33 gallon tank on a 2019 question

[2019REBEL]

My 2019 ram 4x4 had 33 gal tank.
The first tank gas shows range around 515 miles.
Drove around 505 miles and "low miles" light turned on.
After fill up the tank(about 28 gal), it showed 618 miles.

It will do this cause it calculated probably some highway miles. When I had my 2014 Outdoorman(V6 Pentastar) it would have a range between 900-1000km but if I was on the highway all day and filled it up it would have a 1300+ range.
Whole different story with my Rebel I get around 800-850km right now.

 

[Dusty1948]

My 2019 ram 4x4 had 33 gal tank.
The first tank gas shows range around 515 miles.
Drove around 505 miles and "low miles" light turned on.
After fill up the tank(about 28 gal), it showed 618 miles.

Tha

It will do this cause it calculated probably some highway miles. When I had my 2014 Outdoorman(V6 Pentastar) it would have a range between 900-1000km but if I was on the highway all day and filled it up it would have a 1300+ range.
Whole different story with my Rebel I get around 800-850km right now.

It does this because the current Distance to Empty (Range) is based on the average miles per gallon prior to the last reset.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Now at: 011096 miles.

 

[ExcursionDiesel]

as long as you can still start and drive the vehicle after it has reached 0 miles to drive, i could really care less about all the estimates and such.

if i run out of gas and get stranded, i want it to be because i do not have gas in the tank and not because the computer says i dont.

i don't need saving from my own stupidity. got it covered.

As long as we get in the habit of refueling before 0 range (like we all do) then the extra 4-5 gallons is a 60 to 75 mile bonus. I have no problem with that. Rural drivers can have issues finding an open station late at night and the extra range might help in an emergency.

 

[Ortiz7983]

I have the 33 gallon tank according to my build sheet. But when I fill up, it says 440 Miles to empty. I average 13.3 mpg right none. Does that sound right?

 

[Maple]

I have the 33 gallon tank according to my build sheet. But when I fill up, it says 440 Miles to empty. I average 13.3 mpg right none. Does that sound right?

Yep. 13.3 X 33 = 438.9. If your mileage happens to improve, the range will go up.

 

[ExcursionDiesel]

Yep. 13.3 X 33 = 438.9. If your mileage happens to improve, the range will go up.

Mine calculates to empty and when I fill it up at empty it takes 28 to 29 not 33 gallons. That means there is 4-5 gallons left in the tank. 13.3 " 28 = 372. If you are getting 440 on 28 gallons then that's 15.7 mpg. Something isnt right. Nearly everyone is reporting that driving to empty leaves 4 to 5 gallons in the tank. Think of it as a "reserve".

 

[Gman]

Are you actually driving to E, or are you driving until you get all the way down to the bottom of the white where it starts to get into the red 'reserve'?

Most of the truck SUV platforms I've driven have about 6 gallons left when they start to give a low fuel warning. My truck is the same way. I'm pretty sure that's intentional so you don't unintentionally get stranded in the boonies. My Mercedes SUV was built with a German mentality. "0" meant zero. You are out of go juice.

 

[MEL T]

Most fuel tanks these days have internal fuel pumps and they need fuel in the tank to keep cool.

I was having the same thought as I was reading this post.

that's why I try to not let my vehicles get below 1/8 tank.

 

[Tiger79]

I called my local ram service manager on this. Turns out ram build in a 15% reserve that you won’t see to prevent you running out of fuel. So for a 33 gallon tank that is 4.95 gallons. This is why every time I fill up it’s only max at 28 gallons on my 33 gallon tank.

Essentially ram is making you drive down to 0 and calculate your own mileage the last 5 gallons to determine when you should fill up. Keeping a 5 gallon gas can with you is fine.

I would love the ability to set my reserve to 1-2 gallons of a 33 gallon tank so I get a bit more range on my truck.In the city, when would I need 5 gallons to find gas? Hell on highway and getting 22 miles a gallon, who needs 110miles to find gas in this country? Seems like they should be upfront with people about this reserve and lackof ability to modify it!

 

[Dusty1948]

I called my local ram service manager on this. Turns out ram build in a 15% reserve that you won’t see to prevent you running out of fuel. So for a 33 gallon tank that is 4.95 gallons. This is why every time I fill up it’s only max at 28 gallons on my 33 gallon tank.

Essentially ram is making you drive down to 0 and calculate your own mileage the last 5 gallons to determine when you should fill up. Keeping a 5 gallon gas can with you is fine.

I would love the ability to set my reserve to 1-2 gallons of a 33 gallon tank so I get a bit more range on my truck.In the city, when would I need 5 gallons to find gas? Hell on highway and getting 22 miles a gallon, who needs 110miles to find gas in this country? Seems like they should be upfront with people about this reserve and lackof ability to modify it!

Keep in mind that not everybody is as conscientious about monitoring their fuel consumption as you are, and in today's social environment manufacturers must design for the lowest common denominator in the population. Many people ignore basic safety features and I've known a few that ignored the low fuel warning. A 10-15% reserve is actually industry standard nowadays.

In the early '90s a young woman ran out of gas in a bad part of New York City in her Jeep Wrangler and was murdered. Chrysler was sued by the family, successfully, I believe.

Since I know what's happening and I know what to expect, the low fuel warning doesn't bother me.

Best regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram DT 1500 Silver Billet Laramie, Quad Cab, 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, 18 inch wheels. Build date: 17 April 2018. Now at 022358 miles.

 

[Tiger79]

Then don’t sell me benefits of a 33 gallon tank but not tell me 5 of those gallons are in a hidden reserve so you don’t get murdered (reminds me of those directTV commercials)

I would be interested in reading that story. So Adding 15% reserve tank to teach people that it’s better to not having your car track gas until you are empty is a good idea...what?

 

[Richard320]

I would be interested in reading that story. So Adding 15% reserve tank to teach people that it’s better to not having your car track gas until you are empty is a good idea...what?

"What" is right. I think spellcheck just twisted what you were trying to say.

 

[StuartV]

I called my local ram service manager on this. Turns out ram build in a 15% reserve that you won’t see to prevent you running out of fuel. So for a 33 gallon tank that is 4.95 gallons. This is why every time I fill up it’s only max at 28 gallons on my 33 gallon tank.

Essentially ram is making you drive down to 0 and calculate your own mileage the last 5 gallons to determine when you should fill up. Keeping a 5 gallon gas can with you is fine.

I would love the ability to set my reserve to 1-2 gallons of a 33 gallon tank so I get a bit more range on my truck.In the city, when would I need 5 gallons to find gas? Hell on highway and getting 22 miles a gallon, who needs 110miles to find gas in this country? Seems like they should be upfront with people about this reserve and lackof ability to modify it!

I think you need might need to drop your trousers and air out your nether regions from all the smoke your service manager just blew in there.

I have the 33 gallon tank. I log every fill-up in Fuelly and I just checked. I have put over 30 gallons in my truck 3 times, so far (in 5000 miles of driving it), and I have never driven it to the point that it said my Range was down to 0.

Those 3 fill-ups were 30.52 gallons, 30.40, and 30.47. I'd say at MOST, my truck is allowing a 2 gallon reserve but, really, it seems like it's just about spot-on. My average MPG (all-time) is just over 14. If I had 2.5 gallons left on each of those 3 fill-ups, that would mean an average of 35 miles of range left - which I think is right about how much range I've let it get down to before filling up. In other words, just about spot-on. MAYBE there is 1 gallon or so of Reserve.

 

[saxapl]

I think you need might need to drop your trousers and air out your nether regions from all the smoke your service manager just blew in there.

I have the 33 gallon tank. I log every fill-up in Fuelly and I just checked. I have put over 30 gallons in my truck 3 times, so far (in 5000 miles of driving it), and I have never driven it to the point that it said my Range was down to 0.

Those 3 fill-ups were 30.52 gallons, 30.40, and 30.47. I'd say at MOST, my truck is allowing a 2 gallon reserve but, really, it seems like it's just about spot-on. My average MPG (all-time) is just over 14. If I had 2.5 gallons left on each of those 3 fill-ups, that would mean an average of 35 miles of range left - which I think is right about how much range I've let it get down to before filling up. In other words, just about spot-on. MAYBE there is 1 gallon or so of Reserve.

This is my experience too. 3 of my 6 fill ups have been over 30 gallons, with the latest being 31.280. That tank hand calculated to 17 mpg even and I still showed over 10 miles to empty.

I do not mind having 2-3 gallons of reserve, especially given that only equates to maybe 20 miles of driving worst case, depending on what you are doing with the truck. My Cruze ECO stops tracking miles to empty at 40...but at that point you have less than a gallon left.

Those who are only getting 26 gallons when the truck says empty have an issue. Either the gauge is wrong or the tank is not a 33. There is not that much reserve built in.

 

[StuartV]

Those who are only getting 26 gallons when the truck says empty have an issue. Either the gauge is wrong or the tank is not a 33. There is not that much reserve built in.

Or the truck is programmed to think it has a 26 gallon tank in it. I don't know if that's even a thing - the truck being programmed to know what size the fuel tank is - but it surely would not surprise me.

 

[StuartV]

Regardless, there is no way I would drive it past saying Range == 0, assuming I had 5 more gallons in there, unless I had actually tested it by driving at least 4 gallons worth further and seeing 32 gallons or so go into it.

 

[habu987]

I've got the 33 gallon tank and have averaged 17.9 mpg over the 11 months and 9700 miles I've had my truck.

I've had one fill-up that crossed the 30 gallon barrier, at 30.24 gallons. Usually I'm in the 29 gallon range, with a few outliers that have been in the 27 and 28 gallon range. I usually fill up when the gas light comes on and the range to empty is below 35 miles or so.

Take my last tank: I pumped 29.72 gallons and had a range to empty of 19 miles. Being pessimistic and saying that 19 miles to empty represented 1.5 gallons, that still gives 1.5 gallons of reserve.

In the back of my head, I just consider there to be ~2 gallons of gas left in the tank past 0 miles of range.

 

[Tiger79]

Thanks everyone, i will continue to monitor and may look at going to a different dealer. I have had 27/28 gallon fillups, so 26 Gallon being wrongly set on system is likely not what is happening. I feel i should be closer to 30ish when I fill up and letting my tank run down to 20miles or so left on the tank.

 

[dutchman187]

I filled up today with 29.3 gallons. Range said I had 35 miles. My average was 13.7 for the tank. So in theory 50 miles was my actual range. That's close enough for my needs.

 

[Tiger79]

ran it down to 10 miles estimated until empty on my tank, filled up and hit 30.01 gallons. Feels weird driving to nearly 0, knowing there is a reserve, all the while thinking Murphy will strike.

Added Fuelly to my phone to start tracking it to see if I get more gallons or less doing similar tactics of driving it down for max range before fill ups.