bugo

How low must it go before I need to start worrying? I had a friend with a Saab that had a fuel range display and he was always running out of gas.

843de

Well that's a loaded question in a way.

Firstly, the fuel range display is pretty accurate as a rule, but it uses calculations based on your "real time" MPG, and driving style. So depending on how you're driving and the type of driving you're doing, you'll see the fuel range number change drastically at times.

Now onto the "loaded" part of your question. HHR's use a rotary vane fuel pump that is liquid cooled(that liquid being the gasoline in the tank), and the fuel pumps and gas tanks are an integral assembly, when the pump fails you need to replace the entire tank and pump assembly. If you're thinking "that sounds expensive", it is. Having a dealer do the work has left some member's wallets lighter to the tune of $600-$1,000.

So if you're using the fuel range display to see just how far you can "push" a tank of fuel before running dry, you're risking a fuel pump failure. Most of us "Old Geezers" here fill up at the 1/4 tank mark to keep our fuel pumps submerged in gasoline and happy.

You might just want to adopt the habit of refueling between 1/4 & 1/8 of a tank remaining, and if you get a "Bong!" followed by a Low Fuel Level message on the DIC...get thee to a gas station right quick.

Oldblue

X2! Don't push the fuel pump into an over heated hissy fit and possible failure! Just start looking for a filling station when you see the gauge at 1/4

papa_jo

dang!! I learned something again today !!! What an expensive lesson to learn !!

bugo

Yeah, really. Thanks for the information. I'll definitely keep it over 1/4 full.

Oldblue

Great lesson, I learned about the electric in tank fuel pump, the hard way ! The pump died 30 minutes after I had just filled my old pickup , with the 34 gallon tank! It was a long walk back to a phone, 7 5 gallon jerry cans to drain out , $160.00 for the pump and the easy part was lifting the bed off the truck to get at the pump!! A joyous day! Rock on!!!
Since then some 15 years ago I don't let it go below 1/4 tank!

rhomanski

Not like my 86 Corvette then. Four screws to remove the filler door, 8 bolts to remove the sender/pump, reverse for installation. I even had close to a full tank when I did it. I think, even with putzing around and taking a smoke break it took maybe a half an hour.

bugo

We had a 1985 Buick Skyhawk (J body, think Cavalier) that had the fuel pump inside the gas tank. The car started running badly and we tried everything from new spark plugs to a new computer and nothing seemed to fix it. Finally my dad decided to try replacing the fuel pump. I told him I'd try to do it (I was 18 or so) and I had to drop the tank (2 straps held it in) and change the pump out. It wasn't too hard to do and the car ran great after that. I miss that little car. It had a 2.0 OHV engine and a 4 speed manual. It was a blast to drive.

rainmanva

just echoing pretty much what everyone has said, its far easier to fill up at 1/4 tank than pay the mechanic tons of money to replace your fuel pump. :)

VinceP

Try changing the pump on an 87 Firebird. Not only does the tank have to come out but you have to take the rear end assembly out before you can take the tank out....ask me how I know.

On the subject of how low can you go on the fuel range, I guess I am an exception. I routinely wait until the low level light comes on because I hate to fill up for some reason. When I do fill up it will only take 14 gallons or so. In all my years of driving different cars with pumps in the tank I have never had one fail.
Maybe I am just lucky.