How much fuel can you get in your tank?

I have a '99 Dodge Ram 2500 4x4 V10. Build sheet reads 34 +2 gallon tank. I've had my truck for just over a year now. I fill up around half tank, so I have never filled up from empty.

I had fuel reward points to get me $1.00 off per gallon. I figured might as well get as much as I can at that price. So I was just off the empty line. I was figuring 30-32 gallons. It only took 26.6 gal. the fuel computer read 8.1 mpg. I had 218.5 miles. I did the math, miles to gallons and distance, it's correct. And when full the fuel computer reads 234 miles till empty. I figure it should be 291 till empty. If there is still 9.4 gallons in the tank, why is the gauge on empty, and the fuel computer shorting me in miles?




Is this normal? Have any of you had this experience?

I guess I could put a 5 gallon can of gas in the truck and find out. But I really don't want to run the pump dry.

I had a '01 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 with the 26 gal. tank. The '99 definitely has a longer tank than the '01 did. Is it Because the tank is longer, it doesn't "seem" like it has the fuel to go the distance?

Any help or insight to this would be great. Thanks

I'm a firm believer in the thought that the gas gauges and fuel pickups in these trucks are horribly inefficient.
The MOST I've put in my truck was 24.5 gallons and I was on the red mark on the gauge.

It was a little over a year ago now that I ran out of gas on the highway on my way home, i'd tried to make it to the speedway i like to goto but i was short about 8 miles in gas. The tow truck put 2.5 gallons in, figure about a half gallon to get to the gas station and filled up with 26.5 gallons of gas. I've got an 01 1500 with a 28 gal tank. So I know its almost a perfect 28 gallons, yet even when my gauge is on the red I can only fill it up by about 24 gal. and thats with clicking the pump and probably sending fuel into my evap canisters.

I have a 26 gallon tank in my 01 and ive put in 27 gallons before after nearly running out a mile from work, adding a gallon and making it to the gas station across from my work. It'll hold 28 gallons

dodge dude94 said:

I'm a firm believer in the thought that the gas gauges and fuel pickups in these trucks are horribly inefficient.
The MOST I've put in my truck was 24.5 gallons and I was on the red mark on the gauge.

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dudeman2009 said:

It was a little over a year ago now that I ran out of gas on the highway on my way home, i'd tried to make it to the speedway i like to goto but i was short about 8 miles in gas. The tow truck put 2.5 gallons in, figure about a half gallon to get to the gas station and filled up with 26.5 gallons of gas. I've got an 01 1500 with a 28 gal tank. So I know its almost a perfect 28 gallons, yet even when my gauge is on the red I can only fill it up by about 24 gal. and thats with clicking the pump and probably sending fuel into my evap canisters.

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Thanks guys, just thought it was a bit odd. Was hoping it wasn't just me.

Around 24.5 gallons is most I have ever had mine to hold and that was with needle on red on a 26 gallon tank

zoomzu said:

Thanks guys, just thought it was a bit odd. Was hoping it wasn't just me.

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Not only isnt it you, the trailblazers did the same thing. It would be on red but Ii've still made it around 60 miles after that to gas stations. (I like to live on the edge )

Edit: I know the tank is listed as 26 gallons, but i've been able to pump 25ish gal into it when i've really pushed it low. perhaps the excess is just flowing into the evap canisters, i do have the stupid large and small evap leak.

26G tank. Most I've put in is 23.5G and it was passed E.

26 tank and the most I ever filled up was like 22ish. Got around 170 or so miles per fill up but could've gotten more probably, I'm sure the gauge was messed up. I always filled it up with the gas light on and it was almost always on E


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With my 36 gal., light come on at 1/8 of a tank. My old 26 gal. would come on between empty and 1/8.

My 26 gallon tank seemed more "normal."

If the tanks are the same, just longer. I'd think the pump and sending unit would be the same too.

If they are, then the extra length might account for the extra unknown fuel.

Either way if my light comes on with 10 gallons left in the tank. That's a crappy set up.

Usually I can get an entire pay cheque in there

I've put in over 26 gallons before. I try not to run my tank dry unless I'm checking my mileage or something along those terms. You also have to consider that if you fill the tank up 100% until fuel is coming back out at the pump, you've got another gallon at least that sits in the filler neck alone.

I don't trust my overhead for nothing. It ALWAYS shows my average mileage ranging between 8 and 12 and my estimated range is always less than 250, yet 2 tanks ago when I was breaking my 4.88 gears in I got 16 miles to the gallon, 400 miles on the tank. Last tank I got 350 or so, that was with a camping trip with the truck climbing hills for a couple hours. Current tank I'm at around 100 miles, still have 3/4 of a tank left. My truck is iffy with the fuel gauge, I'll usually go for say 250 to 300 on a half tank, then about 50 miles on the last half tank. I don't trust the gauge for **** now either, my Edge CTS2 gives me a percentage of fuel left and I've found that to be the most accurate. On my fill up where I got 400 miles out of the tank, I pulled into the gas station at 3% fuel left, while my gauge showed E for the last 30 miles or so.