I know this has been covered previously, but not for quite a while, unless I missed a post.

I recently bought a 2019 Accord EX. Every specification I've seen says the fuel tank capacity is 14.8 gallons, but I'm not convinced. I filled up today after driving about 20 miles with the low fuel light on, and it took only 11.8 gallons. This coincides with my first two fill-ups, which indicated it had room for about 12 gallons.

I've asked the salesman who sold me the car, Honda corporate and my local service department how much gas is left after the low fuel light comes on, and no one can provide a definitive answer. The local service department was especially unhelpful, saying, "Just fill it up when you have a quarter tank left and you'll be fine."

Does anyone know for sure if the 14.8 number is correct and, more specifically, how much gas is available in the reserve tank? Thanks in advance.

 

A few comments in no particular order:

• There is no such a thing as a "reserve tank".
• Your tank most likely has a nominal volume of 14.8 gallons (i.e. between "click-off" point of the fuel filler spout and when the submerged fuel pump in the gas tank starts sucking air), possibly a bit more.
• The delta between when a Distance to Empty display reads "0 miles" and when the tank is considered empty varies by make and model. In my 2001 Accord there is a typical delta of about two gallons between DTE=0 and sucking air. In my 2006 TL, which has the same size tank as the Accord, the delta is more like 3.5 gallons.
• The only way you're ever really going to find out is to run your car dry, then measure how much fuel goes in before the fuel filler spout clicks off.

 

I appreciate the clarification. Both my salesman and the service department used the phrase "reserve tank." Apparently they need some clarification, too.

 

The reserve tank is a very popular concept, and sometimes the specifications actually list something. But in reality it's just that the gauge reads zero when there's a bit of fuel still in there. But it's not healthy for the fuel pump to actually run it dry because it's cooled & lubricated by the gasoline that its pumping.

Even when there's a gallon or so in the tank, all it takes is a little slope and the pump is sucking air; so that makes it difficult to test for yourself by running out of gas.

 

The tank probably holds 13.8 gallons, but the low fuel indicator light probably comes on with about 3 gallons or so left in the tank. Some of that last gallon or .8 of a gallon sits on the bottom of the tank filling in the voids that give the tank some stiffening.
The low fuel light is designed to come on as a warning that you're low on fuel. That's all it's for.