I don't know if you could even call it a problem.
And let me caveat, before I lead anyone into to isolation and an empty tank, that perhaps it's just my Honda Fit. I can speak to nobody else's reality here, only my own.
But my Gas Gauge on The Fit is so conservative.
To the point where I think the calibration is so off, it's nearly a problem.
But on my Fit, the low gas refill light comes on with 2 pips remaining on the gas gauge. I can typically drive, what the vehicle say's is the remaining range, to 0, with no pips showing, but then continue for at least 30-40 more miles. And even then, when my nerves finally break, because visually I'm driving a vehicle that is saying it is totally out of gas, when I fill up I can still easily have a gallon to a gallon and 1/2 or more of gasoline left. And that's if I push it to where I'm pretty nervous.

Please again...this is just my experience. I don't want to read that somebody read my post and ended up out of gas where "The Hills Have Eyes" or in "Slaughterville USA" and ended up in trouble.- Do not test my experience.

For clarification I should note I have a 2016 Honda Fit EX.
The pictured 2010 Honda Fit is my now departed ride.
Never got around to updating the picture.

But I am wondering if any amount of fellow Fit owners find their gas gauge to be way overly conservative?

 

You're not alone!

 

fitchet :

All is OK. Many others on the Forum have the same experience as you do. Must just be a Honda thing. I also have the low fuel light light up at one or two bars. Even after druiving another 25 miles I can only get about 9.2 gallons in the tank.

James

 

I'm sure it's just Honda trying to do two things...
1. make sure no one blames them for running out of gas
2. try to keep the fuel pump submerged since it uses the fuel for cooling

 

Maybe so.
But I find the only "advantage" is having the option of scaring passengers by looking down and screaming OMG! We're out of gas!....then going...Relax...we're fine.

 

It's a common complaint. Car and Driver as well as Motortrend complained about it when the GK first launched.

The Fit has a 10.6 gallon tank. If the onboard computer tells me I've been getting 45 MPG. 10 X 45 means I can get about 450 miles out of the tank with some to spare. I've gone 422 miles playing chicken before I blinked and got gas haha

 

That's a great range for this class of car.

 

Number 2 is exactly what I’ve heard/read from automotive reviews. Wonder why so many are so careless and doing this by waiting for the last drop to be used? I normally fill up once the gas gauge dips down to 1/2 or to 1/4 and nothing less. I personally take care of my cars as much as possible.

Why you shouldn?t drive around with your low fuel light on | Clark Howard

 

Believe it or not, I agree.
I'm not trying to prove anything by continuing to drive.
BUT...
On my Honda Fit the gauge is so conservative, filling up when the low fuel light first appears, or even at 1/4th a tank left would be nearly ridiculous.

 

The flat/pancake shape may have the pump exposed earlier than some of the deeper tanks. It might be an unfortunate side effect of the design.

Our fuel pump died at around 170k miles. The only mechanical failure the car has had. The wife generally drove it 20 miles or so after the light came on. Possibly caused premature wear. Not sure. 170k miles isn't too bad of a lifespan.

 

I am just about to ask this kind of question because I always run my car 20-30 miles after the fuel light warning turns on.

 

I have the same "problem" ...yup, two "pips," light comes on.....I've driven it past zero "pips," never been able to get more than a little over 9 gallons in it on refill. Not a major worry, just chalk it up to "that's bullshit" and go on my way As far as the mpg readout, it has at times been off by almost 2 mpg, and has at times been spot on accurate....go figure

 

how about just resetting the trip meter after you fill and keep track how many miles left?

 

Because we don't always drive the same route. Sometimes it's all stop-and-go, other times mostly highway.

I think it's stupid that they'd design a car that could be harmed by using up most of the gas in the tank. How did fuel pumps work in the sixties when nobody worried about running the tank down to almost empty?

 

ALL modern cars are the same. Those vehicles in the '60's had mechanical fuel pumps bolted to the side of the engine block. They failed often.

Then they went to electric pumps mounted in line. They overheated and failed regularly.

New cars (as in from the '80's forward) have them mounted in tank where they can be cooled by the fuel. Much less failures, but it's best to keep them submerged.

Edit...I've owned them all. Trust me, we've come a long way. Engine rebuilds at 60k weren't uncommon. There used to be actual engine rebuild shops on the corners. Those got replaced by A/C and general mechanics. Now those have mostly gone away. Cars are THAT much better.

 

hahaha, you really going for the very last drop. lol faking comedian u are

 

I agree with this.
The classic automobiles of the 60's and later, are wonderful machines on many, many levels. I love them.
But people sometimes forget A: How unsafe they were in comparison to todays automobiles and B: Just how much maintenance work it really took to keep them running well.

The majority of vehicles today eclipse those vehicles in terms of safety and durability.

 

when i was driving the altima rental this week, the gas needle didnt move for over a hundred miles and got me a bit worried it was broken.

but when i filled the car before returning, the range on the thing showed like 630miles. holy faking hell! dogdamn..

 

I really think it's that pancake design hurting us.

Other cars with more space, have a sump built into the tank where the pump can be lower in the tank and in a cavity more to itself. That means it it can still be submerged with less than a gallon of fuel.

The Fit doesn't have a sump that I can see. I think it takes a fair amount of fuel to keep the pump submerged. Not the best design, but I'm not sure what else they could do. It's partially the weird fuel tank that gives us all the interior room that most cars lack.

 

That would be great. Too bad you'd have to be in an Altima to get it though. LOL

I used to love Nissan's and owned a couple, but man they have gone downhill.