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The gas tank dial gives us an indicator of how much fuel is left in the tank, but it can be difficult to determine the remaining range, especially on vehicles without a trip computer.
Determining the mileage a quarter tank of gas can cross depends on a number of factors, such as the mpg, overall size of the gas tank, number of passengers, style of driving, etc. In this guide, we’ll go through different vehicle types and estimate how many miles can be crossed on 1/4 tank of gas.
If the driving conditions are consistent, a quarter tank of gas is actually going to provide more than a quarter of the total gas tank range.
To understand why you can get away with driving a bit further than expected on a 1/4 tank, keep reading this article!
How Does The Gas Gauge Work?
You might be surprised to find out that the gas tank gauge is lying to you, as the manufacturers intentionally make the gauge inaccurate to make it psychologically easier on the drivers.
Not only is the gauge not accurate when you’re filling up or when you’re near-empty, but it also moves at an inconsistent speed depending on how much fuel is left in the tank. To fully understand what’s going on, I’ll break down the fuel tracking into a few sections, starting with the full tank.
Full Tank
When you’re filling up to the brim, it’s normal for the gauge to hit the upper limit. However, did you know that the same will happen if you insert one gallon less, and in vehicles with larger tanks even a few gallons?
If the gauge was accurately portraying the amount of fuel in the tank, you wouldn’t have a full tank by the time you reach your home from the gas station. The manufacturers have concluded that if the gauge was honest, owners would create a false perception that the vehicle is consuming more gas than it is.
That’s the reason why the gauge will stay in the full segment for a while and let you feel good about your investment in fuel.
Empty Tank
It’s happened to all of us – we’ve miscalculated the range to the next gas station and the fuel gauge slowly hits the bottom limit, but the car keeps going for miles and you end up reaching the gas station even though you weren’t supposed to.
This is actually a built-in safety system that allows you to reach the nearest station and refuel. As the tank size is typically in correlation with mpg, so all cars have approximately the same – 20 to 50 miles.
Keep in mind that some of the fuel is contained in the pipes between the fuel pump and the injectors a non-trivial amount of fuel that is never accounted for by the gas tank sensor.
Gauge Movement
The gauge is not portraying the amount of fuel accurately at full, empty, but also everywhere in between. Most drivers notice that the fuel gauge moves significantly faster in the second half, and slows down as it crosses the halfway point.
Some would say it’s just a baseless suspicion, but it’s actually true. The fall from full to 3/4 full can be almost twice as fast as the fall from 1/4 to empty.
My theory is that the gauge is only accurate at the 1/2 tank point because it’s too fast in the 2nd half, and too slow in the 1st half.
Seeing the gauge at 1/4 tank would prompt everyone to go to the gas station and refuel, but if you’re on a long-range trip and have no place to refuel, it’ll be more than enough to reach the next gas station.
To make any valuable assessment of how many miles a quarter tank is, we need to set a few parameters.
First, let’s assume the driving style and conditions do not change over time. For the most consistency, assume it’s your daily commute to work.
Next, we need to handle the fuel tank size. Generally, the larger the fuel tank, the more fuel the engine consumes, but that’s not always the case. We’ll discuss how many miles you can get from a variety of vehicles, and you can compare to a vehicle most similar to yours.
Toyota Prius
The new Toyota Prius is a highly efficient hybrid with a gas tank that can only hold 11.4 gallons of fuel. The EPA estimated gas mileage is superb: 58 mpg in the city, 53 mpg on the highway, and 56 mpg combined.
With 2.85 gallons being a quarter of the tank, the Prius can cross at least 160 miles on gasoline alone, plus an additional 25 miles on the electric power. Realistically, you’re looking at 200 miles of range with 1/4 of the tank.
Ford F-150
The Ford F-150 with the 3.3L V6 engine has a fuel tank capacity of 23 gallons. The gas mileage is not too bad for a full-size truck – 20 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway, and 23 mpg combined drive.
The 1/4 of the tank holds 5.75 gallons, so if you’re driving on the highway or combined with some city drive, you can get a minimum of 130 miles, but more realistically 150 miles worth of range.
The 5.0L V8 is another story. It uses the same 23-gallon gas tank but consumes a higher amount of fuel – reaching just 21 mpg combined drive. With one-quarter of the tank left, you can drive for another 130 miles at most.
Toyota Tundra
The Toyota Tundra is used to known as a big gas guzzler, but the V8 engine has been significantly improved. The truck now comes with a gas tank with a capacity of 22.5 gallons. The EPA-certified gas mileage is 20 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway, and 22 mpg combined.
With 5.6 gallons of fuel making 1/4 of the tank, the Tundra can cross 120 to 140 miles before stalling out.
Ford Mustang
The 2022 Ford Mustang has a relatively small gas tank of just 15.5 gallons for such a large V8. The sports car achieves 30 mpg on the highway, 21 mpg in the city, and 24 mpg combined.
With just under 4 gallons of fuel, the quarter tank will let you drive for another 100 miles, as long as you’re being very careful with the gas pedal.
Honda Accord
The 2022 non-hybrid Accord uses a 14.8-gallon tank which is more than enough for the economical Japanese sedan. The gas mileage ratings are as follows: 29 mpg in the city, 35 mpg on the highway, and 32 mpg combined.
As the quarter of the tank is 3.7 gallons, the can reach 120 to 150 miles until it runs out of fuel.
FAQs
How Long Does a Quarter of Tank Last?
In terms of time, a quarter of a gas tank will last longer in the city despite the worse gas mileage. Driving at 80 miles per hour means you’ll run out of fuel in 1 to 1.5 hours as you’re crossing a great range in a short span of time.
Even though driving in the city can be up to 50% more inefficient than the open road, the relatively low speeds of 25 – 35 mpg allow you to drive for roughly 3 hours before you run out of fuel.
What Is 1/4 of a Tank of gas?
The 1/4 mark is at a 45-degree angle from the center of the dial and it’s the first bracket below half-tank. From the bottom of the tank, you’ve got the 1/8th tank mark and then the 1/4 mark.
In some cars, the 1/4 down is colored differently, while other manufacturers only mark the 1/8 and down with a special color to signify low fuel. Generally, the last quarter of the gas tank contains 3 to 5 gallons of fuel.
Is it Bad to Drive on a Quarter Tank of Gas?
Letting the fuel level drop very low is not good because the fuel pump will start sucking in the debris found at the bottom of the tank, but driving on a quarter tank is still fine.
What are the Three Quarters of a Tank?
The three-quarters of a tank is represented by the line separating the right side of the fuel gauge. Depending on the fuel tank size, three-quarters worth of fuel can be 8 to 16 gallons of fuel.
What is 7/8 of a Gas Tank?
The seven-eights of a gas tank are rarely represented on the gauge, so you’ll have to visually imagine where the line would be. Typically, the gas tank contains 7/8 of fuel when the gauge is close to 3/4.
How Often Should You Get Gas?
Refueling gas is based on how much you drive more so than anything. Try not to keep the gas inside the tank for longer than 3 months, because fuel stabilizers fade and the tank can rust. If you want to keep it for longer, Sta-Bil or Seafoam is a great way of prolonging its effectiveness, as determined in this review.
Is it Better to Fill Up at Half a Tank?
There are certain studies claiming that filling up at half a tank is better as it creates less volume for the fuel to evaporate. From my understanding of the fuel system, the fuel will evaporate anyway, with the excess fumes going into the EVAP system to be used as fuel and filtered.
Letting the fuel pump scrape the bottom of the tank is not a good idea so in a way, filling up at half a tank is better. However, you can just as easily refuel at one quarter or slightly less, with no risk to the vehicle.
What is 1/8 of a Tank of Gas?
The one eight of a tank is represented by the first line above empty on the fuel gauge, colored red or orange to remind you to refuel as soon as possible. In terms of quantity, 1/8th of a tank is 1.5 to 3 gallons of fuel in most vehicles.
How Far Can You Drive on a 1/8 Tank of Gas?
A vehicle that has a 24-gallon gas tank and does 20 miles to the gallon can cross 60 to 90 miles on 1/8th of a gas tank, and possibly push more than 100 miles. The secret is in the fuel contained inside the fuel system, and the inaccurate fuel gauge.
How can I Check my Fuel Level Without a Gauge?
If your fuel gauge is broken, you’ll have to estimate the amount of fuel left in the vehicle based on the odometer. Check your vehicle’s tank capacity and fill it up to full. Reset the temporary odometer and if you estimate your vehicle’s mpg, you can track the remaining fuel by referencing the mileage crossed.
If you don’t know how much fuel your vehicle spends, fill up to the brim and drive for 100 or 200 miles. Go back to the station and fill up again, making sure you remember the amount of fuel bought. Quick maths will tell you the average mpg. You can also use an app like Fuelio that does the calculations for you.
How Far Can I Drive on an Empty Tank?
When the fuel gauge touches the empty position, you’ve got between 20 and 50 miles of range before all the fuel is sucked up from the system. Running on fumes is never a good idea as it can lead to fuel pump or even injector damage, but in extenuating circumstances, it can be done.
How Many Miles Do I Have When the Gas Light Comes On?
On some vehicles, the refuel dashboard lightcomes on when the dial reaches the 1/4 mark, which is generally more than 100 miles. Vehicles that activate the refuel warning on 1/8th of the gas tank have less of a range – 50 to 100 miles is generally considered the limit.
How Long Can You Drive With 0 Miles to Empty?
When the trip computer changes the range to 0 miles, you’ve still got between 20 and 50 miles left to go.
As explained in this article, the manufacturers create fail-safes so that the drivers can reach a gas station and refuel instead of getting stranded on the side of the road in a potentially dangerous situation.
How Many Miles Does 1 Gallon of Gas Get You?
The fuel efficiency of vehicles is measured in miles per gallon, otherwise known as the MPG. If you’re driving a pickup truck, you can cross 10 to 20 miles. Family sedans have a better economy and cross 30 miles while the hybrids are by far the best at 50 miles cross on just 1 gallon of fuel.
How Accurate is the Empty Distance?
The empty distance is made intentionally inaccurate to allow the driver a few extra miles. Generally, you’ll cross another 10-30 miles, but some vehicles can go as far as 50 miles before coming to a stop.
How Many Gallons of Gas is $20?
The price of fuel changes daily, and currently, the price is record high at $4 per gallon, giving you only 5 gallons of fuel for $20.
Summary
The one-quarter of the gas tank will get you 100 to 200 miles of range depending on the type of vehicle. In general, passenger cars have a single-tank range of 600-700 miles, so crossing 200 miles on the last quarter of the gauge isn’t impossible.
If you plan on optimizing your spending on fuel, try not to let the gauge drop far below 1/4 as the fuel pump and the fuel system can get fouled from all the imperfections accumulated at the bottom of the tank.
Here are some other related articles from VehicleFreak:
What Does Gasoline Taste Like?
Is Unleaded Gas The Same As Regular?
How To Know If Your Car Is Running Out of Gas