need advice on Honda GX driving range/HOV stickers

[KramCNG]

Hello,

I bought a 2008 Honda GX about a month ago. I understand the gas tank holds 8 gallons. However, when I fill it up, even when I am totally out of bars on the gas gauge, the car hasnt taken more than 6 gallons. I havent driven more than 200 miles yet because I've run out of bars and courage!

Can someone advise me please, when the bars are out, and I think I am out of gas, do I still have two gallons left? Or to put it differently, how many gallons do I have when the gas warning light comes on?

One more thing, have any California CNG owners obtained the white car pool stickers lately? If so, do you have any tips on how to do it? I did a bit of research and everything I could find suggests the stickers that let you into the commute lanes are gone (I know the hybrid stickers are gone but what about CNG white stickers)?

Thanks!
KramCNG
Santa Clara County, CA

[scott]

Re: need advice on Honda GX driving range/HOV stickers

Today I drove 24.5 miles after the low gas light came on. Rather than fill at home I decided to go to CE to see how many gge it would take to fill the tank. It stopped at 6.7 gallons. The top bar on the fuel gauge did not light either.The price is $2.99999999999 at the CE in Santa Monica, down 19.99999999999999 cents from a few weeks ago when I last looked.

There are threads on this site to explain how to get the white stickers, which are still available and take 4 to 6 weeks to receive if you do the paper work right.

[CaptJeff]

Re: need advice on Honda GX driving range/HOV stickers

The stickers for the HOV lanes are not gone at all for REAL CLEAN FUEL CARS! (CNG or EV.)
You will need a REG 1000 form

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/decal.htm

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg1000.pdf

Check "NEW", ATPZEV, and Compresed Natural GAS,
You MUST have your permanent license plate number
and the title and registration MUST show motive force as "N", or
the car is IMPROPERLY titled by the dealer.

****Contact me before sending it in.*****
Send me a private message with your email address and a cell # if you would.
Best,
Jeff

[Beej]

Re: need advice on Honda GX driving range/HOV stickers

I'm certainly no expert on this matter but I've noticed it myself. From what I've read, if I understand it right, is that with a fast fill, what we get at the pumps, it's not possible to get a "full" fill. Something about during the process heat causes the gas to expand and behave like a higher pressure than what it really is, thus only giving a partial fill of the tank. I think the home fill up units with the slow fill don't run into this problem and can give a truly full tank. If that's the case I think it'd be interesting to know if someone had access to both a home fill up unit and a good 3600 psi station that could compare the mileage achieved from both types of fills and could comment on that. Anyone have any experience with that?

[Green GX]

Re: need advice on Honda GX driving range/HOV stickers

I'm certainly no expert on this matter but I've noticed it myself. From what I've read, if I understand it right, is that with a fast fill, what we get at the pumps, it's not possible to get a "full" fill. Something about during the process heat causes the gas to expand and behave like a higher pressure than what it really is, thus only giving a partial fill of the tank. I think the home fill up units with the slow fill don't run into this problem and can give a truly full tank. If that's the case I think it'd be interesting to know if someone had access to both a home fill up unit and a good 3600 psi station that could compare the mileage achieved from both types of fills and could comment on that. Anyone have any experience with that?

Beej,

Sorry, I can't answer the home fill/fast fill question. But, my solution to the lousy fill problem is to fill it to the gills at a commercial station in the evening, then return the next morning to top it off. (I drive by the same station anyways.) It seems that there's less expansion/heating of the gas on the second fill and it gives a more complete fill.

Bill

[KramCNG]

Re: need advice on Honda GX driving range/HOV stickers

The stickers for the HOV lanes are not gone at all for REAL CLEAN FUEL CARS! (CNG or EV.)
You will need a REG 1000 form

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/decal.htm

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg1000.pdf

Check "NEW", ATPZEV, and Compresed Natural GAS,
You MUST have your permanent license plate number
and the title and registration MUST show motive force as "N", or
the car is IMPROPERLY titled by the dealer.

****Contact me before sending it in.*****
Send me a private message with your email address and a cell # if you would.
Best,
Jeff

********************
Hi Jeff,

My email address is [email protected]. Cell number is 415.987.6600.

Regards,

Ron

[CraziFuzzy]

Re: need advice on Honda GX driving range/HOV stickers

Beej,

Sorry, I can't answer the home fill/fast fill question. But, my solution to the lousy fill problem is to fill it to the gills at a commercial station in the evening, then return the next morning to top it off. (I drive by the same station anyways.) It seems that there's less expansion/heating of the gas on the second fill and it gives a more complete fill.

Bill

That is correct. A fill all the way from empty generates a lot more heat than a fill from 1/2 tank. If you wanted to see for yourself this effect, you could fill your tank at a station, and park the car there.. the next morning, go back, hook it up and check the pressure. You'll see that the pressure in the tank had dropped quite a bit, and you would probably be able to put another gallon or so in there.

[mecklen]

Re: need advice on Honda GX driving range/HOV stickers

In 60 refills, the most I've ever gotten in my GX is 6.856 gge. Longest range on a tank is 240.1, but I still had one bar when I filled up.

[Jrush1r]

Re: need advice on Honda GX driving range/HOV stickers

The tank not getting completely full is a thermodynamic process and I won’t bore you with the details. Basically when compressing a gas it creates heat. If you are using a fast fill station a suggestion is to not let the tank get completely empty, more gas to compress more heat generated. If you are using a slow fill station, after completing the initial fueling wait an hour or so and restart the refueling. This should help in filling the tank. The most we have got out of a tank is 235 miles on a trip. We only have one public refueling station and it is 25 miles away. We have a home fueling system so we top it off at 180 miles or so.

[freedml]

Re: need advice on Honda GX driving range/HOV stickers

When sending in the application, I would add a yellow post it note saying "Not a Hybrid. This car is entitled to WHITE SULEV Stickers which are still available for this model"