32 Miles With Light On - Driving In Baja

I had read a lot of warnings about the spacing between reliable gas stations in the Baja. All advice was to top off when you get the chance and not to risk spanning certain sections without adequate fuel. Yet, when I was returning to the U.S., I had what I thought was a close call. Driving up Highway 1 in the middle of the Baja, I had filled up at San Ignacio, but when I got to Guerero Negro I had a decision to make. Would the approximate 3/4 of a tank I had remaining allow me to make it to El Rosario, some 250 to 300 miles north without again topping off in Guerero Negro? I chose not to top in GN. You should know that this span (between GN and ER)is one of the longest in the Baja where no reliable fuel stops exist. I will not make the mistake of not topping off in the future.

As I traveled north, the "light" came on well before El Rosario. So, I had no choice but to drive on, as conservatively as possible, hoping to make it to ER. I did, but the light had been on for 32 miles. I was sweating it once the light had been on for 30 miles, figuring that was going to be about the limit! I thought that the Ridgeline has a tank of 20 gallons. When I filled up in ER, it took 75 litres, which equates to about 19.8 gallons. So, I was guessing that I had about 2/10 of one gallon left when I arrived in ER.

I have a couple of unanswered questions though. PEMEX, the Mexican government operated fueling stations, are notoriously "off" on their pump meter readings. Calibration is usually never in favor of the customer. Was the 75 litres I pumped a "true" reading, or was it a little on the "high" side? Secondly, I am assuming the Ridgeline has a 20 gallon tank, but perhaps it is larger, say 21 gallons? I am reading where some Ridgeline owners have gotten 60 miles with the light on. At 20 mpg, that would equate to about 3 gallons once the light comes on.

Steve