How far can you go?

[GTRS Fiero]

Not 236 miles, apparently.  My trip for the tank showed 230 miles, and the gauge about 1/8 tank, when it occurred to me I'd never tested for accuracy, and usually fill up around 220-225 miles.  I figured I'd drive the last few miles home, and fill up later.  About 5 miles later, I felt it miss.  I coasted about 1/4 mile.  I walked the last mile home.  After adding a bit of gas, I drove it home.

[f85gtron]

This is an interesting topic.
On an 85 (little tank) , i get around 200mi until i hit 1/5th tank (i get too nervous at 1/8th) .  This is on a 3.4 w/5speed f23 trans.

[TopNotch]

It's a good idea to not let your Fiero run out of gas. The fuel pump is cooled by being submerged in gasoline, and can overheat if it runs for very long on an empty tank.
Fiero fuel gauges are often not accurate, and the cause is the sender in the tank. The sender has a little rheostat that can get coated with crud because it's exposed to the gas. You can clean it with 1000 grit sandpaper the next time you have to change your fuel pump.

[GTRS Fiero]

The fuel pump and sender will be replaced next month.

I would say the walk home was a cooling-off time, but with the temps outside, I was rather sweaty when I got home.

[Fierofool]

I always fill up and reset the trip odometer.  I know the approximate mpg of each so I know about how far I can go on each.  On average I try not to exceed 150 miles, even on the 88 Duke 5-speed. 

Years ago I ran my wife's Grand Am out of gas just once and cooked the pump.

[GTRS Fiero]

Only 150 miles!  Some gas stations are further apart than that!  They have signs (or used to) to let you know that there was no gas for the next x miles.  It's just a road and telephone poles.

Do you carry a gas can with you?

[Fierofool]

I don't go into the western states.  Around here, there's a station in site both in your forward view and rearview mirror. 

No gas can.  Just a cell phone and credit card.

[Raydar]

I can usually get 200 miles out of a tank, even taking short trips around town.
When I get between 1/4 and 1/2 indicated, I start looking for gas.
Even though I recalibrated the sender when I replaced the pump, I don't trust it. Not even a little bit.

One day when I get brave, I'll fill up a gas can and drive it until it sucks wind. Right now it's way down the list.

Strangely enough, the project car I just bought seems to have the most accurate gauge I've ever seen in an old Fiero.
When I was driving it home from the transporter, it seemed like the fuel pump was very loud. Even though it showed over a half tank, I decided to fill it up. It took about 5 gallons, and showed right at the full mark, when I was done.

[ron768]

When the 85 was new, got about 275 miles to a tank. On fill up it would usually take 8-9 gallons. I now have the larger 87 -88 gas tank and I can still get 225-250 miles to a tank with the built 2.8 and the faster posted speed limit.

[f85gtron]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but that ain't no 2.8!

[GTRS Fiero]

Great.  Bigger tank, fewer miles.  Did the definition of a gallon change?

[Raydar]

Don't forget, most everything that is commonly available is at least E10, unless you are fortunate enough to live near a "real gas" station. There is a fuel mileage penalty associated, although how much is debatable.

[GTRS Fiero]

That's true.  In 1998, I drove a '91 Saturn SL2 to Norfolk, VA.  Over the mountains.  It took 4 tanks, each way.  1 tank on the way there (and in the mountains, I got significantly better gas mileage than at any time before or since.  The pump didn't list ethanol.  A few years later, I made the same trip, but in a '97 S10 Blazer.  Same results, same stretch, same gas.  Last time I made the trip, that gas station had ethanol in the gas.  I got terrible gas mileage in the mountains.  Gotta love the gubment.

I came back some terrible way.  Dang GPS!  Should just take 64 all the way, but that GPS had some sense of humor.  Yeah, one time that same GPS routed me through a bunch of cornfields, looking for a hotel.  I mean, there were gravel roads and stop signs.  I didn't drive over anyone's corn.  It sure felt like it was routing me through a maze, and in circles.

[Roger]

Looked at a Dodge Challenger Hellcat yesterday that got 15 MPG and only took premium fuel.  But that's OK considering that there was a $1700.00 (yes, seventeen hundred dollar) Gas Guzzler Tax added to the $69,000 price tag.  It didn't specify how big the fuel tank is.  It only had 705 HP and a 200MPH speedometer.  Big whoop.  For that kind of money...lame if you ask me.  Way too many automated options that you can't turn off plus vehicle tracking.  So, if you did happen to outrun the PoPo they can track where you are.  That kinda takes all the fun out of it.  The seats were ugly too.
I was glad and happy to get back into my Fiero.

[GTRS Fiero]

15MPG IS a gas guzzler tax.  Why do they feel the need to tax it again?

My boss' truck gets about 4MPG, but I tease him that it's 4 gallons per mile.