Ran out of gas with 1/4 tank showing?

So today I ran out of gas with the gauge showing 1/4 tank on my 2011 Limited. Does this sound like a bad fuel sending unit? No codes were thrown.

 

The sending unit may be sticking. It wouldn't throw a code because there's no fault besides an improper reading.

 

Just asking but does not one use the trip meter at the same time?

All our vehicles do have the mile to empty. But at the same time I'm always watching the trip meter. I've seen the miles to empty just drop like mad and guarantee have not driven the miles it said I had left.

 

I don't use mine. I mean I reset it every tank but I switch back to the odometer. The miles to empty is a best guess but the true fuel level comes from the gauge.

 

I usually reset the trip odometer every time. If nothing else, it's good to keep track of fuel economy. I would definitely notice if I drove like 400 miles and still saw 1/4 tank on the dash.

@Rocko9999 do you track your mileage per tank?

 

Sounds like a bad sending unit. Wouldn’t throw a code. The only system that would know it’s sending a false reading is the driver when he runs out of gas.

I don’t always reset my trip odometer.

 

Ah. Is this common? Can anything be done short of replacing the entire assembly?

 

I do not.

 

Another 2011 doing the same thing-

https://www.4runners.com/threads/ran-out-of-gas-gauge-showed-a-quarter-full.28699/

 

Just throwing this out there in case the obvious - bad sending unit - doesn't fix this. I went through this with my daughter's Tacoma. The shop checked/tested/changed everything and it turned out to be a one in a million issue, the actual gauge cluster. Using a new cluster it worked perfectly. Unfortunately the gas gauge cannot be replaced by itself or repaired, so I had to use a new cluster. It was not cheap.

Let's hope it's the sending unit.

 

Had this happen on my 4th gen a few years back. Ran a couple of bottles of Techron through it and it hasn’t happened since.

 

How would an additive fix an incorrect gas gauge?

 

my issue was with the sending unit, it had built up gunk/residue on it over the years I guess.
Ran out of gas on the interstate and gauge showed around a 1/4. Added more gas, got home added bottle of Techron next two fill ups and hasn’t happened since. not saying my problem and op is the same, just saying what my problem was and have read of others on other forums with similar issues.