Any time the Fuel Low Light comes on I reset the B-trip odometer.

Well, this morning I pushed it too far and ran out of gas... on a bridge of all places with no shoulder! (I got out of the car because I fully expected that someone was going to ram it.)

I'm not sure how many 8 owners out there have run out of gas, but consider yourself warned:

************************************************
My trip odometer read 29 miles as it sat there on the bridge.
************************************************

(From amber light on to flameout I was driving all city miles without heavy accel and no unusually long stoplight idle time.)


Of course it was my own fault. The owner's manual clearly states to fill up as soon as the light comes on. It would be nice if Mazda told us the specs on when the light comes on. It would be even nicer if the car got the fuel economy they advertise.

My suggestions for the 2005 model:

- Improve the fuel economy, even if that means having a toggle switch for a performance/granny fuel scheduling.

- Have a two-stage idiot light: amber for low, red for vapor.

- Have the light come on a lot sooner than 29 miles before impending doom.

- Damn the lawyers and put the Fuel Low Light specs in the manual.


Not sure why I had trouble finding any threads on this topic. Maybe I missed them. Maybe others are too embarrassed about looking stupid (I sure felt stupid standing by my car). Maybe I'm the first 8 driver this has happened to (yeah, right).

Whatever, at least there was a happy ending. No one slammed into my baby. I'm sure that a triangle reflector is standard equipment in Europe. I was wishing I had one on that bridge.

...which leads me to one more suggestion:

- Build a triangle reflector into the air compressor case.

Well if it ever happens to you, I hope you have a safe place to pull over. Better yet, don't let it happen to you. Just remember the magic number 29!

The tank is 61 litres.

I've filled up at 275miles and got 53 litres in (the most) that was 14 past amber light, country roads, and I still had 8 litres left (2 US gallons).

I've also had the amber light come one and only got 45litres in, leaving 16 litres in the tank, or 4 US gallons. Sometimes its a bit wierd.

But as the fuel pump(s) uses the remaining petrol as a coolant your always better filling up sooner rather than later.


"Whatever, at least there was a happy ending. No one slammed into my baby. I'm sure that a triangle reflector is standard equipment in Europe. I was wishing I had one on that bridge."

Its a legal requirement in a lot of European countries, but not the UK, so we didnt get one. (actualy some EU countries require you to have 2!).

Originally posted by HIX8
My suggestions for the 2005 model:

- Have a two-stage idiot light: amber for low, red for vapor.

They do have a two-stage light: Off for "full", on for "fill up." Sorry, dude, someone had to say it.

I have consistently heard when the light comes on you have two gallons. For many of us poor schmucks, 29 miles = two gallons. In my case, 2 gallons is 32 miles but still I wouldn't push it that far. The farthest I'd drive with the warning light on is maybe 10 miles.

I try to never let my any of my car's fuel go below 1/4 tank because the fuel pump is in the tank, and the fuel helps cool the motor. Running it down to empty could cause the fuel pump to run very hot, plus the inconvienance of running out of fuel is enough to compel me to add fuel.

But thanks for the info on mile-to-go, just hope I never have to test it.

Originally posted by 6speed8
I try to never let my any of my car's fuel go below 1/4 tank because the fuel pump is in the tank, and the fuel helps cool the motor. Running it down to empty could cause the fuel pump to run very hot, plus the inconvienance of running out of fuel is enough to compel me to add fuel.

But thanks for the info on mile-to-go, just hope I never have to test it.


also drawing it low can clog the prescreens.

I fill up at 1/4, usually more.

Sorry, you are correct. My post was niether helpful or constructive. I have removed it and hope it can be disregarded.
--JiM

Originally posted by j1mb0x99
The only reason we have a fuel light at all is because of idiots like you. There is no point in have two lights or ten. People like you are just gonna drive till the final light comes on and still say "Oh, i can still get a few more miles." Take better care of your car. What did you think it meant when the light comes on? When the light comes on fill it up or even, god forbid, fill it up at a quarter tank. And seriously, 29 miles! Talk about procrastination. Go ahead, yell back. I know your going to. Defend your idiocy.

-JiM

This kind of response is not helpful, nor is it acceptable in a civilized world. All of us can't be perfect like you.

Originally posted by j1mb0x99
The only reason we have a fuel light at all is because of idiots like you. There is no point in have two lights or ten. People like you are just gonna drive till the final light comes on and still say "Oh, i can still get a few more miles." Take better care of your car. What did you think it meant when the light comes on? When the light comes on fill it up or even, god forbid, fill it up at a quarter tank. And seriously, 29 miles! Talk about procrastination. Go ahead, yell back. I know your going to. Defend your idiocy.

-JiM

He already admitted his fault, and yet you drill him for it. I for one am glad he posted, I have always been curious as to how many miles I am afforded when the "fuel low" light comes on. But if you want to talk about "idiocy", then consider this:

Go ahead, yell back. I know your going to. Defend your idiocy.

The proper form of "your" in "I know your going to" would be "you're"

I know I cant find a filling station soon as that light comes on. Sometimes it may be 10-20 miles before I know I'm passing one, other times I dont know where the next one is.

I'm glad I have a rough Idea when I may totaly run out, and that I should fill up asap rather than pass a more expensive petrol station etc.

Originally posted by HIX8
Any time the Fuel Low Light comes on I reset the B-trip odometer.

Well, this morning I pushed it too far and ran out of gas...

I'm not sure how many 8 owners out there have run out of gas, but consider yourself warned:

My trip odometer read 29 miles ... 2 Gallons and you get 15 miles a gallon in the city, sounds about right to me... Somebody with a preorder described this same scenario. Now you've learned to respect the amber light, head for a gas station!

i get nervous everytime that light goes on so i head straight for a gas station...there is NO WAY i'd drive 29 miles before filling up...i mean, why? it's on to tell you you need gas, go get gas...29 miles is a long way...good information though

Thanks for the info about 29 miles. I'm on the road all the time and frequently rely on my current Mazda Xedos being able to do 35 (UK) miles on the warning light.

You've just saved me a big embarassment.

More than just the (idiot) light, there's a gauge. I'd like to believe that the E end of the gauge is close to empty. The light comes on very early and seems to indicate caution, more than stop at the nearest gas station. I've checked 3 tankfuls just about to E on the gauge and put in about 14 gallons each time. To me, that means there were almost 2 gallons remaining. Today, I drove 20 miles with the light on (70 mph) and then put in 13.6 gal. Gauge was just about on the top of the E line when I filled up.

I'm driving 90 miles a day and like to get at least 3 days driving before having to stop at a gas station. So, 270 miles/14 gal= just about 20 mpg. I think I was at 277 miles when I filled up today.

Has anyone put in say, 15 gallons at a fillup?

I drove mine about 20 miles after the light came on and was able to fill it up with 15.5 gallons... So it seems I still had 0.4 gallon in my tank what in my case equals 8 miles. So I guess he is pretty accurate with 29 miles...

A good solution, aside from filling up ASAP when the light going on is... perhaps mazda can implement the milage left on the gas you have. i used to that all the time on prior car. So lets say the light goes on, i press a button and i can tell that i can make it home before i totally run out. Sometimes the lights up and you might not be in a safe neighborhood and you don't want to drive around looking for a gas station.

My light comes on at almost always 50 liters which means i still have 10 in the tank. It equals to about 70 Km on the HW and 60 in the city. I do think that filling up at a quarter is a bit like checking the oil every other fill : It's plauing it way too much by the book. The light goes on, i know i'll fill up soon. I check my oil at about 1500km and there's always plenty left.

I wonder how many people will read this thread and conclude they can safely go 28 miles with the light on before getting gas. And how many will admit it when they, too, run dry.

nah, no one would really do that...

Michel, I used to live near Montreal and I had great work done on my 86 RX-7 at a Mazda dealership out there (in Laval, as I remember).

f1michel:
I do think that filling up at a quarter is a bit like checking the oil every other fill : It's plauing it way too much by the book. The light goes on, i know i'll fill up soon.

...and what would an F1 pilot tell you? "There are times to pit, and there are times to push it." Ha!


Joking aside, I need to own up to the criticism in the replies here. Yes, what I did was stupid. Though I don't see my error as a lack of conservatism. I happen to be ok with pushing it. I see my error to have been not knowing how far it could be pushed and then pushing it anyway, trusting an assumption that proved to be faulty.

I expect that the quarter-tankers out there will have a problem with this view about pushing it. On the other hand, I doubt that any quarter-tankers have ever explored the 140+ realm of their speedometers.

No question that my mistake was boneheaded. But if you're going to be critical about living on the edge, you might want to ask yourself why you have an RX-8 parked in your driveway and not an Accord.

You went for the zoom-zoom.

There are different types of errors that carry different types of consequences. It's not like I flamed out a jet plane that I was forced to eject out of. Mine was not a multimillion dollar mistake. It carried a cost of zero dollars.

(Yes, it might easily have cost a heck of a lot more, and I'm very glad it didn't.)

Today I have a bit more knowledge than I had yesterday. I know that if I want to push 20 miles into the amber, I can. And I will.

Call it "stupidity" if you want. I call it "max performance".

There are risks I'm not willing to take, but running my car out of gas isn't at the top of that list. To paraphrase Clint Eastwood, "You've got to know your limitations." It's those who push the envelope who know how to use all of it.


On the flip-side, who was it that said...

"Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement."

I'd say that the ideal is to learn from other people's mistakes (which is one of the biggest benefits of a forum like this).

Originally posted by meeh
A good solution, aside from filling up ASAP when the light going on is... perhaps mazda can implement the milage left on the gas you have.

A guy at work's car has that - "miles to empty" - He drives around until it gets to "0" and then finds a gas station.... Apparently it will go several miles after it reads zero (although he has run out of gas, even with this very obvious indicator that you're out of gas). I think putting more indicators will just give you more condfidence that you don't have to stop for gas just yet so you keep pushing the limits (until you find them).

I ran out of gas in my 2nd gen pretty much right on E - the low fuel light never came on at all!! So now 'E' worries me on all cars, regardless of how many lights or otherwise there are.

I've driven about 25 miles with the light on before (from home to work) becasue it comes on a couple of clicks above E, and now I'll be thinking twice about it given that there's some real world experience that it's pushing the limits - thanks for the info.

Simon

The best car I ever had for "pushing" low fuel was a Renault Alliance. It's little gas light was a jittery thing. At first it would blink on briefly and wouldn't come back on for a while. That was Stage 1. After some more miles it would begin to flicker. Stage 2. More miles and it would stay light most of the time but still flash off occasionally. Stage 3. There would be a brief Stage 4 where it would only go out when accelerating or going up hill. After about 5 more miles without it flashing off you could declare Stage 5. I think I could get another 30 miles out of Stage 5. The stages weren't a feature intended by Renault, rather a result of a seemingly "cheap" gauge implementation. But as in many analog devices there was a usefulness and valuable information in the "noise".

I never did run out but once I was driving through Montana and passed a station with about 1/4 tank remaining. Bad move. Hours ticked by as I drove through 'no-gas-land'. There were no stations on the interstate, you had to get off and go a couple miles on a side road, and the one station I did find was closed. I thought I'd found salvation when I saw a lot of light a few miles distant. Got off the interstate again and followed the light. When I got there it was nothing but dozens and dozens of tennis courts, all lit up. No people. Must have been some government thing. I decided I didn't want to run out of gas on the interstate, so I proceeded on a frontage road and kept it in 5th gear at about 40 mph to squeeze out maximum mileage. The car could get over 40 mpg highway but I swear I must have gotten 60 that day. I did get 60 out of Stage 5! I finally hit a service area just at the border with Wyoming. It was 2 a.m. and I'd been driving that quarter-tank since before dark! I filled it up and reckoned I'd had .02 gal remaining.

i have ran my 8 40 miles at hgy speed (70 mph)with light on 3 or 4 times and i was sure i was on fumes but only managed to squeeze in 14.5 gal.

Originally posted by akrx8
i have ran my 8 40 miles at hgy speed (70 mph)with light on 3 or 4 times and i was sure i was on fumes but only managed to squeeze in 14.5 gal. I agree again, sounds about right at that speed.

sferrett:
"...so you keep pushing the limits (until you find them)."

This quote, and a look at your avatar leads me to voice a fleeting thought I've had every time I've stomped the rev-buzzer: I wonder what the actual engine speed limits are.

The RX-EVOLV Renesis was advertised as having a 10k redline. Now either this was a "target" that the engineers fell short of (as with that other infamous engine perf tgt), or our rotaries can do just fine with excursions up to 10k.

Now this IS one of those risks that I'm not willing to take. I have no confidence with my level of ignorance on this one, so I have always honored the rev-buzzer by backing off. But I'm sure that there are plenty of people at this forum who know a lot more about what will actually hurt the engine (if anyone can point me to a thread where this has already been discussed, I'd appreciate it).

My best guess is that if the Renesis is rated to safely handle the throttle being held at 9k rpm, it wouldn't hurt much to do a transient peak into the red zone.

Again, I have no confidence in this guess so I am not willing to try it unless someone can convince me otherwise.


...just as if someone can convince me of a technique of eeking out more miles after the Lite, I might get cavalier enough to try that too.

And back on the fuel topic, I haven't seen anyone post any warnings about attempting to resuscitate a rotary with Pennzoil Rescue (or some other similar Spare Tank-type product). This is another thing I have no intention of trying, unless I somehow get convinced that it won't destroy my engine.

One time I my gas light turned on, and I was stuck in some urban area. Drove about 5 miles and got on the highway, drove 10 miles and saw a gas station on the other side, gpt off the exit and only to find that I was connected onto another highway!! Well, what I did was... drive about 70... and put it in neutral... had my hand on the shifter all times... if something were to happen.... but with that.. I got pretty far. I survived 10 miles after the needle pased the E mark...

Here's my craziest flameout story. It happens to involve another bridge (a big and famous one this time, unlike the short street bridge from yesterday)...

I was driving my 86 RX-7 from Sacramento to SF on Interstate-80. For some reason, the warning light never came on, but I could see from the needle that I was running on empty. I don't remember many specifics, but for some reason I decided not to exit at any point approaching the Bay Bridge. The needle was getting way low, and when I'm on the bridge I am feeling a huge pucker factor thinking I had pushed it too far. I decided to exit midway on the bridge at Treasure Island. I poke around a bit and discover that the gas station is not open. So I press back onto the Bay Bridge to see if I can make it to a station in San Francisco.

I've gotten up to full speed and am approaching the crest of this last part of the bridge. Vssshh. (That sinking feeling that the motor just quit). Sputter sputter.

Nada.

I'm coasting up to the crest of the bridge in neutral. The motor is totally dead as I make futile attempts at cranking the starter while coasting at a disturbingly decelerating rate. I punch the hazards. I make the crest of the bridge! It's all downhill for the rest of the bridge. I continue coasting while wondering where I am going to stop. I'm glad to see that there is an exit ramp as you first enter the city, and the ramp is downhill too.

I see a red light at the bottom of the ramp. Another sinking feeling. I'm thinking that I'm hosed. I slow down early with the hand brake to try to conserve my momentum. The light turns green! And there's no traffic in my way so I let off the brake totally. I blow through the light and continue my marathon coast in neutral.

Sure enough, there is a Shell station one block past the exit ramp traffic light. I coast with just enough speed left over to pull into the gas station and I yank the parking brake right by the pump.

Made it. If I saw this as a scene in a movie, I would have thought...

Yeah, like that could ever happen.

Well, that was a lesson I learned in the 7. Maybe it gave me a false sense of confidence that I could get away with dumb moves like that.

Originally posted by HIX8
I coast with just enough speed left over to pull into the gas station and I yank the parking brake right by the pump.

Sounds like Bob Hoover's power-off demos with the Shrike. Yeah, you were demonstrating "energy management", that's the ticket :)

http://www.au.af.mil/au/goe/eaglebios/02bios/hoover02.htm

My 99 Miata does not have one at all, and I have been between exits in the middle of NOWHERE between Kansas City and Denver sweating bullets!

thanks for the 411...........kinda reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer drives the demo car until it runs out of gas.

Originally posted by HIX8
I wonder what the actual engine speed limits are.

The RX-EVOLV Renesis was advertised as having a 10k redline. Now either this was a "target" that the engineers fell short of (as with that other infamous engine perf tgt), or our rotaries can do just fine with excursions up to 10k.

Now this IS one of those risks that I'm not willing to take. I have no confidence with my level of ignorance on this one, so I have always honored the rev-buzzer by backing off. But I'm sure that there are plenty of people at this forum who know a lot more about what will actually hurt the engine (if anyone can point me to a thread where this has already been discussed, I'd appreciate it).

My best guess is that if the Renesis is rated to safely handle the throttle being held at 9k rpm, it wouldn't hurt much to do a transient peak into the red zone.

No worries - there's a rev-limiter at around 9500; you can't over-rev the Renesis, the ignition cuts out. Now, you could mechanically over-rev it by downshifting (say, you're at redline in 3rd, instead of shifting to 4th you shift to 2nd...), but otherwise you can't hurt it.

Regards,
Gordon

Gord96BRG:
No worries - there's a rev-limiter at around 9500; you can't over-rev the Renesis, the ignition cuts out. Now, you could mechanically over-rev it by downshifting (say, you're at redline in 3rd, instead of shifting to 4th you shift to 2nd...), but otherwise you can't hurt it.

Thanks. I do remember reading about the rev-limiter, now that you mention it. But I'm not sure I trust the electrons enough to save me from blowing a motor.


I've got an RX-7 downshifting "war story". I'll share that some other time (I blew the clutch, $700 mistake - thankfully it wasn't the engine).

This is weird. The other night my guage was at 1/4 tank. I pumped 12.5 gallons into it. That means there should be a little less than 3.5 gallons of gas left. If low fuel light comes on when the needle hits "E", how much gas is left? 1/2 gallon? I never let it go lower than 1/4 tank yet. Now I'm scared to.

be afraid ver afraid

no just kidding
when my light comes on I go get gas ASAP to be safe

When I was poor, driving a first gen RX-7, I use to put $3 of gas in and estimate how many miles I could go (30!). It caught me once! Now I tend to fill up whenever I see gas go down in price, even if I'm at 2/3's of a tank!

Here's my craziest flameout story. It happens to involve another bridge (a big and famous one this time, unlike the short street bridge from yesterday)...

I've gotten up to full speed and am approaching the crest of this last part of the bridge. Vssshh. (That sinking feeling that the motor just quit). Sputter sputter.

Nada.

I'm coasting up to the crest of the bridge in neutral. The motor is totally dead as I make futile attempts at cranking the starter while coasting at a disturbingly decelerating rate. I punch the hazards. I make the crest of the bridge! It's all downhill for the rest of the bridge. I continue coasting while wondering where I am going to stop. I'm glad to see that there is an exit ramp as you first enter the city, and the ramp is downhill too.

I see a red light at the bottom of the ramp. Another sinking feeling. I'm thinking that I'm hosed. I slow down early with the hand brake to try to conserve my momentum. The light turns green! And there's no traffic in my way so I let off the brake totally. I blow through the light and continue my marathon coast in neutral.

Sure enough, there is a Shell station one block past the exit ramp traffic light. I coast with just enough speed left over to pull into the gas station and I yank the parking brake right by the pump.

Made it. If I saw this as a scene in a movie, I would have thought...

Yeah, like that could ever happen.

Well, that was a lesson I learned in the 7. Maybe it gave me a false sense of confidence that I could get away with dumb moves like that.

That is AWESOME.

I've pushed 40 miles on the light...once. But I was one the highway, and I know I can get 24-25mpg at 70mph, plus I was in the middle of nowhere, and the gas station I usually use on that trip was closed for some reason. 14.4xx gallons, the most I've ever stuffed in the tank :)

YMMV :p

This is weird. The other night my guage was at 1/4 tank. I pumped 12.5 gallons into it. That means there should be a little less than 3.5 gallons of gas left. If low fuel light comes on when the needle hits "E", how much gas is left? 1/2 gallon? I never let it go lower than 1/4 tank yet. Now I'm scared to.
I let the light come on before I fill up almost all the time. If I don't, I have to fill up WAY too often. I already think I fill up too often. :)

But usually when the light comes on, I pump in a little over 13 gallons. It doesn't come on when it hits the "E", it comes on earlier than that (at about 1/8 full). I've driven 10-15 miles after the light has come on a bunch of times. The most recent time my light came on like 15 miles away from home I stopped for gas 10 miles away and I filled up only 13.8 gallons (i was freaking out tho, having driven like 20 minutes after the light has gone on).

From my experience you can safely go 15 miles easily after the light goes on. 30 is really pushing it though. Remember even if you get only 15mpg, 2 gallons gives you 30 miles you can go. I just wouldn't push it. Fill up as soon as it's convenient when the light turns on or early if you're unfamiliar with the area or gas stations are in small supply.

I killed mine yesterday with a gas can in the trunk.....to see how far it would go. I got 49Km from light on to nada.......I was surprised it went from running to dead...with no other symptoms....talk about sucking it down to the last drop :D

I owned a Mazda MX-3 before I bought my RX-8. One of the neat things about the gas light in the MX-3 is when it came on, it was an orange dot just like RX-8 is. But it would fade on, and as the gas tank got lower, it would get brighter, until it was almost like this blinding light shining in your eye saying, "You better get gas, or you'll be sorry!" I wish the RX-8 had that, but I haven't been able to tell if it actually gets brighter as the tank gets lower. You'll probably hate me for saying this but, if you put in normal unleaded octane you'll get better gas milage, but not performance. "Which doesn't really seem to make much sense right?" I've experiment many times with this, and it's true with each tank of gas I try out. Try it on your next trip.... I can easily get 300 miles on Highway driving when using just normal unleaded.

It could always be suggested to Mazda to install a computer voice in the car instead of a fuel gauge or warning lights that will act like your "mother in law" (no offence intended to all the mothers in-law out there :rolleyes: ) and nag the driver to stop and get fuel before the car runs out. And if that doesn't work, have the computer voice continue to with "Well I told you to Stop and Get gas, but noooo you have to be a know it all and try to squeeze that extra 1/10 mile out of the tank." That just might do the trick a bit better that a dash full of Christmas lights. On the other hand maybe some good old fashioned personal responsibility might just be the most cost effective way to solve the problem of running out of fuel. What do ya think. :cool:

That is AWESOME.As you probably guessed, my '86 RX-7 had manual steering so it coasted like a skateboard. I definitely wouldn't recommend trying to negotiate freeway traffic with your engine-out in a car with hydraulic pwr steering!

my gauge is way off, it comes on I drive 25-30 miles and can only get 12- 12.5 in it?? I think my light comes on with 3-4 gallons by mistake, but I'm not taking it in for that.

This entire thread is just stupid, ESPECIALLY to be brought back from the dead over a year ago. Everone complaining that the IDIOT fuel light is not idiot proof enough. Fill your damn tank when it gets near 1/4 or 1/8 of the guage. Period, you don't need some stupid light to tell you to fill up, or to get brighter, etc. That's what the damn gauge is for.

So let me get this straight. Idiot fuel light = ok. Idiot Oil pressure gauge = ! ok.

Get real and use your f'in brains people.

When the light turns on it's not time to push it, it's time to fill up? The most I'll drive once the light hit's is 10 miles...no matter that my calculations (at my avg 19mpg city) tells me I can drive another 40 miles.

Light = Me hungy (from your RX8)

I could swear when I get low on gas it doesn't feel as quick, but when I stuff it full it feels a little quicker???probably just my brain playing tricks....but my female said something too??

When you're low on gas you should have less weight, so it should actually be a little quicker.. However, I believe the way the tank is shaped, certain motions of the vehicle can cause fuel starvation when you are low on gas.

I could swear when I get low on gas it doesn't feel as quick, but when I stuff it full it feels a little quicker???probably just my brain playing tricks....but my female said something too??

Other night my light came on. I'm 52 miles from home and gas is much cheaper there. ( 20-30 cents less) I drove nice and easy on the interstate about 75 mph. I was half expecting it to run out. Got off gased up and was only able to get 13.6 gallons in it before it overfilled. I was at mile 310 on the tank and drove a good 50 miles with the light on and still had apparently another 1.5 gallons left.

This entire thread is just stupid, ESPECIALLY to be brought back from the dead over a year ago. Everone complaining that the IDIOT fuel light is not idiot proof enough. Fill your damn tank when it gets near 1/4 or 1/8 of the guage. Period, you don't need some stupid light to tell you to fill up, or to get brighter, etc. That's what the damn gauge is for.

So let me get this straight. Idiot fuel light = ok. Idiot Oil pressure gauge = ! ok.

Get real and use your f'in brains people.This thread is intended for those who want to push the limits. And I see this car as intended for those who want to push the limits. Prudent conservatism strikes me as the very antithesis of the RX-8. While you do present a strong argument, one could also make a powerful argument with all the reasons for buying a Honda Accord instead of an RX-8.

'Zoom-Zoom' sparks my spirit as a combination of performance and excitement. And for me, maximizing performance applies to the gas pump as well as the road.

As far as using our brains, a counter argument could be made that practicing maximum range performance in a relatively benign city environment has the potential to pay large dividends if a driver can learn to stretch from one gas station to the next for a cross-country trip that may have hostile weather like a scorching desert or an icy blizzard. I'd much rather learn the limits of my car when the pumps are a short walk away rather than a possibly life-threatening hike.

I think it would be cooler to have another LCD screen that tells you the capacity and the current level like 12.4/15.9 and a nice little avg miles per gallon like a lot of the other new cars have. That way you could also mark down your gas capacity when you stop to get gas and then fill up and see if what they quote on the pump is what you have in the tank, it would help fight fraud =)

Old thread .... still good info... Learning the limits of your car is a good idea. Most gauges vary slightly from car to car. Learning about how much fuel you have when the light comes on could come in handy.

The "E" stands for enough ... enough to find a station and fill up before you run out.

Really?

I thought E stood for...

Ediot your going to run out of gas agin!

This thread is intended for those who want to push the limits. And I see this car as intended for those who want to push the limits. Prudent conservatism strikes me as the very antithesis of the RX-8. While you do present a strong argument, one could also make a powerful argument with all the reasons for buying a Honda Accord instead of an RX-8.

'Zoom-Zoom' sparks my spirit as a combination of performance and excitement. And for me, maximizing performance applies to the gas pump as well as the road.

As far as using our brains, a counter argument could be made that practicing maximum range performance in a relatively benign city environment has the potential to pay large dividends if a driver can learn to stretch from one gas station to the next for a cross-country trip that may have hostile weather like a scorching desert or an icy blizzard. I'd much rather learn the limits of my car when the pumps are a short walk away rather than a possibly life-threatening hike.

You give a whole new meaning to the concept of pushing the limits. :)

Hmm, ok . You are SO TOTTALY right and I was so totally wrong. I should also seek out new ways to push the limits. I think i'll go see how many bowling balls I can pull with my penis or how many pool balls i can shove up my butt.

Maybe we can see how many bean burritos we can eat. Want to meet up for that one? ;)

This thread is intended for those who want to push the limits. And I see this car as intended for those who want to push the limits. Prudent conservatism strikes me as the very antithesis of the RX-8. While you do present a strong argument, one could also make a powerful argument with all the reasons for buying a Honda Accord instead of an RX-8.

'Zoom-Zoom' sparks my spirit as a combination of performance and excitement. And for me, maximizing performance applies to the gas pump as well as the road.

As far as using our brains, a counter argument could be made that practicing maximum range performance in a relatively benign city environment has the potential to pay large dividends if a driver can learn to stretch from one gas station to the next for a cross-country trip that may have hostile weather like a scorching desert or an icy blizzard. I'd much rather learn the limits of my car when the pumps are a short walk away rather than a possibly life-threatening hike.

Hmm, ok . You are SO TOTTALY right and I was so totally wrong. I should also seek out new ways to push the limits. I think i'll go see how many bowling balls I can pull with my penis or how many pool balls i can shove up my butt.

Maybe we can see how many bean burritos we can eat. Want to meet up for that one? ;)...sitting inside the 8 with the windows rolled up.

Get the passengers begging you to run out of gas!

LOL, maybe we can liquify the fumes and get the 8 to run off the by-product. If it worked for Mad Max it could work for us right? THen you wouldn't have to push the limits! :)

...sitting inside the 8 with the windows rolled up.

Get the passengers begging you to run out of gas!

The best car I ever had for "pushing" low fuel was a Renault Alliance. It's little gas light was a jittery thing. At first it would blink on briefly and wouldn't come back on for a while. That was Stage 1. After some more miles it would begin to flicker. Stage 2. More miles and it would stay light most of the time but still flash off occasionally. Stage 3. There would be a brief Stage 4 where it would only go out when accelerating or going up hill. After about 5 more miles without it flashing off you could declare Stage 5. I think I could get another 30 miles out of Stage 5. The stages weren't a feature intended by Renault, rather a result of a seemingly "cheap" gauge implementation. But as in many analog devices there was a usefulness and valuable information in the "noise".

I never did run out but once I was driving through Montana and passed a station with about 1/4 tank remaining. Bad move. Hours ticked by as I drove through 'no-gas-land'. There were no stations on the interstate, you had to get off and go a couple miles on a side road, and the one station I did find was closed. I thought I'd found salvation when I saw a lot of light a few miles distant. Got off the interstate again and followed the light. When I got there it was nothing but dozens and dozens of tennis courts, all lit up. No people. Must have been some government thing. I decided I didn't want to run out of gas on the interstate, so I proceeded on a frontage road and kept it in 5th gear at about 40 mph to squeeze out maximum mileage. The car could get over 40 mpg highway but I swear I must have gotten 60 that day. I did get 60 out of Stage 5! I finally hit a service area just at the border with Wyoming. It was 2 a.m. and I'd been driving that quarter-tank since before dark! I filled it up and reckoned I'd had .02 gal remaining.


I hav a very similar story.. cept I was in my 2000 daktoa and it was 9pm in nebraska on a sunday. Everything was closed. I got off on every exit and drove aorund a bit. I ended up buying gas from a farmer and made it into wyoming and got filled up.

Since we are all into pushing limits.. who wants to do a hydrogen conversion with me?

For what it's worth, just the other day I filled up within 2 miles of the fuel light switching on and I put 13.249 gallons in the tank.

my gauge is way off, it comes on I drive 25-30 miles and can only get 12- 12.5 in it?? I think my light comes on with 3-4 gallons by mistake, but I'm not taking it in for that.

Mine does the same thing. Mine came on yesterday and I drove 20 miles. When I put gas in it only took 13.8 gallons. That means I had 2 more to go. It also means that the light comes on with 3 gallons left. Not a big deal but it is 20% of the tank! I don't mind the mileage but I do hate that I need to stop and fill this car almost twice as often as most other cars.

QUESTION FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE RUN OUT OF GAS. How many gallons does it take to fill it? Sorry about yelling, I just wanted to get attention. And, yes, I'm sure it has been posted before, it just might take a few hours of reading to find it.

A gallon of gas weighs about 6 lbs so 3 gallons of gas is 18 pounds. There are people on this forum trying to save ounces. The question is why carry around 18 lbs every day if it can never be used.

Thanks for your replies.

If that's your pic in the Avatar, I don't think driving around with a 1/4 tank of gas all the time should be your first priority in saving weight in your car. ;)

Mine does the same thing. Mine came on yesterday and I drove 20 miles. When I put gas in it only took 13.8 gallons. That means I had 2 more to go. It also means that the light comes on with 3 gallons left. Not a big deal but it is 20% of the tank! I don't mind the mileage but I do hate that I need to stop and fill this car almost twice as often as most other cars.

QUESTION FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE RUN OUT OF GAS. How many gallons does it take to fill it? Sorry about yelling, I just wanted to get attention. And, yes, I'm sure it has been posted before, it just might take a few hours of reading to find it.

A gallon of gas weighs about 6 lbs so 3 gallons of gas is 18 pounds. There are people on this forum trying to save ounces. The question is why carry around 18 lbs every day if it can never be used.

Thanks for your replies.

If that's your pic in the Avatar, I don't think driving around with a 1/4 tank of gas all the time should be your first priority in saving weight in your car. ;)

Sweet! Actually, it is me but I am 6'1" and 178lbs, so probably not slowing it down too much. But a good comeback none the less. I'm less interested in the performance gains but some people might be. I just don't like stopping for gas every 230 miles

heh, just messin with ya. You're probably about the same proportion as me.

I used to run my tank really low, then after running out of gas a couple times I determined that for me it was easier to fill up earlier and save myself hours of being stuck on the road in the hot sun walking back and forth with a tank of gasoline waving at the people driving by who think i'm an idiot for running out of gas :)


On a funny note, I once saw my sister on the side of the road at the offramp to where we lived. There was a flat bed hauling her car up so I stopped to see what was up. She said her car just died, knowing her gas gague was broken I asked her when she filled up last and she suddenly realized she ran out of gas. About 200 feet away there was a shell station, the flatbed came from that station (at the end of the offramp). However, to get to that spot, he had to drive a mile down the highway, turn around and come back.. so the entire thing ended up costing my sister $75 for the tow...

You're right, it is probably better to fill up. I just wonder where the 2 gallons are. Or is it really only a 14.5 gallon tank? My book says 15.9. Has anybody ever put that much in when it is empty?

You're right, it is probably better to fill up. I just wonder where the 2 gallons are. Or is it really only a 14.5 gallon tank? My book says 15.9. Has anybody ever put that much in when it is empty?I recently had a 15-and-a-half gallon fillup. Thread:

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=62521&highlight=hix8