Anyone run their Dmax out of fuel?

[CanadaKev]

This may have been covered in a previous topic but I haven't seen it yet. What is the restarting procedure after running out of fuel? (hasn't happened yet but just want to be prepared). Can you put some diesel in her and start ckankin'? Do you have to bleed the fuel pump and/or injector lines to purge air from the system? I suppose it's probably in the manual but I'm too lazy to look and this is more fun smile.gif

[tmg115]

my guess would be to prime it first with the hand pump.

[CanadaKev]

tmg115,
Thanks, didn't know there was a hand pump. I take it it's on the side of the fuel pump?

[AKDmax]

Hand pump is on top of the filter housing, under the hood ;) . It will be pretty tuff to ignore the low fuel message long enough to run out. Couldn't stand to see the low washer fluid so I stopped and got some just to turn the light off.

[Idle_Chatter]

I can't speak from experience, either, CanadaKev - but it's my understanding that since the Duramax is a "sucker" fuel pump for the common-rail that all you should need to do is prime the filter and lines. The filter priming pump is the cylinder on the top of the fuel filter mounting attached to the passenger side head. You crack open the black plastic vent screw (it's conveniently quarter-slotted) and pump on the priming cylinder until you get fuel out of the priming screw, then close the screw. This gives you fuel in the lines from the tank up to the filter and ensures that the filter is full. From there, the high pressure pump should take care of the rest. I sure wouldn't want to diddle around with fuel rail or injector connections with a common rail pressure of 20,000 pounds!

[CanadaKev]

How long can you run after the low fuel message shows up? Any Idea?

[AKDmax]

There was a post on that a couple weeks back. I think it was about 6 gallons on the long box and 4 on the short. try a search on the topic...

[CanadaKev]

Idle_Chatter, Thanks that clears it up for me. I have had to bleed injector lines on my tractors over the years, but they are obviously not a high-pressure system.

[Jim Cobler]

You don't want to do this for the fun of it but running out of fuel assuming you have room to safely pull over is not that bad.

When I installed a custom built tank, I had a little problem finding the correct sending unit for my dash gauge so I run out of fuel a couple times. I was on a four lane divided highway and just switched to the factory tank. A few pumps on the button on the fuel filter (until I felt resistance on the button) and she started right up.

[CanadaKev]

Jim,
You didn't crack open the vent screw?

[mark g]

not being used to the small tank on the short bed i DID run mine out of fuel at the most inopertune time, loaded going over an overpass! after backing safely out of the way, i thought , man that low fuel light wasnt on very long. after getting fuel back in the tank, cracked the bleed screw, pumped all the air out, and before you know it i was on my way. needless to say i always carry an extra 5 gallons now and i pay attention to the "low fuel" light.

[CanadaKev]

Mark,
What's 'not very long' 5 min.? 1/2 hr.?

[Jim Cobler]

No, I did not open the vent screw. Maybe I oops? The pump worked real easy and like I said it started fine.

[Chris Karpa]

after the low fuel light came on I went another 70km and them hit a station for fuel.
I put in 119L at that fill. The light seems come on at about 102/105 Litre mark on a 3500.
But I ALWAYS carry a FULL 20 L Spare under the deck. I'd convert all this to Gallons but then I'd
have to ask US or UK ;0)
Chris

[310-MAN]

Hey guys.....Fill it up when the fuel warning light comes on & then sutract those gallons from your tank capacity, that will tell you how much fuel is left & if you know your miles per gallon you can tell exactly how far you can go.

[CanadaKev]

310-MAN,
I don't fill up at fueling stations 'cause our stations around here don't carry marked fuel, and I don't have a meter on the bulk tank on the farm(should probably invest in one though). So I don't know how much fuel I'm puttin' in her. That's why I have to rely on all you guys that have fuel consumption info ;)

[Maxter]

Did that last week...

Normaly, when my "Low Fuel" message appears I have around 20 liters of fuel left. That's enough for a little more than 100km (62 miles). I probably tried to do 101 km and I ran out of fuel.

Just before it happened, the engine revved up about 200 rpms and the died.

I cranked it for 10 secs (just to make sure) and it did nothing. I probably created an air buble in the fuel line doing that (more on that later)

I then added 5 gallons of fuel and primed it until the fuel started to drip from the vent screw. It took 3 shots of 10-15 seconds cranking to start it. It ran for a minute and died (possibly due to the air bubble I think I created earlier).

I primed it again (air was present), cranked it and it started perfectly in two 10 seconds shots.

In the same spirit of testing the limits, I will soon post a story with photos of my last disgrace this weekend: I got stuck almost to the doors in beach sand and it took a backhoe to pull me out of there... More to come soon.

[ChevysRus]

When the low fuel light comes on you have about 5 gallons before it makes that giant sucking sound. I have the 45 gallon Transfer flow tank and I have pushed about 70 miles with the low fuel light on before I chickened out and filled up, putting in 40 gallons. I figure I had about 2 more gallons of drawable fuel. Now the key of course is what kind of driving have you been doing on that tank of fuel and what do you think your average mileage was on that tank. If you are hot dogging most of the time and getting about 16 mpg, then 5 x 16 is 80 miles if you are getting 20 mpg then you can go another 100 miles etc. If you are towing and getting about 10 mpg then when the light comes on start looking for a fuel stop! LOL

One more thing is it really really depends on how you filled the tank last time. Do you stop when the pump clicks off the first time? Then you are probably 2-3 gallons shy of a really FULL tank.

Do you usually fill the tank and the fill tube to the brim until it stops foaming and you can see the fuel sitting level in the fill tube? Then you can push it an extra 50-60 miles since you just put in another 2-3 gallons.

So bottom line is there are a lot of variables as to how far you can run on the low fuel light and the only way to find out is to know how much you put in on the last fill and what you think you have been averaging based on how you are driving on that tank of fuel. Minimum from the time the light comes on would be about 50 miles, Max could be 100-120 miles, but my nerves give out at 70-90 miles. Good luck

[fredwe]

this happened to me a month ago, i carry a slip tank on the back, so i wanted to run right out and see how hard it would be to get back up and running, i had did a long hiway trip the day before and had 796 km on it when i ran out, on the short box model (22.7 miles per gallon), i have 255x 75 tires on it, but mileage mesured by garman gps,when it ran out i turned on the aux tank waited a few minutes, used a quater to losen off the bleed screw on top of the filter housing, pumped the filter canister full until the fuel came out, tightened the screw then pumped it until it was presured,20 more or so pumps, truck fired up in about 5 seconds and never missed a beat, makes a slight mess on around the bleed screw, but that easy, bye the way i drove about 87 km after the light came on

[Idle_Chatter]

Well, for the benefit of US Dmaxers: I have the extended-cab shortbox with the dinky 26 gallon tank. Since installing my 43 gallon aux tank, I have been switching and filling at the first lightup of the low fuel light. That puts my refills at the same volume every time and gives me some consistency in mpg measurements. My factory tank takes 23.5 gallons to refill when switched off as soon as the low fuel light comes on. I've been using main tank only for a while while getting around to sealing some fill-plate screw seepage on the aux tank (on the Memorial Day "To-Do" list today - along with oil & filter and rear diff lube), so I've run "light on" on the main tank a couple of times to get back to Maryland for $1.32 fuel instead of buying Pennsylvania $1.47 fuel. Last week I went about 40 miles with the light on, tank took 25.5 gallons to refill, so I was pretty close! (although I knew I had 9 gallons sloshing around in the bottom of the aux tank, I was getting pretty nervous!) :eek:

[dmaxstu]

With a 135 GAL across the bed tank there is still 20 Gals. left when the low fuel light comes on, nothing to worry over. Aint it great? I hope to make it all the way from here to Edmonton AB in august without fuelling unless I can pick up some cheap fuel along the way.Stu

[ 05-28-2002: Message edited by: dmaxstu ]</p>

[jasonv]

dmaxstu:

Why are you comming to Alberta? Just curious what would bring a Californian all the way out here. Maybe its our dollars. You can buy one and half canadian dollars with just one of yours.

Jasonv

[dmaxstu]

jasonv
I'mm originally from the Lacombe/Red Deer AB area. My sister and her husband own Ardrossan Greenhouses east of Edmonton. So we find our way up there at least every other year. Stu

[jasonv]

dmaxstu:

Good to know you were from Red Deer. Been here my whole life. You must be missing it here. I travel to California at least once per year and when I get back to Red Deer I realize how lucky we are... That is if one likes the cold weather.

jasonv

[dmaxstu]

jasonv

I'll be in Red Deer some time in August visiting friends, so when you see a long dmax (cc.lb.indigo blue) pulling a Sunnybrook trailer with California plates that'll be me. hlbrsma@aol.com Stu

[ 05-30-2002: Message edited by: dmaxstu ]</p>