Yestertday I tried to run my tank down to as empty as possible. We have a promotion in our area where we get a discount off gas when we purchase food. It is good for one 20 gallon fill up.
I ran the tank down to where it said that I had only 10 miles left. After that there is no reading just flashing stars. I then drove about 8 miles more and filled up my car. I then only able to put in 18 gallons.

My question is is that normal? It seems like I still had 2 gallons left in the tank when according to the car computer I should have been on fumes.

 

Oh, By the way, I have an 09 g 37x.

 

Totally normal. There have been some long discussions about the subject here.

 

Yup, normal. Same thing happened to me before.
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Most definitely normal. I've gone around 40 miles after seeing the four stars. Granted, I was doing 65 on a freeway, but yeah, 2 gallons sounds about right.

 

nice. i've gone a few times where i've been driving with those 4 stars for like 20 miles. i was freaking out the whole way. haha.

 

I dont think its a reserve. I think its just the tank is so low, tank sensor cant read the level any more.

 

The manufacturers know that some people will always drive the car until the fuel gauge reads empty so the fuel gauge always reads a little low so you have more gas than you think you do.

 

I don't know if the G's fuel pump is located in fuel tank, but in many cars the pump is located in the tank and a minimum level of fuel is necessary to maintain the pump at appropriate operating temperatures. Running the car seriously low on gasoline can affect the longevity of the fuel pump.

 

Yup, very true. Car with the fuel pumps in the tank rely on the gas to keep them cool.

 

Yeah, it's been discussed here many times -- the DTE seems to be based on about an 18 gallon tank. Whatever you want to call it: a conservative estimate, or a reserve of 2 gallons. I think it's pretty much industry standard; even on older cars the needle can usually go down quite a bit lower than the E.

Personally I never fill up until I start getting the low 30 DTE warnings or even the *****'s and have never needed to add more than 18.5 gallons to fill it. There's a similar program with Shell Gas and Giant food in this area as well. For a single fillup you get $.10 off per gallon for every 100 points on your card so it pays to put as much in as possible when you've got points saved up.

Also, the DTE is a little hyper-sensitive to how you're driving right at that moment. It can decrease 15 miles when you've actually only driven 2 miles if, for example, you just got off the highway, stopped at a few lights, and have a heavy right foot.

 

Thanks to all for your replys. It is good to know that this is normal. I guess that I could have gotten another trip to work without a problem.

I don't post here often, but it good to know that I can get reasonable answers when needed. Thanks