How many bars is zero on the fuel meter, zero or one? And this is different than when the remaining range hits 0 right? How much gas is left when that happens?
Remaining Range and Gas Tank Capacity
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Zero on the fuel meter translates to the car estimating ~1.59 gallons left in tank, and when remaining range is zero, and when low fuel indicator light comes on (i.e. all concurrent). The 'remaining range' is kind of a countdown before these indicators appear.
Oh really. I could have sworn the light comes up at around 40 mi range left or so, but that must be the "find a gas station" message then.
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I must admit that I don't regularly run down level that low (i.e. typically refuel at 2 bars)... but will be running down tank to prepare for (dreaded) fuel pump impeller recall/repair when I next go in for oil change.
When your low-fuel light comes on, you have ~2 gallons of fuel left. For me, based on my driving habits, that's a little over 120 miles. I've pushed past zero (~50 miles) many times. The most I've ever put in my tank at once was 9.1 gallons.
[edited to change zero miles to low-fuel light - my apologies]
[edited to change zero miles to low-fuel light - my apologies]
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Exactly what Insightfully said!
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Did you just complete (or in middle of) a drive that is different from the norm for rest of tank - e.g. highway driving reduced 'current mpg' and projected range, or being on a hill/incline when reading came up?
I was on the highway at high speed. Previous drives on that tank were a mixed bag. Highway was reasonably hilly but nothing crazy. But this is consistent with what I had noticed since I got the car.
I refueled at 12 miles of range left and there was still one bar left. I put 9.0 gal of gas (to 1st "click" of handle). I suppose it means there would still be 1.6gal left at 0 mile? Maybe it's a Touring thing?
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Interesting that both applied somewhat... highway speed and incline were just guesses that came to mind on what could 'temporarily' impact the Current Fuel Economy calculation and resulting range calculation. Another guess (?) is that the calculation gets more 'conservative' as fuel level decreases and/or especially when Current Fuel Economy differs 'too much' from the tank history so far.
It was already happening when I was "normally" commuting
I'll check the level with the OBDII reader next time.
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I have a question of concern/curiosity regarding my 2019 Hybrid Insight Touring and the Infosystem screen in "Range". The last couple of times after filling up my car, I have noticed the "range" indicator on the screen has dropped which I believe to be significant. Prior to my last few fill ups on the tank. The "range" indicator use to show like 389...379 miles to fill up. Currently, the indicator has dropped down to 349...339. Is anyone familiar with why the indicator has dropped the way it has and remember this shows after filling my gas tank to full. Now, I'm in Northern CA and the weather has been cooler like 35 to 60 degree range, so nothing significant, but I don't think that would cause the drop.
Anyways, if someone could share their knowledge and educate me I would appreciate it. Thanks
Anyways, if someone could share their knowledge and educate me I would appreciate it. Thanks
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When our fuel pump was replaced, they reset the pump calibration. My 2019 Insight showed about 550 miles of range. Within about two tanks, it learned my driving habits and now shows about 425 miles of range after a fill up. Hope this helped, it seems to learn your habits.
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It's unfortunate that this reset is being done on some cars after fuel pump recall. I found everything in tact and unchanged on my display, before and after my fuel pump was replaced.
Remaining range is calculation the car does using what it measures as your "current fuel economy." As your mpg results change with each drive, the car will "learn" and build it's data on what your typical mpg is, and will use that to project remaining range given the fuel level. Here's how it reads from OM19 pg 136:
With your display potentially being reset after fuel pump recall, the car is "re-learning" your fuel economy results for this calculation... and unfortunately, this re-learning is happening in cold weather, low-mpg conditions for a hybrid. Your range estimate dropped because it's using this latest (lower than prior average) fuel economy; the system "lost" the benefit of higher average mpg data history which included warm weather months... but it will re-learn and/or add it to average when warmer weather and better mpg return.
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I don't find the Range number to be particularly useful, because the number changes, allot until the gas gauge gets down to one or two bars. Secondly I usually get gas way after the low fuel warning light comes on and when the Range gets down to zero. Then I get a fill up and there is always around a gallon left in the tank (based on gas tank capacity in the specification section of the owners manual). That remaining gallon or so, is enough for me to drive a min. of 50 miles. So no worries.!
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My family has a 2019 Honda Insight, as well. It's currently at the dealership getting work done. We were passing a truck on the highway (that was kicking up rocks) when the check engine light started flashing. Driver took their foot off the gas to resume desired speed, then reapplied pressure to maintain said speed. The car bucked a bit like it would stall and we quickly started loosing speed. We were able to pull over safely and check the manual for what those symptoms might indicate. (It wasn't helpful.) When we restarted the car, it started fine and all seemed well. The engine light was off. We drove like Miss Daisy to our destination, then back home. It was 5pm on Friday, so taking it to a garage wasn't really an option. When we brought the Insight to the dealership, they couldn't recreate the problem in the bay, so they took it for a test drive. They came right back noting there was no gas in the tank (the gauge said it had 1/2 of a tank when dropped off). Mechanic put $10 in to go for the test drive, but the gauge didn't budge. They think the issue is related to a faulty fuel pump that was recalled & replaced in June 2020. They're going to replace it and hope that helps. Since you have the same make & year, you may want to be cautious of relying on the fuel gauge if you've already suspected a discrepancy. Was your car included in the fuel pump recall?
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Welcome to the forum, and thanks for sharing. It's a good reminder to keep an eye on elapsed miles; I usually refill before low/empty after driving ~500 miles.
How much time lapsed between when the fuel pump impeller was replaced and this incident occurred? Since the actual gas level was low, maybe the 'engine' alert came and went depending on different inclines/slopes in the road during your drive. Maybe you can also weigh in on the EV question in the following thread, as you have the unique experience of running out of gas. - My daughters interesting question of the day....
The fuel level sensor is one of the things that gets disconnected for the fuel pump recall recall repair. Honda calls out risk of bending or twisting the 'fuel level sensor arm' as part of the process. The sensor arm looks very thin/delicate in the diagram (i.e. is it just a filament?).
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Thank you for the hearty welcome! Much appreciated!
I agree with you about monitoring elapsed miles. It may become my newest hobby. Haha.
The fuel pump was originally replaced in mid June 2020 (less than 8 months prior to the engine light flashing). Based on estimated miles traveled after the engine light flashed and the additional fuel added by the dealership, there was approximately 1/2 tank of gas when the symptoms occurred. So it seems the fuel gauge was accurate at the time of the incident. It wasn't until the car was at the dealership that the fuel gauge suddenly stopped working.
We got the Insight back from the dealership last night. Here's what they found:
The car's original fuel pump (which seemed to be working fine before the recall) was replaced with a faulty fuel pump. The wires in the fuel sending unit were stiff and had abruptly stopped functioning.
The dealership contacted regional Honda to inform them of the issue and will be sending over the faulty part so they can investigate further. However, we were led to believe that American Honda knows about this issue but has not yet informed their mechanics or consumers (they may still be collecting data?). Based on reports from our local dealership, I wouldn't be surprised if there was another fuel pump recall in the future- and not just for the Insight.
I sincerely hope Honda gets this issue figured out, as well as a new fuel pump supplier.
I'll reply directly to the other post so those following it have access to it.
How far will 2020 insight go on a full tank of gas??
I purchased my 2021 on 1/14/21 and i noticed it said 403 on the range screen, dealer pointed this out to me but the 2 fill ups since one said 385 at fill up and then 337 on second fill up. Is this number supposed to change? How do I get 48 miles combined per gallon as I’m just not seeing it deliver on this unless I’m misinterpreting what all of this means. Can someone explain in simple language??
I purchased my 2021 on 1/14/21 and i noticed it said 403 on the range screen, dealer pointed this out to me but the 2 fill ups since one said 385 at fill up and then 337 on second fill up. Is this number supposed to change? How do I get 48 miles combined per gallon as I’m just not seeing it deliver on this unless I’m misinterpreting what all of this means. Can someone explain in simple language??
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