2011 Versa - Low Fuel Light
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While I agree not to wait until the last minute I feel this is useful information. I know myself sometimes are on time crunches where I need to make it somewhere like picking up my daughter and can not be late. I like to know if I could just get to where I'm going and then get gas after. Planning ahead will prevent this but I'm not always thinking straight. LOL
Yep. 95% of the time I'll be fuelling before the light even comes up, but it's great to know what you got left if you get into a pinch somewhere. If I still got 2.5+ gallons left, that is great!
Just a note:
Waiting until your fuel light comes on or until you are very low on fuel is terrile on your fuel pump. The only thing thats cools it is the fuel itself and when it becomes exposed it becomes hot (like any other similar motor such as a sump pump) and shortens its life drastically. I'm not sure if there is an access port to get the to pump or if you have to drop the tank on thse vehicles.
I never let i got below 1/4
Waiting until your fuel light comes on or until you are very low on fuel is terrile on your fuel pump. The only thing thats cools it is the fuel itself and when it becomes exposed it becomes hot (like any other similar motor such as a sump pump) and shortens its life drastically. I'm not sure if there is an access port to get the to pump or if you have to drop the tank on thse vehicles.
I never let i got below 1/4
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to access the fuel pump all you have to do is pull out your rear seat bench and it is right there.
the farthest I've gotten on the fuel light is 62 miles the reserve fuel is about 2.25 gallons.
the farthest I've gotten on the fuel light is 62 miles the reserve fuel is about 2.25 gallons.
I'm sorry, but I don't buy this for one second and believe it's a huge myth. I ran my 1998 Honda Civic to 244K miles and ran it "down to fumes" numerous times and it still has the original fuel pump in it. I've asked several mechanics about this and they have also told me it's a bunch of B.S. If the myth were true, the fuel pump business would be the greatest money maker on earth because they'd be burning up all over the place. If it were true, your manufacturer's manual would have numerous stern warnings about running your fuel low.
Half the people around you are running their tanks on empty, you'd be hearing about fuel pump problems everywhere you went, but the fuel pump is one of the most reliable parts in every car. I wouldn't recommend running out of gas constantly, but if you do, the risk of damage to your fuel pump is low. The one thing you shouldn't do is continue to try to crank your vehicle when you are out of gas. That is the stupid mistake not to make and where damage can occur. If you are out of gas, call for roadside. But the risk of damage to the fuel pump running down your tank to half-a-gallon is zero.
You can keep filling up at 1/4, but you're not saving your fuel pump any more damage than anyone else by doing so. You're just making more trips to the gas pumps.
And I used to do the same in my old car in 2007, and at 120K I had to replace the fuel pump.
Not surprising....low fuel = shortened fuel pump life
So what exact knowledge of vehicles do you have? If you believe that EVERY warning is going to be in the manual then it would be safe to assume that you dont know how things work on vehicles. Does the manual say to avoid potholes, curbs, or speedbumps? Does it say that running the engine to its max will shorten its life? Does it say that braking hard will reduce the life of brake pads, rotors, or shoes? I've worked in a shop for some time....and the word mechanic does not imply that the "mechanic" knows much about cars. There are different levels of mechanics and their experience. Some of the ones we had I wouldn't trust to put washer fluid in my car.
You're Civic is one example and Hondas rarely have fuel pump failures because they use HIGH quality fuel pumps. Ask owners of Chevy Expresses, Suburbans or Silverados and you'll find out that many of them have had theirs replaced with the admission that they too ran their fuel low quite often. We replaced many many many fuel pumps of Chevy Expresses because they were either lease vehicles or company owned and didn't care about their fuel level....letalone the vehicle.
Now, back to electric pumps. I suggest you go and get either a sump pump or a water pump and submerge it in water and let it run. It will feel slightly warm to the touch. Now, expose everything but the base of the pump to air and let it run and see how hot and bogged down the pump becomes. It is without question that the submerged pump will last far longer then the one that is exposed to air. Intense heat is not good for electrnics......doesnt the computer that you are on have a fan to help keep the processor cool?
Lastly, I am very confused about how trying to start a vehicle without fuel is bad for it....when letting it have ounce of fuel isn't bad for it supposedly? Makes no sense to me......
^^ Wow.. What complete and total BS. If you don't understand the damage done by cranking a fuel-less car, then I'm not even going to waste my time coming up with a response to that posts. It would be pointless. Anyway,keep re-fueling before it hits 1/4 tank if that's what warms your heart and you think it's doing something positive for you. No amount of talking to you will change your mind.
Your lack of an intelligent reply explains it all.....or any proof of mechanical knowledge/experience.
Also, your inability to understand the last sentence that I said is not surprising at all..... You stated that running with very low fuel is not bad on a fuel pump/vehicle....but trying to start a vehicle with no fuel is bad on a vehicle. <----Stupid logic which contradicts itself.
Let me guess, because the fuel pump is an ELECTRIC pump and cannot be cooled adequately so when it constantly is trying to suck fuel and only air it becomes hot and can burn out. Also, the starter also becomes extremely hot and can burn out too when constantly cranking on it. Gee....that is exactly how electric components fail....as in when they aren't adequately cooled or overheat...which is EXACTLY what I stated earlier. Like when I said that fuel pumps need to have enough fuel to cool the pump. :rolleyes5: But hey, you keep running your fuel low and when you have to take your vehicle to a shop and get charged a crazy dollar amount because you can't do the work yourself i'll just laugh. I know the markups on parts...labor...and general shop BS.
Maybe read this post a couple of times before replying.
Some people on forums are unfamiliar with automobiles and I don't want them taking stupid advice which can cost them money and unnecessary work in the future.
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I've seen that information on an OBD 2 scanner, plugged in under the dash. It will display how much fuel in the tank at any given time, just note the fuel amount when the low fuel light starts flashing. I have a 2016 Versa Note.
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