Fuel gauge accuracy?

GR8SHAG

Member
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2011 mazda2 sport
I have only filled up three times since buying the car but each time I have filled up with one bar showing on the gauge. I can only get eight gallons in the car. It seems to me that with three gallons remaining I should have more than one bar left.
Not a big deal but it doesnt seem very accurate...
 
I'd have it checked out at the dealer's... tank isn't filling up completely. I get all bars filled ("full reception") when I fill up.
 
Mine shows all bars when its full, the problem is its shows only one bar after around 240 miles and I can only get 8 gallons in the car so im assuming it is reading too low!
 
I have run my fuel gauge done till it shows there are no miles left on the tank (in the info display) and it took ~11 gallons of fuel. I will try and get an exact number next time I do this. I think Mazda built in the warning to go to early on the 2.

-Derrick
 
I have been dealing with this for a while now. On the Sport model, without the trip computer to estimate how much fuel is left, you get a blinking "E" with one bar left (also blinking) and then eventually just the "E" will blink. I've let it go about 20 miles into the blinking "E" only range and I've still never pumped more than 9.5 ish gallons. Click on the link below to my Fuelly.com account... I think I've logged like 14 fill-ups, I ALWAYS go to the blinking "E," and you can see my fill-ups are always less than 9 gallons.

I've debated taking it to the dealer, but then I just figure this way I'll never run out of gas. (eekdance)
 
Yea I would rather it gave an early empty reading as opposed to a late one!! From reading what you said I will go a little longer before my next fill up. Worst come to worst I will call mazda road side assistance!!
 
I've driven mine to the blinking E stage several times. The gauge is very conservative, as most are (my dearly departed '00 Corolla had more than 100 miles left in it at 34 MPG when the warning light would come on, for example).

The best is driving around when the display says you have zero miles left on the tank. So far I've done 30 or so miles in that mode (once). Remember, try to avoid running fuel injected cars completely out of fuel, as it is bad for the fuel pump, which is lubricated and cooled by fuel passed through it.

OT: Is everybody's fuel pump loud? Mine is the loudest damn thing in the car.
 
I have the same issue. I run down to blinking "E" and showing 25km left on the trip computer, and when I fill up, I had 8L left in the tank... Which based on my fuel economy is another 100kms...

It bugs me like crazy! I feel like i'm only getting 350kms to a tank, but 500 is probably closer to the mark if i ran it dry.
 
I ran my two 20 miles past the trip computer saying I had 0 miles left. When I filled up the tank took 9.2 gallons.

Derrick
 
I'm so glad to know that I'm not crazy! I had about 40 miles left on my trip computer, and being cautious, I filled up. It only took about 7.5 gallons to fill my tank! I was baffled because I know it holds more than 7.5 gallons...
 
I actually ran my 2 out of gas last week. With a 1 gallon plastic can and a fill up it took 10.6 gallons of fuel.

-Derrick
 
^ I was wondering when this would happen. Good info though.
 
We took a trip to WV yesterday and we got 340 miles on a tank of gas. My bf said that it was just blinking E for about 18 miles, we averaged about 34.5 mpg.
 
I thought I was going crazy. I've filled up my 2 twice since I bought it and both times I was shocked on how little gas it took even though the range was less than 20 both times. (About 8.5 gallons both times). I know it has a small gas tank, but damn.
 
I thought I was going crazy. I've filled up my 2 twice since I bought it and both times I was shocked on how little gas it took even though the range was less than 20 both times. (About 8.5 gallons both times). I know it has a small gas tank, but damn.

And on the other end of that, I've always had cars that get like 150 miles on the trip odometer before the gas gauge starts moving, but then empty means empty. I about swerved off the road when I was 35 miles into a tank of gas and one of the bars disappeared. I was thinking, "i thought this car was supposed to be good on gas." Then like you said, after my first fill on flashing E it took less than 9 gallons. It took a while to get used to that.

I've noticed that each bar is pretty close to one gallon of gas. If i get about 35 miles per bar on the gauge... I usually end up getting like 34-35mpg on the tank.
 
Well guys, I ran my tank down to 1km remaining (According to the trip computer) the other day. As empty as I've ever been... When I filled up it took 34L, and its a 42.9L tank... I could have made another 100KMS!
 
I ran mine 2 miles past "empty" and it took about 9 gallons. So when the computer says you empty you's got 3 gallons left.
 
was stuck in heavy traffic with one bar blinking last week. freaked out thinking i was gonna have to call AAA/mazda/etc. (only freaked cuz u dont want to get stuckdown in htown traffic :P) but when i got to the pump later it only filled up about 7-8

i want to thank mazda for tricking me there.
 
I got the first bar blinking the other day and was like "I ALMOST DIED" so I got gas. I hate running cars low on gas.
 
I got the first bar blinking the other day and was like "I ALMOST DIED" so I got gas. I hate running cars low on gas.

hey another houstonian =]

yeah i have to take 59 to 288 to beltway 8 every other day for school so traffic is BRUTAL.
 
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