Actual Fuel Capacity

[Hazza Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hazza]

Bushbasher,

If this persists you need to see a doctor...the mechanical kind lol.

I can say my vehicle is consistent and only comes on when the gauge is very close to the empty mark and I've filled it from that point. I also have driven it until the gauge reached below the empty mark. On that fill it took over 184 litres. Based on these two personal experiences it is not unreasonable for me to expect anywhere from 10 to 15 litres left once the gauge is almost on empty. I would hope to have enough faith in the Toyota designers to allow approximately 100km (driving conditions and led foot taken into account) up your sleeve when you reach the empty mark.

I will investigate this further and do have contacts at Toyota Head office in the technical field. Pressure on them but they have been at it for half my life so fairly confident they will give me an accurate answer.

Beyond that I may go to the trouble of turning my vehicle upside down and empty the tank (considering there is no bung on the tank) and measure what I put back in, then take it back to the very same BP for a fill to the very top.

Anyone got a good siphon other than my garden hose and mouth? Don't particularly like the taste of diesel. Its that oily after taste hanging around that spoils it lol.

Hazza

[WDTP Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close WDTP]

Another approach would be to fill up a 20L Jerry can and see if the pump says more than 20L. This would be fairly easy to repeat for proof.

[nazrabazra Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close nazrabazra]

Hi Hazza,

Do you think that 10 to 15 liters is normal once gauge is on empty, light on and driving range says 0?

Past few months I've noticed that at 0 range left, I'm only getting 72 liters in on a 87 liter tank. (SWB 150 2010)

One day I drove till it stopped, and I reached 75 km extra beyond the 0 range, driving at 100 kmh constant.

Managed to fill 84 liters after that, but it didn't recalibrate the gauge and range on dash, as i had hoped. Also tried resetting all the counters and removing battery connectors to reset computer, which improved by allowing an additional 2 liters at 0 range. Still that leaves 13 liters not registering on display...

Toyota service told me this is normal, but I have a feeling its not. Before I make more noise with them, wanted to check with PP first.

Cheers

NB

[Hazza Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hazza]

Steptoe & nazrabazra,

Today I did get in touch with a fellow in Toyota Motor Corporation whom I've know for many years. What he doesn't know about Toyota's is not worth knowing and that's the best intro I can give him.

What he told me today is that the tank capacity is 180 litres on the 120 series but Toyota build in additional space called the 'Vapour Dam' that's part of the 'breather System'. This part of the system is to allow space outside the tanks capacity to prevent raw fuel pushing back down the breather system and into the charcoal canister (petrol engine). This is particularly important in the petrol engines as raw fuel in the charcoal canister can adversely affect the canister and therefore it's function.

When you fill the tank to the very top, note it does take quite a while to do so after the first click of the bowser, you are literary filling every nook and cranny of your tank, vapour dam, breather pipes and filler neck. Remember the filler neck is virtually the highest point so the fuel has but one option and the air the other.

He also noted that once the low fuel light comes on you should have approximately 100 km up your sleeve. Having worked for Toyota for many years (in another life time) I can say this is typical of Toyota thinking. My old 1995 SR5 Hi-Lux was much the same and my two still older 1983 Hi-Lux's took some time to get those last few litres in (back then diesel used to froth up just to add to the filling time).

To sum it up, tank is 180 with extra space that you shouldn't force fuel into. Fill it to the first or third click of the bowser and be happy with that.

For me old habits are hard to break so I will continue to fill it to the top as long as I'm not holding up others lining up to the only diesel bowser. More of an issue is when will these servos get it and add extra diesel bowsers grrrr.

I will also take a jerry can (first making sure I know the exact point 20 litres is) to the bowser and giving it a test. Let you all know the result of that once it's done.

Rodders,

What your talking about is typical of petrol cars. This is due to the fact that as petrol heats up the fuel expands and if your low fuel light has come on recently this will affect the sensor its just at that point. Once the light has been on after you have used up fuel, the sensor is down far enough that expanding fuel or gradients in the road will not affect it. Wife's old Toyota corolla and other cars iv'e owned or driven have all done this.

Hazza

[bertram35 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bertram35]

Guys, Not sure if thid helps - but my 150 series kakadu has 150 litre tank. The fuel light comes on when 20 litres left in tank according to the manual. So at a consumption of say 12litre/100 there is over 150km range left.....(adjust up or down based on the current consumption). I have many times driven well past the 0 range on the computer - once the light comes on I set the trip computer to zero to know where I am at. I suspect the total capacity is somewhat over 150 litres, but I do tend to fill to the top of the breather!
ML

[nazrabazra Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close nazrabazra]

Hazza and Bertram35, my blood pressure and local service agents ears thank you kindly

Somehow I tend to automatically assume that whatever they tell me is bs and that they are just delaying any action till my warranty runs out.

Anyhow, nice to know all is working as it should be and I've learned something new which I can pass on to others.

Cheers!

[Hazza Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hazza]

Today I had to fuel up at my regular BP.

My gauge was reading just under the white line and I had travelled 52.6 km after the light come on. Based on the fact I should have approximately 100 km once the light comes on and the vehicle consistently (over 3 years) achieves an average 10 L/100 I should have at least 5 litres left and up-to 10 L at the very most. This I will never know until I drain the tank some day when I've got nothing to do (good luck Hazza).

Note at this fuel station my vehicle is leaning a little to the drivers side so this will have some relevance to the outcome when your filling the tank to the brim

Today I put in 185 L neat. Assuming I'm correct with what was left, capacity could be anywhere between 190 to 195 litres.

How accurate is the bowser? Today I spoke to the Manager and the owners of the BP and due to another customers constant complaints (drives a Hi-Lux) they had their diesel pump checked last month by an independent. They tell me their bowser was accurate and offered to show me the report. Out of interest its a few thousand dollars to do this.

Another variable is the temperature of the fuel. The owners showed me their delivery docket. Truck collected 26,334 litres and delivered 26,400 litres. Variance although not much is expansion while the fuel is in the tanker and heating up in the sun and that's this time of year as they get regular deliveries. So depending when the tanker delivers and when you fuel up can also make a difference.

There are so many variables here you could never really get it exact.

It's possible the 120 Prado can, all up take an extra 10 litres.

Hazza

[Steptoe Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steptoe]

Thanks very much Hazza for your research and input, it has now put my mind at ease that I am not getting ripped off. I think based on your pervious post (about breather space) I will just fill up to the 2nd or 3rd click from now on, however it is good to know when heading off on a long trip that the extra 10 or so litres can be squeezed in.