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What Size Is My Fuel Tank?


peejay
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(1994 Pathfinder, V6)

 

I apologize if this was posted before, I searched (briefly!) but couldn't find it...

 

Trying to determine if I have a 15 or 21-gal tank, without having to run the thing empty!

 

The fuel gauge is reading incorrectly...

 

Let's 'assume' I'm getting 16mpg 'conservative' city driving...

 

I reset the trip odometer the last time I filled up...

 

Say I make it to the gas station with 240.0 miles showing...(and 16mpg x 15.0 gal = 240.0!)

 

If it takes around 15-gallons to fill up the tank, do I have a 15-gallon tank? (That's what happened the last time, I don't think I've EVER come close to putting 21-gallons in this vehicle).

 

33175132671_dd3b5e03d8_z.jpg

Edited by peejay
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All of the v6 pathfinders came with 21 gallon fuel tanks.

 

When I got low I could usually stuff around 16 gallons in the tank on top of what was left in the tank. The fuel system is designed in such a way as to leave a "reserve" so to speak so when it on E your fuel pump doesn't run dry and so you're not completely out of fuel.

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

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I actually ran mine out of fuel a couple of years ago.... I also forgot that I didn't have my spare 10 liters in the back. I was on my way to the gas station and in fact about 60 feet from the entrance when the truck actually ran out of fuel and died.... BUT all of the Pathfinders in North America came with a 21 gallon tank unless someone changed it. The 15 gallon one was just for the 4 cylinder d21 and I don't think I've ever seen one of those in the last year or so.

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The tank doesn't have a sump for the pump inlet, so consider how wide it is and how the pump isn't totally bottomed out and you can see how there's a fair amount of fuel that the pump can't suck up. I'm not sure if this is a feature to keep sediment away from the pump or if it's just lazy design, but either way, the pump will run dry long before the tank does.

 

If mine gets really low I'm not surprised to put 16 gallons in there. My gas gauge works but I trust it about as far as I can throw it, and usually consider anything over 250 miles to be pushing my luck. I managed 300 once in my '95, followed almost immediately by running out of gas maybe three miles from the gas station. That was when I discovered the existence of a godawful little spring-loaded flap that lives in the gas filler and makes it a royal pain to fill if you don't have a long spout on your gas can or a long screwdriver to jam in there. I had neither and ended up with more gas running down the quarter panel than going into the tank. If I ever have the gas filler out of my '93, that little flap's coming out.

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I have three owners manuals. 1996 says 15 7/8 U.S gal. or 60 liters. 21 1/8 for 2 wheel heavy duty or 4 wheel drive,

1998 says 21 1/8 U.S.gal. or 80 liters

2003 says 20 7/8 U.S gal. or 79 liters

 

These nos. are from my Nissan factoty owner manuals.

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This is what it looks like inside the gas tank. This is the baffling that the pump kind of sits in.

20161102_170740.jpg

 

Pictured here is my old rusted pump that failed and its replacement. The spring loaded bar pushes down on the bottom of the gas tank and "zeros" your fuel gauge. The float as you see does not actually touch the bottom as the pump area is actually lower than the rest of the tank.

 

20161104_163456.jpg

20161102_170800.jpg

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