2010 Fusion fuel capacity

[xmech2k]

OK, so my 2010 Fusion SE I4 6AT FWD manual states the fuel tank capacity is 17.5 gallons. I've had the car since August, and it's always pretty much the same as this recent fillup (On the rare occasion I let it go that low): Trip computer gives avg 28.7 MPG, 402.9 miles since last fill (I always reset), says only 21 miles to empty. Gas gauge very close to E. So I fill up and it only takes 14.643 gallons per the rcpt. So that's almost 3 gallons left? I think that's the most gas I've ever put in it. What gives?

 

I posted this question on another forum, and just got stuff like, Ford wants you to have a reserve, or, the fuel pump is cooled by the fuel and they don't want you to run it too low or it will overheat. I was hoping to get a more 'official' answer here, since this forum has more real Ford employees, I guess. Anyone want to test if it really has those 3 more gallons?

 

Thanks!

Edited March 27, 2010 by xmech2k

[blazerdude20]

OK, so my 2010 Fusion SE I4 6AT FWD manual states the fuel tank capacity is 17.5 gallons. I've had the car since August, and it's always pretty much the same as this recent fillup (On the rare occasion I let it go that low): Trip computer gives avg 28.7 MPG, 402.9 miles since last fill (I always reset), says only 21 miles to empty. Gas gauge very close to E. So I fill up and it only takes 14.643 gallons per the rcpt. So that's almost 3 gallons left? I think that's the most gas I've ever put in it. What gives?

 

I posted this question on another forum, and just got stuff like, Ford wants you to have a reserve, or, the fuel pump is cooled by the fuel and they don't want you to run it too low or it will overheat. I was hoping to get a more 'official' answer here, since this forum has more real Ford employees, I guess. Anyone want to test if it really has those 3 more gallons?

 

Thanks!

 

 

the "miles to E" is basically a gas light. when you hit zero think of it as your gas light came on. im sure you know you can drive for a little while with the gas light on.

[GaryG]

OK, so my 2010 Fusion SE I4 6AT FWD manual states the fuel tank capacity is 17.5 gallons. I've had the car since August, and it's always pretty much the same as this recent fillup (On the rare occasion I let it go that low): Trip computer gives avg 28.7 MPG, 402.9 miles since last fill (I always reset), says only 21 miles to empty. Gas gauge very close to E. So I fill up and it only takes 14.643 gallons per the rcpt. So that's almost 3 gallons left? I think that's the most gas I've ever put in it. What gives?

 

I posted this question on another forum, and just got stuff like, Ford wants you to have a reserve, or, the fuel pump is cooled by the fuel and they don't want you to run it too low or it will overheat. I was hoping to get a more 'official' answer here, since this forum has more real Ford employees, I guess. Anyone want to test if it really has those 3 more gallons?

 

Thanks!

 

The only way to know how many gallons the 2010 Fusion gas tank holds is to fill it as high as possible and then drain it to empty (run out of gas) and then fill it as high as possible again and record the gallons it holds. This has been done by Wayne Gerdes, Ford Engineers and Carl Edwards last year and recorded. It was in a 2010 FFH that went 1445.7 miles on a single tank of gas. After running out of gas, they were able to add 17.953 gallons of gas to record a 80.527mpg tank which is stated to have only a 17.5 gallon tank size.

 

The key to knowing the size of a Ford gas tank is knowing how far past 0 "Miles To Empty" you can go and then calculate those miles based on your average MPG after 0 MTE. This is the reserve left at 0 MTE and is generally added to the gas you were able to pump into the tank. For example, I determined I have .8 gallons left in my '09 FEH at 0 MTE based on running out of gas and calculating my average MPG divided by the miles I went past 0 MTE. The other factor is the size and shape of the vapor space that is designed to work with your emissions vapor recovery system. Wayne packed as much fuel into the vapor space as he could into that 2010 FEH which many people would avoid during a fill-up.

 

The tank size in my '09 FEH is listed at 15 gallons but most of the time I only get 13.5 gallons in at fill-up. I have put 15.4 gallons in because I added some gas into the vapor space. My '05 FEH also has a listed 15 gallon tank but I've been able to add 17 gallons by using the vapor space. A slow fill-up will not add as much air to the vapor space and allow a higher fill. I also know the shape of my vapor space and so I can bump the side of the FEH to let vapor out and more gas in if I want. It is better for the environment to not let the vapor escape into the air while filling and let the vehicle vapor recovery system do its job. Also, in most cases the vapor goes back in the nozzle of the pump and the gas station owner benefits from your vapor returning to liquid gas.

[xmech2k]

(Edit: Posted this while GaryG was typing) Good thought, but at 50 miles to go, it gives a low fuel warning. Plus, I think that potentially 90 miles worth of fuel to go is pretty significant.

 

Thanks GaryG. The vapor space idea is new to me. In my previous vehicle, a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee, I was used to regularly putting in close to, or when I pushed it a little too far, a little more than it's stated fuel capacity. Once a whole gallon more! That's when I got right down to 0 miles to go on it's trip computer, so I was expecting the same behavior from my new Fusion. Is this a Ford thing, or something new to emmission systems perhaps?

 

Heck, I was already looking under the car to see if there was a space for the AWD drive shaft past the tank, thinking maybe I got one of those tanks by accident! LOL!

Edited March 28, 2010 by xmech2k

[betaiota]

I've noticed that the 'Miles to Empty' is not as accurate as one thinks. Blazerdude is right, it's just a numerical gas guage.

 

John Stossel on 20/20 a couple years back did a piece where they drove a Caravan until it was on '0 miles till empty' then they kept driving it for a long time until it finally ran out. I can't remember but it was like another 30 or 40 miles. The explanation they got from auto engineers was that Americans like to have a reserve built in. But they said that Germans prefer their gas guages to be precise.

[GaryG]

betaiota, the 0 MTE is the best point I know of to estimate your tank MPG average. It also helps me determine how many miles I can go without running out of gas and when I fill-up again if I got a short fill or more than normal fill. The maximum MTE reading is 699 miles in my '09 FEH but I'm going much further than that when I get to 0 MTE most of the time. The computer starts to adjust the MTE just below half a tank from the original fill-up reading and I'm well over the 699 mile maximum if you add the prior miles on that tank to the MTE reading at that point. The closer you get to 0 MTE the computer gives the best estimate of what your MPG average will be on that tank. For instance, if I'm getting an average of 50mpg at a 25 MTE reading, I know I have 1/2 gallon to 0 MTE plus the reserve amount pass 0 MTE. In my '09 FEH I know I have .8 gallons left at 0 MTE every time so I know just how far I can go before running out of gas. At 25 MTE with a average of 50mpg I can go 25 miles (1/2 gallon) plus 40 miles pass 0 MTE (.8 gallons) before running out of gas. The 0 MTE reading has never failed me yet because the computer adjust 0 MTE till you reach that amount in you tank every time. I reset Trip B to zero at 0 MTE to keep track of the miles pass that point and I have went over 50 miles on .8 gallon of gas knowing I was not going to run out based on my MPG average from .8 gallons pass 0 MTE. So far, I've gone over 790 miles on 13.6 gallons of gas in my '09 FEH. That is a little over 58mpg so that means if I had a total full tank of 15 gallons I could have gone 81.2 miles more on that 15 gallons of gas. This means my FEH can go 790 + 81.2 = 871.2 miles on a single tank of gas before running out. Ford says the '10 FFH can go 700 miles on a single tank of gas but we know they under estimated that also.

[betaiota]

However you figure it out, what ever.

 

My point is, as I stated, it's not as accurate as one thinks: if I'm at a half of a tank left, I see the same number of Miles to Empty every time. That to me is no more than a numerical gas gauge, and it's not accurate.

 

I feel that Miles To Empty could and should be more accurate. Like, the fuel gauge sender should tell the computer how much gas is left in the tank, it should then multiply it from the current MPG average, and then that's the number.

[akirby]

I feel that Miles To Empty could and should be more accurate. Like, the fuel gauge sender should tell the computer how much gas is left in the tank, it should then multiply it from the current MPG average, and then that's the number.

 

Hello - that IS how it works. Except that it doesn't use the current MPG average you see on the dash because that can be reset at will. I think it uses the last 500 miles or so. DTE will definitely change based on actual MPG.

[GaryG]

However you figure it out, what ever.

 

My point is, as I stated, it's not as accurate as one thinks: if I'm at a half of a tank left, I see the same number of Miles to Empty every time. That to me is no more than a numerical gas gauge, and it's not accurate.

 

I feel that Miles To Empty could and should be more accurate. Like, the fuel gauge sender should tell the computer how much gas is left in the tank, it should then multiply it from the current MPG average, and then that's the number.

 

I don't think you fully understand the limitations of what the computer is calculating. First of all, it uses a history of your average MPG and is limited to the maximum MPG it is programmed for based on the amount of gallons in your tank. In the '09 FEH there is a ~.8 gallon reserve after 0 MTE so the 15 gallon tank is really 14.2 gallons the computer is calculating down to 0 MTE. If you only put 5 gallons in the tank, the gas gauge will show the level and the computer will adjust the MTE from that point. If you over fill the gas tank vapor space and put 15.5 gallons in the tank, the computer will not see the gas gauge move until the gas gauge moves below the Full setting. Since this mileage you added before the computer started seeing gas was being burned, that causes an adjustment to your MPG computed history and the MTE is readjusted based on better MPG. This happens when the tank gas gauge first starts dropping from the full mark. This causes false readings but the MTE will be adjusted by the computer as it calculates the right MPG average and adjust the MTE as the tank gauge level falls.

 

Since Ford had the '09 FEH MTE set at a maximum of 699 miles, they assumed 14.2 gallons divided by 699 miles would be well above what a driver could get out of a '09 FWD FEH. This would put their estimate at 49.225mpg which most drivers will never see in an SUV. You may not be seeing how accurate the MTE is because you don't seeing the kind of adjustments I see every tank. If you use the MTE for what it was designed to do, you will see its purpose is to prevent you from running out of gas as you get near empty. I use it for much more because I know how it works with all my other gauges throughout the tank level. I really don't see or expect big adjustments in my MTE until I get down below 3/8 of a tank.

[betaiota]

Hello - that IS how it works. Except that it doesn't use the current MPG average you see on the dash because that can be reset at will. I think it uses the last 500 miles or so. DTE will definitely change based on actual MPG.

 

Finally, someone is making sense- that explains why if you reset your MPG and then switch back over to reading the Miles to Empty, that number doesn't change. Thanks akirby!

[pcsgrp35se]

This is an issue which has always been on the back of my mind. My altima (as well as my wife's altima) has an idiot light that goes on when there is approx 4 gal of gas left in the tank. However, the miles to empty has to read zero before the light goes on. The altimas have a 20gal tank. When I got my sport (I have a very early vin number so it is not a job 2 vehicle). First thing I notice is that 5 gal reduction in capacity is substantial. I really notice it on long distance trips. Normally I could fill up in NJ and then refill in western Ohio before I get into Indiana where the price of gas is substantially greater. Last summer, I had to fill up earlier. The big thing I noticed is when the "sign" tells me I at 0 or close to 0 miles left, I don't have a lot of fuel left. I don't think I have the idiot light (I think that was put in during Job 2) so I let it get to "0" and found that it took 14.723 gals of fuel to fill it up. Considering a 15 gal tank, I was cutting it close. I never overstuff the tank so when it stops I leave it at that. Now all I have to do is get my wife to understand there is a difference between our cars and she will never run out of fuel.

[svtenthusiast]

. Considering a 15 gal tank, I was cutting it close. I never overstuff the tank so when it stops I leave it at that. Now all I have to do is get my wife to understand there is a difference between our cars and she will never run out of fuel.

 

 

If your Sport is FWD you have a 17.5 gallon tank

if it's AWD you have a 16.5 gallon tank.