Yesterday, within about five miles of the fuel warning light coming on (normally about 3 gallons left), I apparently ran out of gas on I-5. I was at first sure that something else had gone wrong, as I saw the check engine light come on, but that was actually a result of the truck stalling. I was able to restart the engine long enough to get off the freeway, then I coasted into a place that sold fuel (an old country store/bar that was still using pumps with mechanical counters).
The fuel gauge seems to be working, it goes up when the fuel level goes up.
I-5 in that area is a very slight downgrade, but OTOH, the rear of the vehicle was sagging slightly under the weight of four bicycles on a hitch mounted rack (probably 150 pounds including the rack). Where is the float in the tank for the 2001 4Runner, and what effect could the non-level nature have on the fuel level?