88 XJ OEM gas tank size?

Seems like a dumb question, right? How big is my gas tank?

"Hey Jackhole...how many gallons does it take to fill it? There's your answer."

Well, that's why I'm asking. In the past 20+ years, it's always taken 17 gallons or so. I fill up when the light has been on after a while usually.

Last time, I got 18+ gallons in it. Today I stopped @ 18+ again, but it could have taken more as I was the one cutting it off, not the auto shut off @ the pump. Made me wonder if I needed to call the CA dept. of measures to make sure the gallon was REALLY a gallon...

Who knows for sure the OEM tank capacity?

Getting shorted by the gas station is certainly a possibility. You have a "20 gal" tank. That's bone dry. If I run mine until the low fuel light shines like an airport beacon, I can squeeze 17 or so into it. I never ran it "dry" so I can't say how much it will hold in the real world.

Do you alway gas up at the same place? (I usually do).

You know, I DO always try and buy it @ the same place: Costco.

That's it. I'm calling CA Weights & Measures tomorrow.

Oh...any idea how much gas is left in the tank when the light comes on?

Unless CA has reduced its governmental presence since the 80s--which I doubt very, very much, those pumps are inspected regularly.

I wouldn't get in a hissy unless it suddenly started taking more than 20 gallons, providing you haven't modified the tank.

If I run til I know its going to stall.. Then I can get 18.5.. There is a dent in my tank, so if I get that out I could probably get more.

its 20 gal. i have run mine just about dry twice and put just a hair over 20 gallons in.

It's a 20 gallon. When mine runs completely dry (97+ tank) it takes 19.6 gallons to fill it till the pump shuts off the second time - I never push it further than that, not a fan of pouring gas I paid for all over the ground.

EDIT: you want to fill up by the time it is down to 1/4 tank though, the fuel pumps in our XJs are internal to the tank and are cooled/lubricated by the fuel. Running it empty will reduce pump life.

If you look inside one of these tanks you'll see that the fill tube does not just dump into the tank, but extends nearly to the bottom. So if you turn the tank upside down, nothing will come out. A nice feature on an off road vehicle, but it also means that the higher the level of the gas in the tank, the slower it fills. I could get two or three gallons into my old 87 after the nozzle shut off if I took the time.