Ok, so I never heard of this happening so I called up my father in law and asked him what the problem could be. He is a brilliant guy and mechanic. What he said is that there may be a lot of junk in the tank sitting in it. What he told me to tell you to do it empty the tank completely. Not sure what to do after that. I was going to suggest filling the tank to 3/4 and adding a fuel injector cleaner with the one that says it takes water out of the tank. I say 3/4 or even a half because it will actually work faster and not do any damage (even though on the bottles it says fill up) because all it does is dilute the cleaner and work its way through. In your case, it would be better to fill half up and then do it because it will be stronger and work harder since it sounds like you have a lot of "missing gas" lol. I would also pick up 5 gallon tank to keep in the jeep. Its best because you never want to go completely empty then fill up with only a gallon or 2. Your hubby did right by puting in 4 gallons. He knows some stuff it sounds like. Let me know what happens. I have been on the board for over a year and am pretty active but never heard of this happening. BTW, you should also never fill the tank to 13.5 gallons. When you close the gas cap, there is pressure in the tank that will build up and do harm over time. 13.5 is total which includes that 1 gallon reserve. I fill up until the gas pump stops then give it one more pump. But here in Oregon (like there in NJ) we cant pump our own gas and they never fill it up to the tippy top. Make sure your numbers are right also with the 4 gallons and 6.5 gallons.

 

But here in Oregon (like there in NJ) we cant pump our own gas and they never fill it up to the tippy top.

Seriously??? You don't pump your own gas??? I've never seen that... I mean sure there were the full service gas stations when I was real little, but that was a "luxury" my parents couldn't really afford, so self serve it was. But wow... to not be "allowed" to pump your own gas... crazy. Then again, it might be smart, because then you wouldn't have all the idgits we have down here smoking and talking on their cell phones while pumping and blowing themselves up. Granted I know that technically there's no proof of a cell phone causing an "explosion" however it IS detracting your attention from something that could be potentially dangerous. People have gotten so blase about filling up their tanks, they don't realize they are dealing with an extremely flammable liquid.

 

I agree with thedeadinme it sounds like you have junk in your gas tank. I have a 2010 which I bought brand new and I accumulated junk in my gas tank as well from buying at questionable gas stations. I also agree with the last response in getting a fuel cleaner and I would also suggest to buy higher octane gas such as premium on your next fuel purchase. That is what my dealership told me to do. Since the higher octane is cleaner it should help out.

I have heard of crazy stuff being actually stored in the gas tank. In the news that I've read people have been complaining with your same symptoms to find out bags of drugs being stored in the gas tank of the vehicle. That is so rare that it couldn't be your problem. Just pretty crazy though.

 

It used to be a big joke to throw some 1/4" ball bearings in a fellows tank. Balls would roll around, eventually one would stick in the end of the fuel pick up. Wildly frustrating intermittent problem. Almost impossible to figure out what is wrong. Really, who drops the gas tank looking for ball bearings? If you knew what happened (and who to blame) you could put a magnet on the tank to capture them and keep them still. (of course tanks used to be metal....:icon_rolleyes

That being said, and on a more useful note....
My Patriot takes exactly 11.5 gallons of fuel at the point where the low fuel light comes on. I always wait for the light to come on because I know I have 2 gallons left, or as many as 60 miles. One time I did run out of fuel in a shorter time than I thought I should have after the light came on, and like your problem, It did not take 13.6 gallons to fill, only about 12.9. So where was the that half gallon hiding?

 

It used to be a big joke to throw some 1/4" ball bearings in a fellows tank. Balls would roll around, eventually one would stick in the end of the fuel pick up. Wildly frustrating intermittent problem. Almost impossible to figure out what is wrong. Really, who drops the gas tank looking for ball bearings? If you knew what happened (and who to blame) you could put a magnet on the tank to capture them and keep them still. (of course tanks used to be metal....:icon_rolleyes

That being said, and on a more useful note....
My Patriot takes exactly 11.5 gallons of fuel at the point where the low fuel light comes on. I always wait for the light to come on because I know I have 2 gallons left, or as many as 60 miles. One time I did run out of fuel in a shorter time than I thought I should have after the light came on, and like your problem, It did not take 13.6 gallons to fill, only about 12.9. So where was the that half gallon hiding?

Mine too, but that's at the first pump shutoff. After that i can always get a couple of gallons more, I often put 13.4-14 gallons in there, so I think the capacity is more than claimed. At least in my experience.

 

so its either ball bearings or drugs.. lol.. you better not cross the border with your jeep..

 

Ball bearings, a bag of drugs, ping pong balls (Those work like the ball bearings, but when suction is stopped, they float off. Maddening. Teehe), at any rate, fuel injector cleaner will be of no use, other than enriching the till at the local gas station. Are you carrying a load in the back of the Jeep? It's possible that you could be running tail heavy and lifting the fuel pick-up out of the fuel pool. I had an F-150 that would do that. Foolproof way to tell if the tank is holding the correct amount of fuel is to fill it up and use a fuel transfer pump to put it in 5 gallon cans and measure it's capacity. I can't picture anything large (like 2+ gallons large...) getting into the tank during manufacture. Those tanks are 1 piece blow molded plastic. But, I suppose anythings possible. It might be a big piece of shrinkwrap, or plastic sheeting balled up in there. More likely it's "flash". Where the 2 halves of the tank are joined during the molding process there can be a leak of material at the seam. This would stick up and possibly act as a "dam", keeping fuel away from the side where the pick-up is located. Hence, run out of gas with 2 gallons still in the tank.

 

Are you're filling up, just until the auto-shutoff clicks the pump off?
If so, maybe there's a dented or mishapen filler tube. Something that allows the bubbles to come up quickly and shut off the pump?

Have you tried topping it off manually and very slowly?

 

i didnt even think of this but someone may have siphoned some gas. but then again, if they did im sure they would take more than 2-3 gallons.

 

Thanks everyone for the replies. I apprciate the help in trying to figure this out. I really love this vehicle but this problem is unacceptable for me. I drive alot. Probably 20k/year at least. I can't be worried about running out of gas. If I can't find a reasonable solution, I may be forced to sell it.

I like the idea of finding out the capacity of the tank through transfer. It would give me a place to start.

As well, the "dent" in the filler neck is plausible for sure. I will have to investigate that also.

I'm from NJ, who knows what could be in that tank...maybe Hoffa. lol.

Any thoughts on replacing the tank? Wondering what kind of project that would be..

 

Replacing the tank shouldn't be too difficult. Question is do you want to? If it is just debris in the tank. You can take it in. They will drop the tank clean it out and you should be good. I just don't understand how so much "debris" gets in there after a short time. Its not a 15 year old vehicle....

 

It happened to me when my patriot was a year old. Tried to go up an incline in a parking garage. Junk in the tank clogged it so i couldnt go up.

Sent from my SGH-T959V using AutoGuide.Com Free

 

So, we've now had this happen to us twice. Once, my wife was driving around town and assumed that she had enough gas to push it, even though the low gas light had been on. She ran out of gas and I had to bring her some gas. I told her to be careful since I've read on here that once the light comes on there is only roughly 1 gallon left (unlike our '04 Grand Cherokee in which you can go for like 40+ miles with the light on).
Well, I just took the '10 Patriot on a cross country trip from NM to NC for Christmas. First of all, I was EXTREMELY disappointed with the gas mileage that I got, especially since I drove the Patriot for it's "better gas mileage" compared to the GC (which we've always gotten ~24mpgs on road trips). Anyway, the highest I got was ~22.5mpgs!!! which means that the light came on at about 220 miles into each tank. Given my wife's experience, I stopped for gas as soon as the light came on. Well, anyone who has driven on I40 through NM knows that there is a lot of open land with NO gas stations for some time. So, on our way home I hit one of these baron areas with 1/4 tank of gas left ... and as you can guess, I ran out of gas, only ~50 yards from the ramp with the gas station being at the top of the ramp.
I was SO frustrated with the Patriot the whole trip as I expected way better mpgs on all highway driving. Anyway, sorry for the ranting!

 

The 'Riots do seem to have a rediculously small 'reserve' after the fuel light comes on. After running out of gas twice in this thing I'm very cautious now and try not to run it less than 1/4 tank, which they say is better for the fuel pump anyway. Too bad they don't have a bigger tank though.

Curious if the OP ran out of gas on an uphill incline... from my out-of-fuel experiences I think the pickup might be to the front of the tank.

 

The fuel pump is at the top of the tank, so running the fuel low doesn't have an effect on it....

 

How many states require vapor recovery pumps? The only place Ive ever seen them is the left coast. If I do a double top off, like I always do, on those suckers and you get a bunch of fuel splash back! (only did it once, the first time I ever used one)

Often with the Patriot and fast delivery pumps, If I stopped at the first shut off, I'd only have dispensed 8 gallons when 12 would fit. Usually I listen. When I hear the fill start to gurgle, it is getting near the top. I reduce flow to a trickle and watch the nozzle. THEN......I stop at the first shutoff, because I can see fuel in the pipe.

 

Chicago and St. Louis both require Stage II Vapor Recovery Systems to be installed at the pump. As older cars get towed off to the recycling yard, and newer cars with an on-board Stage II system come into use, the point of sale systems will be removed. All new cars come equipped with a Stage II system. The Patriot has had one from the start.

 

I'm careful, but I fill it right up to the top. And like I said, I've always done that and never, ever had any problem with anything.

 

you may not have problems now but be sure they will come.

 

Running with scissors. I tried filling my 2009 up all the way once. I always did that with every car, too. After smelling gas for a couple days after, I decided that wasnt such a good idea. Aside from the obvious flamability and pollution issues, if you can smell it then it isnt getting burned in the engine. I'm brave, too, but Im also cheap.

 

Everything is just way too complex. Too many rules. Too many parts. When I get sick of this crap, and I do about 6 times a year, I go get the Willys and drive it for a while.

 

A few things to keep in mind when calculating fuel economy. If you've installed larger tires, you will register slightly fewer miles then actually driven. You can use any of the many tire size calculators on the net to find the percentage difference (say 3%) then multiply your indicated miles by 100 + the correction percentage (so 103% in our example). Keep your tires properly inflated and don't forget terrain and weather can also play a big part in the mileage you are able to attain.

As for debris in the fuel tank, most all gas stations have pickup screens in their tanks and filters on the pumps. Perhaps some of the lower rent stations neglect these, but any major retailer shouldn't (they protect the electric pumps in their own stations, and trust me they ain't cheap). I've removed a lot of fuel tanks on a lot of different ages of cars and I rarely see any appreciable debris. Not that it can't happen, but I'd guess a neighbors kid poured dirt in there before assuming it came from a stations pump (or some malicious person back filled the nozzle with crud before hanging it back up).

 

I use 0W-30 M1 AFE... ;-)

 

I accepted delivery on my 2012 Patriot 4x4 manual on December 31st. Fuel mileage so far has been a low of 24 to a high of 32. It has registered most often in the 27 to 29 range.

 

wow thats hard to believe. Not saying you are a liar. where do you live? whats your driving habits?

to do a more accurate test than believing what the jeep tells you, can you see how many miles you get to one tank.

 

I live in Oklahoma and use only 100% pure gasoline. Luckely we can still get unblended fuel without the 10% ethanol here. I don't have a trip computer in the Jeep. I do my milage calculations the old fashoned way using miles driven divided by gallons used. I also fill up at the same pump every time to avoid variation in when the pump shuts off when I refuel. I have put 1700 miles on my Jeep in the last two weeks. After the break in period of the first 300 miles which registered the lowest average of 24 mpg. I drive 50 miles to work (100 miles round trip) on four lane highway. I have checked mileage driving 55 mph, 60 mph and 65 mph. Obviously the 55 mph speed garnered the highest result of 32 mpg and the 65 mph the lower at 27 mpg. I am very easy on my vehicles and do not hot rod around town. The only way to check your mpg is to do it using pencil and paper as I have found in my other vehicles that have trip computers that they tend to be very optamistic sometimes as much as 2 or 3 mpg over what you actually are getting. Also it is important to fill up on level ground and use the same pump if possible to avoid variations in gas pump shut offs.

 

Without a doubt 55 gets way better mileage than 65. On trips where I have driven on highways rather than interstates I have been as high as 35 MPG with the 5 speed. Basically, whether in acceleration or in cruising, any time you take the RPM above 2K your mileage suffers.

 

When the low gas light comes on, I figure on no more than 20 more miles left in the tank. That's in a FDII, and has worked out well for me. Might be able to go further, but I won't risk it.

 

try it out.. just carry a 5 gallon gas can filled with you. if you use the dot ones, you wont smell the gas. i have one. trust me. but just do it when the light comes on and go out on the road to see how much more millage you can get.

 

On a drive back from N. California, I drove slightly over 30 miles after the light came on.

 

I'm glad to see I'm not alone. I took the suggestion of using my tripometer and figuring when to stop for gas by the mileage used on the tank. For the time being this works fine. However, I've discussed it with my hubby and we've decided to sell the Patriot, if possible. What a great truck that was marred by these experiences.

Thanks everyone for your input!