Backed in to a state-park campsite on Friday afternoon, set up the trailer, and didn't do any more driving that evening. Saturday morning I hopped in and set off for a day of adventures.Immediately my F150 starts squawking at me that I'm out of gas! What!!??? There was at least a quarter tank in there when I parked it. The gauge is showing flat-out "E."There wasn't any smell of fuel around the truck when I left, and I don't remember seeing anything on the ground to indicate a leak.If it didn't leak out, it must have been stolen. Right? My dashboard display was telling me I had 43 miles until Empty. I had to set aside my plans for the morning and try to find the nearest gas station. Fortunately I wasn't TOO far out in the boonies. I asked at the gate where the nearest gas station was, and I set out to go purchase some fuel. Shortly, I began to notice that my fuel gauge was beginning to register. A few minutes later it was telling me that I had 100 miles to empty. That's when I began to put 2 and 2 together. I have the 36-gallon tank. The quarter-tank reading meant that I had some 9 gallons in there. The campsite was on a pretty steep hillside. The truck was parked nose-down on that steep hillside. Apparently the gas gauge sensor is in the back of the gas tank. Being parked overnight facing steeply downhill left the back of the gas tank empty. As I drove, and things normalized, the gauge read accurately. So - no theft after all. Glad to know.Also - good to know my truck a little bit better. I won't fall for that one again.-Speak

Yeah, I have similar issues with my F250. I prefer the setup on my Jeep. There is a bowl inside the tank that the pump and sender sit in. The fill hose also dumps into this bowl first and then spills over the rim of the bowl to fill the rest of the tank. No issues with angled parking with this setup.

Next time park nose up. You'll have some extra fuel when you start it in the morning. :)

Been there, done that or should I say the ex-wife did that. She didn't stop and get gas as she had 1/8 of a tank. Well she parked facing down her mother's driveway which put the fuel line at the wrong end. Needless to say the car wouldn't start.

Another good reason to ALWAYS fill your tank when you are 1/2 full-empty... always.

DutchmenSport wrote:Another good reason to ALWAYS fill your tank when you are 1/2 full-empty... always.Yeah. I needed that.-Speak

F150 Gas Theft???? | Good Sam Community

17 Replies

mtofell1
Explorer
Sep 28, 2017
These newer vehicles are pretty annoying with the dummy lights coming on effectively at 1/4 tank. My Ram has a 32 gallon tank and when the light comes on it will take about 25.5 gallons. This issue/problem has been beat to death on some Ram boards and the manufacturer has actually done a software update that should make it more realistic.

There's always talk about them doing it this way to keep the fuel pump submerged. It's also done so people don't run out of gas. Either way it's pretty annoying to not be able to really use all my gas without the fear of running out.
Crowe
Explorer
Sep 27, 2017
Another good reason to ALWAYS fill your tank when you are 1/2 full-empty... always.

We always did that with the Endura and when we had the 5th wheel. We also do that with our passenger vehicles, especially in the winter. That half tank can suck down real fast when you are idling in traffic. It also relieves some stress when you are in an unfamiliar area and don't know where the next gas station might be (although apps like Waze and on-board navs can answer).
Turtle_n_Peeps
Explorer
Sep 26, 2017
Don't know about Fords but my Chevy is programed that way. If I'm low on fuel and shut the truck off when I restart it, it will show empty. It's for those procrastinators so they won't forget you're almost out of fuel.

So no, more than likely nobody was skulking around in the middle of the night and ripped your gas off.
SweetLou
Explorer
Sep 26, 2017
DutchmenSport wrote:
Another good reason to ALWAYS fill your tank when you are 1/2 full-empty... always.

Ditto, especially a diesel
Tvov
Explorer II
Sep 26, 2017
Terryallan wrote:
SpeakEasy wrote:
Terryallan wrote:
Wondering if you have the cap less fuel tank. As I understand it. It is actually really, Really hard to steal gas out of that style filler. You have to have the right type of hose / fitting to get the tank filler neck to open. That is why a special funnel is supplied with every cap less equipped vehicle

I do have the cap-less fuel tank. I hadn't heard that it was difficult to steal gas out of it. In fact, it seems just the opposite to me. In my other cars, when I lock the doors you cannot open the fuel door. In this truck there is no way to lock out would-be thieves. I would be really glad to learn that it is "really really hard to steal gas" out of it.

-Speak

Look in the area of your jack. you should find a little white funnel. Only THAT funnel, and the gas pump nozzle will open your filler tube. Meaning, Without that funnel you can't add gas from a can. And as consequence a person can't run a siphon hose down the filler neck either. Unless of course they have a Ford funnel and hose small enough to run thru it.

That is the story anyway.

I've run into this with my cars. Sometimes, rarely, a gas can tube will be the correct size to fit into the fill tube, but the best way is to use the supplied funnel.

I am undecided if I like it, but I am getting used to it... it is easier to fill at a gas station - no cap, don't have to worry about a cap hanging down and hitting the side of the car, don't have to worry if you've put the gas cap back on correctly, and it is harder to try siphoning fuel.
Sprink-Fitter
Explorer
Sep 26, 2017
wing_zealot wrote:
DutchmenSport wrote:
Another good reason to ALWAYS fill your tank when you are 1/2 full-empty... always.
Half a tank means I got about 4 hours to think about when would be a good time to stop. Or if I'm driving back and forth to work, it means sometime in the next 2 weeks I'll have to stop at a gas station.

I agree with you, fill at half tank is not for me. Some people are so set in there ways.

We traveled for 20 years all over the United States on a Goldwing motorcycle with about 6 1/2 gallon tank and never ran out of gas.
AlmostAnOldGuy
Explorer
Sep 26, 2017
Bought a locking gas cap. As much as anything I wanted to keep the fuel as clean as possible. Just was not comfortable with the no cap setup.

Appreciate your story and nice to read it had a good ending.

Good luck,
Stu
Terryallan
Explorer II
Sep 26, 2017
SpeakEasy wrote:
Terryallan wrote:
Wondering if you have the cap less fuel tank. As I understand it. It is actually really, Really hard to steal gas out of that style filler. You have to have the right type of hose / fitting to get the tank filler neck to open. That is why a special funnel is supplied with every cap less equipped vehicle

I do have the cap-less fuel tank. I hadn't heard that it was difficult to steal gas out of it. In fact, it seems just the opposite to me. In my other cars, when I lock the doors you cannot open the fuel door. In this truck there is no way to lock out would-be thieves. I would be really glad to learn that it is "really really hard to steal gas" out of it.

-Speak

Look in the area of your jack. you should find a little white funnel. Only THAT funnel, and the gas pump nozzle will open your filler tube. Meaning, Without that funnel you can't add gas from a can. And as consequence a person can't run a siphon hose down the filler neck either. Unless of course they have a Ford funnel and hose small enough to run thru it.

That is the story anyway.
SpeakEasy
Explorer
Sep 26, 2017
Terryallan wrote:
Wondering if you have the cap less fuel tank. As I understand it. It is actually really, Really hard to steal gas out of that style filler. You have to have the right type of hose / fitting to get the tank filler neck to open. That is why a special funnel is supplied with every cap less equipped vehicle

I do have the cap-less fuel tank. I hadn't heard that it was difficult to steal gas out of it. In fact, it seems just the opposite to me. In my other cars, when I lock the doors you cannot open the fuel door. In this truck there is no way to lock out would-be thieves. I would be really glad to learn that it is "really really hard to steal gas" out of it.

-Speak
wing_zealot
Explorer
Sep 26, 2017
DutchmenSport wrote:
Another good reason to ALWAYS fill your tank when you are 1/2 full-empty... always.
Half a tank means I got about 4 hours to think about when would be a good time to stop. Or if I'm driving back and forth to work, it means sometime in the next 2 weeks I'll have to stop at a gas station.

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F150 Gas Theft????

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