worry about the overflow or how much gas/oil is needed at the pump..

Oh..and MM..You might have the lowest price gasoline in the country..but we are sure we have the highest now..in all 50 states...so..should we be proud of that?

You might want to just pack an extra 5 gallons of gas in a can and run it dry to see how much you really can go without refilling .After you run dry and out of gas..by the sound of it..it "might" restart with only 5 gallons of gas added .

I know my 1990 has an inner plastic wall area..perhaps the "light activation reserve section?" of the tank.? After dropping my tank and cleaning it out.I decided I should keep my level above having just that inner section drained of fuel because the worst residue seemed to be outside that area of the inner tank.. The pump may suck off the bottom ,but it seems to be the bottom of that inner area and not along the outside edges.. I'm not sure the newer tanks are built like that.. ??? I didn't know that existed like that..until I dropped the gen 1 tank in that van.

 

Wow. I would not try this at home.