Well today it finally happened to me. I was on my way to work cold as hell outside as I was coming to an intersection to stop my truck just went dead. I got soooo mad then I relized that I my gas just got on the red mark. Well last week I rode for a day on the red mark with the low fuel light coming on. Well this morning I got no low feul light just went dead. So anyways go to work to get a diesel can but it had off road diesel in it so I put some regular diesel in it to wash it out got most out. Becuase will Chevy warranty our dmax's if they have red dye? And wonder why the low fuel light didnt come on? Coworkers at work were hard on me. Ill never hear the end of it.

Off road fuel wont affect the GM warranty.

I think that it will happen to all of us eventually. We get busy and forget about it. I personally have never had it happen and hope that I don't. Just embarrassing when it does..

Personal experience, GM does'nt care about red fuel.

I think that it will happen to all of us eventually...

I don't understand how it happens to anybody. It's a simple thing; when the fuel gauge gets down to 1/4 tank, fill it. It certainly isn't worth the bother (and potential safety hazard-depending on where you run out) of running out of fuel.

I have ran out before without the light coming on. Luckily we were able to catch the next off ramp run a stop sign and coast right up to a diesel pump. All with a trailer in tow. Don't think I will ever get that lucky again.

There must be alot of variation between truck fuel gauges. My truck has at least 5 gal left when the light comes on. Last week I drove it 175 miles after the light came on before I filled up. It took 32 gals. (Long bed) I was running propane, but even w/o the lp I can go quite a few miles before I get desperate for fuel.

Sorry to say this, but if you hang around this board and like your Diesel Truck:

HOW IN THE HECK CAN YOU PERSIST IN DRIVING ON "E"??

Besides the pain of restarting, you risk a bit of fuel and tank contamination by letting fuel stay low. UGH

I don't understand how running the tank low will risk contamination. The fuel pickup is pulling off the bottom, so what difference does it make? Also, I had two 5 gal jugs of bio in the back in case I ran out.

I don't think there is really all that much worry of picking up stuff when running the tank low. I do wonder, though, what effect, if any, air bubbles going through the IP have.

Having two tanks/senders, I use the Low Fuel light constantly to swap tanks. My OEM is 26 gallons and my in-bed aux is 41 gallons. I swap to the standby tank at the low fuel light on the in-service tank and it always takes 24 gallons to refill the OEM and 32 gallons to refill the aux.

I also disagree on the "contamination" claim. The return fuel constantly dumps under some pressure into the sender/pickup "bucket" in the OEM tank and into the sender/pickup baffle box in my aux tank. The DMax fuel system has more vigorous recirc/agitation than I've ever seen.

I don't think there is really all that much worry of picking up stuff when running the tank low. I do wonder, though, what effect, if any, air bubbles going through the IP have.

The dual pump design of the injection pump makes it very "air tolerant" and it will consume large chunks of air without a hiccup. It's been shown and proven that without lift pumps the fuel system (especially the filter canisters) are only partially filled with fuel and abear and others have installed clear tubing all over the circuit pre-IP and seen moving vapor and bubbles everywhere.

Depends on the situation, I for one go to cheyenne from Denver and the diesel up there always alot less. Once you pass a certain gas station it is 23 miles to the next, so i run the risk sometimes to save $20-$25

every time i fill up with the gauge on E (i know i can go 350 miles easy at that point) i still have 4 gallons in but ive never had the low fuel light come on.

I carry a 2.5 gallon fuel container with me for low fuel emergencies.

I took a trip to Anchorage from Eielson for Turkey day, and it is about a 400 mile trip. We drove the whole way without stopping and I pull into Anchorage with my fuel gauge on half. I was like woohoo, made excellent mileage. I shut the truck off to go into the hotel and check-in, come back out and have to move the truck, start it up and I am way below a quarter of a tank on the gauge now. WTF?? :mad:
On the way home I expirimented, drove about a hundred miles each time, stopped shut the truck off and when I restarted the fuel guage would always be lower than when I shut the truck off.
Anybody else have this problem?

I took a trip to Anchorage from Eielson for Turkey day, and it is about a 400 mile trip. We drove the whole way without stopping and I pull into Anchorage with my fuel gauge on half. I was like woohoo, made excellent mileage. I shut the truck off to go into the hotel and check-in, come back out and have to move the truck, start it up and I am way below a quarter of a tank on the gauge now. WTF?? :mad:
On the way home I expirimented, drove about a hundred miles each time, stopped shut the truck off and when I restarted the fuel guage would always be lower than when I shut the truck off.
Anybody else have this problem?

YES, and it makes me want to -:t
WTF, I get my panties all in a bunch because I thought I got great milage and then the next time I start the truck....BAM...same milage I got the tank b4 and the one b4 that and the one b4.....:muahaha:

if i had panties thay would bunch up too all the time

I hate it when my panties get in a bunch :lol:


As far as running out of fuel, personally if it gets down to 1/4 or even a little more I refill it, just to avoid possibly running out.

Also carry a filled 5 gallon can in the truck all the time just in case. :exactly:



And just so everyone knows once your fuel tank falls below 1/4 to 1/3 of a tank ALL the fuel from then on is sucked up right off the BOTTOM of the tank.
Some of it is getting sucked off the bottom when it's above 1/3 anyway.

So if you have water or any crap on the bottom of your tank you will know it long before you get to E


DD

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I hope you pulled the Onstar fuse before you put red fuel in it. Otherwise your warranty is void.

:funnypost

I hate it when my panties get in a bunch :lol:


As far as running out of fuel, personally if it gets down to 1/4 or even a little more I refill it, just to avoid possibly running out.

Also carry a filled 5 gallon can in the truck all the time just in case. :exactly:



And just so everyone knows once your fuel tank falls below 1/4 to 1/3 of a tank ALL the fuel from then on is sucked up right off the BOTTOM of the tank.
Some of it is getting sucked off the bottom when it's above 1/3 anyway.

So if you have water or any crap on the bottom of your tank you will know it long before you get to E


DD

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I have never seen the sending unit from a truck with a Duramax but I would bet it always sucks from the same place no matter what the fuel level is.

The fuel pick up is basically a CUP looking device that sits at the bottom of the tank.

It's about half the height of the tank.

When your tank is full and up to about 1/3 full fuel spills over the top of the cup into the pickup tube area, after you get lower than about 1/3 of a tank fuel no longer spills over the top but is sucked up from the bottom of the cup which sit's right at the BOTTOM of the fuel tank.

Some fuel WILL get sucked from the bottom even when your tank is full so you will know about a large water problem long before you get to empty.

There's some pictures I took of the sending unit in this thread:

http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28833&page=2&highlight=fuel+sending+unit+pictures

Look at post number 32

Hope the pictures explain it a little better than me.


DD

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I have run close a time or 2 and dont make a habbit out of it. I do however only squeeze 22 gal at most in. I dont get it. Is the filler neck that long that it pretty much holds 4 gallons?

The neck only holds a quart or two.

So there's still 4 gallons in there at all times?

It's possible.

The guages aren't an exact guage, so some people may run out right on E and others may have a couple of gallons left at E.

Best way to find out for your self is to keep an extra 5 gallons in a can and run the truck to your usual E and then keep running it till you finally run out, then you'll know. :)

Personally I would rather the guage be off like yours is and that way theres still 4 gallons or so left at E. Less chance of running out.

Plus if you look at the pictures of the sending unit I posted and look at the rod that holds the float you can see that it's very thin so I wouldn't be surprised if a few of them were bent on instalation at the factory and that would throw off the guage readings.

DD

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Good stuff thanks DieselD. I dont ever get that low anyways. I try not to. I usually fill up at 1/8th tank and like clockwork only put in 21 gallons and that topping it off till I cant get anymore in.

well my sending unit has failed. I thought it was injectors whew! Now If i can find the part cheap GM want $417.

well my sending unit has failed. I thought it was injectors whew! Now If i can find the part cheap GM want $417.


Is your truck out of warranty already ?

If it is you can try www.gmpartsdirect.com (http://www.gmpartsdirect.com) there cheaper, but the shipping charges can be expensive on some items.

DD

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yes it has 63,000 miles I bought last month used