Comments on: How big is the fuel tank?

By: Ian C.

Ian C. — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 01:42:07 +0000

Sparky – no; the MPG calculations of that tank and the ones before & after confirmed it was not an inaccurate pump!

By: Sparky

Sparky — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 14:23:47 +0000

14.5 gallons? Try filling up at a different gas station — I think the one you are using is ripping you off!

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 11 Jul 2005 05:07:06 +0000

I just put 13.33 gallons in my 03. Had 4 miles left on my distance calculator. Jeff

By: tony bisconti

tony bisconti — Fri, 03 Jun 2005 21:29:39 +0000

Just got my 05 mini s a week ago. Drove till the
gas gage was on E and then filled it.
It took 14.5 gal. Explain this one.

By: Amit

Amit — Thu, 21 Apr 2005 13:53:49 +0000

I got 12.5 gallons on my road trip driving the ’05 MCS back home. I was amazed with the gas mileage. 403 miles in 12.5 gallons! 32.24 mpg, i’m pretty impressed as I don’t think I ever got over 360 miles out of a tank on my old ’02. Only engine mod on the ’05 so far is the Alta intake.

By: Lee L

Lee L — Mon, 18 Apr 2005 19:11:55 +0000

I have often put in 13.1+ gallons. I have gone over 13.2 3 or 4 times as well with the most ever being 13.866 gallons. There is no way that the filler neck holds over 1/2 gallon. Now, this particular time, I was almost 1 whole stick width below the E mark so I know it was low.

This is in an October 2003 build (2004 MY)

By: Ian C.

Ian C. — Mon, 18 Apr 2005 17:49:08 +0000

Al, For some (positive) comments about the auto transmission, see my recent ADSS post

By: Josh Wardell

Josh Wardell — Sat, 16 Apr 2005 16:18:45 +0000

I just checked my history, the most I’ve put in is 12.75, and if I remember right I think the remaining OBC range was 4mi; I’ve never had it down to the “–”

I think some pumps may be slightly off in measuring, but I think more of a difference is their shut-off sensitivity. I fill up at different stations every time, some times my needle is well above full for a while, others its hardly touching the full mark.

But knowing all the “hidden” 05 changes I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if there was a small change in the shape of the tank, diameter of the filler neck, etc that would increase capacity slightly.

By: Ian C.

Ian C. — Sat, 16 Apr 2005 14:19:39 +0000

Ted,
Thank you for the calculations – fabulously fanatical
There is definitely something different – I drive to a similar OBC warning & fill up the same way in the same gas stations as before, but the new car has consistently taken more gas to fill it.

By: Theo

Theo — Sat, 16 Apr 2005 13:34:00 +0000

Ian,

This winter I almost ran out of gas in mu ’04. three turns before the gas station caused the fuel pick-up to suck air and temporarily starve the engine.

When I filled up the tank, I could not get in more than 12.5 gallons; the nozzle’s auto-shutoff wouldn’t let me fill any further. I even backed the nozzle out of the neck a little bit to reduce the pressure but still could not get more gas to flow. Clearly, I had much less that a gallon in the tank when I pulled into the station, but I could not fill-up the final ~1 gallon.

So…perhaps they have re-engineered the filler neck to make it straighter or larger in diameter to allow us to actually fill the tank to the top…and then some.

Roughly calculating the numbers, I would imagine that 0.1 gallons would fill, say, just under 6 inches of 2.5 inch filler neck pipe.

So, if the filler neck has been straightened or increased in diameter that would:
a) allow the full 13.2 gallons to be pumped into the tank, and
b) will reduce pressure feedback to the pump nozzle thus allowing a portion of the filler neck to contain fuel.
This situation would be consistent with an unchanged tank capacity.

Ok, no more coffee for me!

Ted