When do I run out of fuel?

[Tom Powell]

I know that the Bentley says my Vanagon fuel tank holds 16 gal. and the reserve is 2.5 gal. I also know that when the fuel level gets low the gauge readings change with acceleration, deceleration, uphill and downhill driving. I also know that the engine will starve with low fuel on long right hand turns. I've never had to fill more than 13 gal. to top off the tank. Today my gauge needle went down to absolute zero and back up above the reserve red line before I put in 13.5 gal. I've never driven until the engine quit from lack of fuel. Aircraft fuel tanks capacities are described as a total fuel quantity and usable fuel quantity.

What is the usable fuel quantity in a Vanagon tank and what will be the gauge reading/behavior nearing the end of usable fuel?

Aloha
tp

[Ahwahnee]

I think this will vary a bit from one van to the next. What I did was start with an empty tank, then add 1 gallon at a time taking a photo of the gauge each step of the way:

What I need to do sometime is drive until the gas runs out and see what the gauge says then as I doubt I get to use all of that last gallon or two.

[dobryan]

I have put 15.8 gallons in the tank. Gauge was at the bottom and basically unresponsive.
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[dhaavers]

I happen to know that I have exactly 2 gallons at the top of the red reserve mark,
indicating 40 miles to stalling from lack of fuel (at which point the right edge of
the needle is below but still just touching the left edge of the reserve mark)

Ask me HOW I know...???

- Dave
_________________
86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS>

[Terry Kay]

You have a trip gauge, about 200 miles start looking for a pump pretty quick, leisurely at 180-190 miles.

I never have relied on that gauge alone.

I have never seen identical vehicles that get the same reading on the gas gauge.
_________________
T.K.

[candyman]

[Zeitgeist 13]

I recently serviced an '80 Westfalia with a tank that showed several significant impacts to the tank. These impacts pushed the bottom upwards and appear to have reduced the interior volume by up to a gallon or so. I looked at my own fuel tank which is currently out of the van, and it too shows signs of experiencing impacts that reduce the interior volume. The point being that even the literature on factory interior volumes may not be correct any longer.
_________________
Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[AZ Landshaper]

My gauge goes from full too beyond E in a 75 mile span. Never do I go more than 100 w/o filling cause I have no idea what's left in there.
_________________
Support Small Business.

-------------------------------------------------------
85 Weekender w/ EJ22
Previously
64, 71, 72, 73, 76, 81, 84, 85 & 87 Campmobiles and Westfalias
and a 67 bug.

[Ahwahnee]

[dyldebus]

My Van's gauge stops right at the top line when full and is buried below the line when completely empty.

My friends Van (which I found out the hard way) is the opposite. His gauge is off the charts when full and completely empty just in the red.

That said, don't trust other peoples gauges. Your best bet is to carry a gas can on your next fill up and drive it like you normally do until you run out and get an idea of where your gauge sits.

OBVIOUSLY don't do this if your drive is on busy highways or in jam packed cities. I've run out of gas more times than I like to admit in my stupid Jeep but somehow I always seem to be in the right spot to safely pull out, even in southern CA.

[atomatom]

...when the engine stops!
_________________
84 Vanagon Westy, 1.9L, California raised but defected to Canada.

[andrewvwco]

[Robw_z]

Sometimes I feel like it's good for everybody to run their van out of fuel just once. Gives you a new respect for the gauge, I listen to it when it tells me it's low now.

-Rob

[dhaavers]

[MaineRich]

Or you can add an aux gas tank!

Disregard the PS lines, those are getting replaced in 2 weeks.

[dobryan]

X4 on using the trip odo. That is my reference whenever the gas gauge is below 1/2 tank. Looking for gas at 250 and getting in trouble at 300. YMMV.
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[AndyBees]

My 83 Air-cool -

I purchased it in early 1985 for a trip in Alaska in 1986. To determine real world fuel capacity and what my gauge reflected, with a five gallon container of gasoline on board, I drove it until it ran out..... observing the gauge which was basically correct. As best I can remember, it actually held over 16 gallon.

Fast forward to 1993 to our 2nd trip to Alaska. We did a side excursion to Yellowknife. On the way back to the Alaska Highway the only service station between Providence, NWT and Liard was boarded up. The fuel was getting so low that I would allow the Van to coast down hill with the engine off.

.... as best I can remember, it took over 16 gallon to fill it at Liard (well over 300 miles, just under 19 mpg)

FWIW, it seems the pick-up tube on the new after market tank on my 84 is not very close to the bottom. It has allowed air to be sucked in with three gallons in the tank... not good for a diesel. EDIT >>> when going through curves on a hill, etc....
_________________
'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI. 1989 Tin-top
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine. Seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003.

[djkeev]

I am PARANOID about running out of gas, especially when I travel West into large expanses without many services.
I tend to travel at night sometimes and I've altered my planned path to enable me to pass through larger population areas for I know that tiny towns with a local station will most likely not be open at midnight.

I now carry two (2) one gallon jugs in my roof rack when I travel. I've never used them but the peace of mind they give me is well worth the expense/hassle/risk of carrying them.
The one gallon jugs are small and the caps fit tightly with zero leaks. I don't fill them completely and collapse them a little by squeezing them as I tighten the cap giving the tank room to expand without blowing a cap seal.
But what I do, not all would be comfortable doing.

IMHO
Whatever engineer designed these vehicles that get such "poor" fuel mileage with such a small fuel tank had his head stuck somewhere where the Sun don't shine!

Dave
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[Jake de Villiers]

[Terry Kay]

I don't know why you would really push your luck trying to squeeze the last mile out of a tank of gas.

I just pull a low fuel economy number outa the back of my head, and try and load up between 180-200 miles.

No, I don't care much for running out of gas, running the fuel pump dry.

Not healthy for the pump, not healthy for me on the hoofmobile, and I don't carry gas in the van, or bottled propane.

200 miles is OK with me to stop for gas doing mostly in town driving.

Highway driving is a different story, you could probably squeeze 240 miles a tank load.

Whatever trips your trigger.
_________________
T.K.