full tank, more power?
05-19-2005, 11:54 AM
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full tank, more power?
alright i cant figure out if its just my perception or if i really have more power when i have a full tank of gas. I know it weighs more and that should slow me down so mybe its jsut the sturdiness factor of weighing more but has anyone else thought this after you fill up?
05-19-2005, 11:57 AM
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there is a thread similar to this in that it was thought to have better mileage the first half of the tank... through my recent researching, this appears to actually be a fluke.... i have realized that when my gas guage shows 1/2 tank left, that you can put 8 gallons into it.... the most i have ever put into my truck was 13 gallons and that was with the needle well past the e mark on the guage... it appears that at 1/2 tnak on the guage, the tank is 2/3 empty
05-19-2005, 12:33 PM
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full tank of gas would cause more fuel pressure at the pump base due to sheer weight of the fuel. It should not make a difference but if your fuel pump is getting weak then it may bring things back into spec??
05-19-2005, 08:06 PM
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It may not have more power, but it does run better on a full tank. I think it's related to when the tank gets low, you start getting trash mixed in from the bottom, and a crappy supply of gas.
05-19-2005, 10:43 PM
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Originally Posted by 93ToyKid
It may not have more power, but it does run better on a full tank. I think it's related to when the tank gets low, you start getting trash mixed in from the bottom, and a crappy supply of gas.
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05-21-2005, 06:12 AM
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I read in a autotech colum in my local newspaper (Newsday) that in computer controled cars that when the computer senses that theres a half a tank left of fuel it makes the fuel/air mixture richer to prevent the engine from running dry.
05-22-2005, 01:34 PM
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Originally Posted by Vampyreguy
I read in a autotech colum in my local newspaper (Newsday) that in computer controled cars that when the computer senses that theres a half a tank left of fuel it makes the fuel/air mixture richer to prevent the engine from running dry.
My 4runner seems to ride pretty nice with a full tank probably because it puts more weight in the middle of the car.
06-03-2010, 09:32 AM
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It is fact most older vehicles run best on a full tank due to improper fuel flow. As fuel components age or become contaminated there will be fuel lag (constriction) and/or lack of pressure. For those of us with these issues, it can be remedied by cleaning or replacing components to eliminate this problem for awhile. I currently have the best fuel flow on full tank as well - so you're not crazy. Also had a contaminated fuel tank within my fuel system which has been rectified, however is still slowly being eliminated as I did not replace all parts. Another suggestion to maintain your fuel system is to use top of the line gasoline such as Shell. I personally have been using BP for some time which is also decent but have done research that sways me to driving an extra mile to a Shell instead. That and the annoyance of BP's recent oil spill. Best of luck to you all.
Last edited by BeenYota; 06-03-2010 at 10:48 AM.
06-04-2010, 03:09 PM
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I don't know why so many people have problems with folks resurrecting old threads vs. just adding information to an existing one. I think that doing the latter helps future visitors find their information faster. Starting a new thread just splits the info up into two pages.
Back on topic: My money would be on the truck being perceived as performing better because of the change in weight distribution on a full tank. Adding the fuel weight gives the truck more inertia too, so I'd suppose you're saving a little gas to maintain speed, once you're done accelerating to speed.
I don't think the fuel pump theory works, because I don't think it would pump more gas, just because there's more fuel pressure on the tank side of the pump. I don't think the 'gunk in the bottom of the tank' theory works, because although the fuel filter might be old, it's still going to be getting most of the crap out anyway (I'd hope).
Back on topic: My money would be on the truck being perceived as performing better because of the change in weight distribution on a full tank. Adding the fuel weight gives the truck more inertia too, so I'd suppose you're saving a little gas to maintain speed, once you're done accelerating to speed.
I don't think the fuel pump theory works, because I don't think it would pump more gas, just because there's more fuel pressure on the tank side of the pump. I don't think the 'gunk in the bottom of the tank' theory works, because although the fuel filter might be old, it's still going to be getting most of the crap out anyway (I'd hope).
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