2009 Sable Premier "Miles to Empty" message

mdncmdnc Member Posts: 1
edited August 2014 in Mercury
I love my 2009 Sable Premier. One thing I've noticed though is that the miles to empty message comes on and says i have 50 miles to empty when the fuel gauge is at about the 1/8 mark. When I fill it up the most I can usually get in the tank is 16 gallos. This past week I ran it until it said I had 1 mile to empty - I filled the tank and was only able to get 17 gallons in the tank - meaning I still had 3 gallons (or about 75 miles highway) left in the tank. It's not really a problem but I'd just like to know if that's a reliable indicator of my fuel level.

Comments

  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 20,823
    I think is somewhat pessimistic. One time, I drove my Explorer for 7+ miles with the DTE reading zero. It's ok to lie to me that way, but not the other way around. :)
    2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,242
    I wouldn't push the limit for any reason. I consider it a guide rather than an absolute.

    With all of the technology improvements in the automotive world, as far as I know, most vehicles' fuel is still measured the same way it's been done for years. Here's a good article describing how the sending unit is constructed - once you understand that, you'll see why it's not accurate-to-the-drop:
    http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-gauge.htm

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
    2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
    Review your vehicle

This discussion has been closed.

Your Privacy

By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our Visitor Agreement.