OK...So I ran out of gas. It happens. I put more gas in and it won't start. Did I fry my fuel pump? How can I tell? If it is a matter of priming the injectors, what is the best way to go about doing it? Or, any sound words of wisdom pertaining to how not to see how far you can push your car after the light goes on and gas gauge is pegged well below "E"...
Well, I won't comment :o) I've never run out of gas.
Yeah, fill at 1/4 tank every time.
I think the Maxima is like most cars in that you simply need to put the key in the ignition for 10-20s and the fuel pump will circulate fuel before you crank it.
Dave
the pump is fine, just gas it up and crank it till she starts
1/4 tank? Is there a reason you say that?
My 97 Max runs out of gas when the fuel guage needle is at or just below the
1/4 tank marking.The car seems to run for approximately 3 miles more, and the engine seems to run on half the number of cylinders.
I wish I could recalibrate the indicator to show the actual facts.
Ralph Hertle
I think Dave suggested 1/4 tank just as a rule of thumb - as it is better not to let the tank run too low where you end up sucking crud into the fuel system. The fuel pump is also cooled by the fuel in the tank. I use the same rule of thumb (1/4 tank - time to refuel).
If you know your car always runs out at 1/4 tank, just use your averge MPG attained to give you a sense of when its time to get gas (based on your trip meter being reset at each fill-up).
Cheers, Nirav
96 Max GLE, 120k
For me, 1/4 tank on the gauge still leaves a few gallons. So I fill up typically with 10-12 gallons at a time. The light comes on when my needle is below the bottom tick, and even then I have at least a gallon left. The needle definitely doesn't descend linearly with fuel usage, but F is full and E is empty, and 1/2 isn't far from actually half.
It would seem yours is misleading, if not malfunctioning. It would be interesting to fill when the needle is exactly at each mark to see about how it's moving.
Dave
Neat suggestion....................thanks.
Ralph Hertle
Thanks for the measurement idea. I'll do that and count the mileage too.
Ralph Hertle
All the Maximas I've owned/encountered have 18 gallon tanks.
How many gallons does it take to fill it back up when it runs out of gas? If it is significantly less than 18 gallons, I would say that your gauge is probably working correctly and you either have crud in the tank, or your tank has a big dent in the bottom that is restricting its capacity.
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