Just checked my fuel log for that trip to RC in 2011 and I had a fill up of 22.712 gallons. That must have been it. Got 15.21mpg on that tank. Must have been doing some drafting. 14.24mpg is my RC 3 trip average.

 

I was up front, but drafting with that fuggly Brush Guard strapped to your roof?

 

Dry running a pump will cause premature failure!

I will not run my tank below 1/4, more often I keep it above 1/2.
The fuel keeps the pump lubricated when it is operating.
If you run your tank low or run the pump dry, it overheats, causing damage.
It's much cheaper to stop for gas more often, than it is for the cost of replacing the fuel pump assy.

 

call it coincidence,i got the warning on the way home this afternoon. I reset to zero so I can estimate the mt point, and got home with 14 on the odo.
went shopping and got exactly 2 gallons in a can.
I will run it dead tomorrow,reset to zero and give it the 2 gal and head for the nearest station. ill know the exact mile s and gallons+2 so I can report back with the fillup gallons from a dry tank,,stay tuned!
im at 30 right now,nite nite

 

So do you have any pictures of where the pump is located in the tank and what size it is? On turbine engines, the fuel pumps are many times external and the size of 1/2 a pack of cigarettes, or not very big. That size pump would empty the H3 tank in a minute or two, a small pump like ours might be the size of a thumb?

 

AGCO Automotive Repair Service - Baton Rouge, LA - Detailed Auto Topics - What Causes Fuel Pumps to Fail

 

Holy Cow, that things huge! Well, yeah. I would think more about driving on less than 1/4 tank too. Might want to think about keeping it above 1/2!
Thanks for the pic, worth a thousand words.

 

RSC, the generic "drawings" above don't look anything like the actual H3 fuel pump. Check out the real thing using an online search, hit up a GM dealer or ACDelco retailer to handle the real thing.

One more thing to consider with the GM OEM fuel pump is that it will feature a jet pump to prevent fuel pump starvation when the fuel level is low. Starvation = Heat = burnt pump!

 

I gave up at 52.8 ,miles with the low fuel warning on. I get a max of 18 and the last 50 were not the best conditions so im guessing theres more than 3 gal left when the warning comes on.
the 23 gal tank must be accurate since I was still running and took 22.8
At the next warning ill check mpg and see what the fillup is. I got 20 once before

I had 2 gal in a can and at 47 stayed near a station driving around expecting to die at any minute. A t 52 I got tired of messing so I went in for an expensive fill at 3.89!! booo

oh,i figure as long as the pump moves gas it gets cooled and when it runs out it stops and quits pumping since the engine isn't taking any I don't think it keeps running when theres no flow?? like if you turn on but don't start.

 

Happy3, I kind of think of it like a pond pump. They are cooled by the water in the pond running through it. We have a pond with a pump for our bobcat to play in and I have to drain it and clean it once a week. I burned the first pump we had out. The pond wasn't even empty yet and the water was still covering half of the pump, but it wasn't enough. The garden center told me the whole pump must be submerged to keep it cooled while running. I think it's the same for a fuel pump. If you are running it on a low tank and the fuel is not completely surrounding the pump I imagine it could shorten its' life because it will be running hotter. I may be way off, but just kind of my theory.