Most You've Filled the Tank to?
 

Just did an insane fill up today. Miles to empty showed 1, then 0, then ----

Thought I was going to run out, but found a station and filled up to the first "click," I filled 14.105 gallons in a R56 Base Cooper - has anyone done more than that?

Short story of it is, I was autoxing, friend decided to codrive at the end, which I was not expecting. Tore through the fuel quite quickly there.

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I've put 14.0 in once, and 14.5 in once.

https://www.fuelly.com/car/mini/coop...enimore/189948

This could spell death to your fuel pump, there's nothing to cool it when there's no gas. God forbid anyone willing to do this on an S model! What is the size of the justa coopers gas tank?

Yeah I was probably running on fumes. Car seems to be running fine, I'm not concerned. This was by no means on purpose lol

I think the size of the tank is 14 gallons, plus a little extra. 14.5 is probably the absolute max

The lord of systems is spot on about a very expensive lapse in fuel management. From an old pilot's point of view and for other reasons besides fuel pump preservation, it is ALWAYS best to burn off the top half of the tank. I'm looking for a pump when the needle drops below 1/2 tank regardless and having unkind words for m'self if it reaches 1/4.

so, are you saying a new fuel pump will be required?

I've put in a little over 14.5 gallons in my 2008 MCS.

No, you will not need a new fuel pump. At least, not because you ran it down that low.

I don't think so, the car didn't run out of gas, so the pump was never without fuel for cooling.

Dave

You're not supposed to go less than 30 miles on turbocharged/supercharged cars left in the tank. As for the NA engine in the Cooper, I never went less than 30 miles either. I read somewhere a long time ago it is terrible for your fuel pump. I don't think it's worth $400-800 depending on the model and engine. Be aware next time.

It's not just the fuel flowing through the pump that cools it. It is the fuel that the pump is immersed in too.

And just because you ran it low doesn't mean your pump is going to fail. But you certainly aren't helping it either. Just don't make a habit of running so low on fuel.

good points all. my normal fill is 11-12 gallons, but sometimes things happen! lol

When I get below 1/2 I'm looking for the next opportunity to fill up.

Most I ever did is 13 and a half, are you saying I have another half gallon somewhere?

You're not actually considering the possibility of testing/risking the chance that there is are you?

What is your logic on this? Regardless of aspiration you will burn a fuel pump out before you damage the F/I of the car.

I got 14.52 gallons after running out of gas (Thunderhill turn 9).

I was letting him know that even with an NA MINI you can mess the pump up...reread it.

Right but, it still reads out (at least to me) that you are worse off if you own a F/I car compared to N/A if you run it out of fuel.

This issue has been hammered out so many times it is getting tiresome, the search engine will bear this out. The results are the same. I remember an adage from long ago (modified for a polite audience): "Mess with the bull, you get the horn". It applies to much more than mere livestock.

sounds like from people who've run it bone dry, the absolute max capacity is 14.5

Had a pretty scary sight on Monday morning...fuel gauge read 1 bar, range 34 miles, and I had to drive 29 miles to work. I had driven uphill on the way home Sunday night, and kinda forgot that she will use more fuel when going uphill. Plus, not used to the small fuel tank. LOL. Going to work is all downhill, so lots of coasting in nuetral with my manual...which I normally do anyway. I know that submerged fuel pumps rely upon immersion in fuel to stay cool, as I am a mechanic, and NEVER run my cars below 1/4 tank.

Bottom line? My wife looked in the Owner's Manual, and there is apparently a 2.1 gallon reserve "built into" the fuel gauge/tank/whatever. My 2011 MCS took 13.7 gallons to fill up. Owner's Manual says 13.2 gal capacity. Never again will I run below 1/4 tank. Lesson learned. Get to 1/2, start looking for a filling station! Besides, it costs less to fill the tank that way!

Oh. Forgot the point about actually reading the Owner's Manual. Not a bad idea. Maybe someday...

That's a good way to lose the respect of your posse. Leave that messy stuff to your co-pilot. She seems to have it under control anyway. :lol:

Can't imagine not perusing through the operators manual to learn which end goes into the wind. The more one knows about their MINI the more it is appreciated. Playing Russian roulette with a low fuel warning light can be expensive particularly if you have a flame out.

Pay heed. Buzzy's an old pilot.
There are old pilots and there are bold pilots but there are no old bold pilots.

Read the Owner's Manual again.

"Once the fuel level has fallen to the reserve zone
of approx. 2.1 gallons/8 liters, the remaining
indicator lamps change from orange to red."

There isn't any reserve below zero.