Obviously the amount of fuel left in the tank when the light/buzzer comes on will vary from car to car, as will the mileage you can squeeze from it. As a rough guide though, how much do you reckon is left when the warning light comes on and how far have you been tempted to push it? Up until now, I have assumed there to be roughly a gallon left in reserve so I try not to travel more than 30-40 miles on a warning light. According to some rudimentary calculations done by yours truly, I suspect there to be a bit more in reserve than that.
Also, if there are any tales relating to fuel and running out of it, please post!
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None - view it as "bingo" fuel as in military practice - fill up ASAP - I was told years ago that when you get very low that there is a danger of sucking up all kinds of crap that lurk at the bottom of a tank. The other view is that a latter day diesel doesn't suffer fools and sucking on an empty tank is risky if avoidable. The BMW bike I have unnervingly counts the miles down when the amber light comes on - ignore it at your peril.
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I prefer to have an emergency reserve, so I've conditioned myself to see 1/4 tank as nearly empty and to fill up as soon as possible.
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Hector, When the warning light comes on fill the tank to the brim, subtract that amount from the capacity stated in the handbook and that will give you the reserve. Job done.
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I think that up to my latest car there was at least 2 gallons left, possibly 3. Once about 20 years ago we were starting a family holiday in France, due to unseen circumstances we had to leave U.K. in the evening. Unfortunately, I did not realise that in those days(and now) French rural petrol stations closed at 7.00pm approx. Anyhow, red light came on and no matter how we searched could not find an open station. Eventually found someone to ask and,they told us that if we went on the autoroute there was a station about 30 miles north or 40 miles south. Took a chance and went south-smiling and reassuring wife there was no problem, secretly bricking it! Stuck to 50-55 mph and made it. By then must have driven at least 60 miles since red light. Learned my lesson and always pick up fuel well before needed.
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Another point in modern cars with the fuel pump sitting in the bottom of the tank, is that decent amount of petrol/diesel around them helps to keep them cool which probably extend their operating life !
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I find my current car interesting fuel gauge wise.
When the fuel light comes on the estimated range left is less than 10 miles. Fine with that. The tank is 64 litres. You can then fit at least 11 litres in it to the first click on the pump (automatic cut-off).
On the range before the light comes on I can easily get 500-550 miles to the tank. So should I one day risk the other "10 litres" and go for 600+ miles??
To be honest I'll stick with the fuel gauge and warning light. I actually fill up to full long before half empty - we have a fuel card and pay for private fuel (it's a little complicated) so in my interest to fill up when needed.
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I tend not to play fuel light roulette any more - especially as I have a reasonably well founded theory that running a vehicle with an electric in-tank fuel lift pump at a low tank fuel level will shorten its life. When not fully submerged by the whole tankfull of fuel (as opposed to the bit in the surrounding pot) these pumps run too hot.
In my mis-spent youth I used to drive a ponton M-B diesel. Hard. These cars had a nicely engineered (M-B, good period) fuel gauge sender unit which was a vertical aluminium tube with a float in it. A plastic moulded labyrinth at the bottom ensured that the level in the tube changed very slowly, so the needle didn't wave around as the fuel sloshed in the tank.
The problem was that M-B hadn't allowed for drivers who work their diesels hard and achieve terrible fuel economy. On more than one occasion, I manged to empty the tank and run out of fuel before the red light came on - the fuel in the tube was still draining out.
Better something which works fairly well all the time than...
659.
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Similar observation made by Andy as I typed the last post.
659.
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My second and last privately owned car was test driven on fumes. Months later I had all sorts of problems. The problem was only solved with an inline fuel filter.... even had a new engine (needed anyway).
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I remember reading a magazine road test of the diesel Jaguar S Type and the tester got caught out by the car having an interlock so that it won't restart if the fuel level is too low.
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I've been about 20 miles past the "zero-range" on my Passat TDI and no problems so far. Bear in mind that when Clarkson et al did their long distance economy drive Jaguar told him he had at least another 100 miles worth in the tank, despite the range reading zero.
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Trip comuters also vary from car to car. In VAG cars the mileage left goes down gradually, whereas in the Mercedes I had it fluctuated wildly depending on the type of driving you were doing. I could start a trip with it saying 50 miles to go and after a mile it would be saying 25.
One of several infuriating things about my first and last Mercedes.
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I try not to let it get too low as well but sometimes one is caught out.
The Mazda6 has a countdown function on the computer, the lowest it's read is 2 miles to runout - by this time I was freewhelling down hills in neutral etc.
My son runs his Ford Ka on empty all the time - I know it's really low when he sneaks into the shed and takes the lawnmower petrol can out and pours a couple of litres in to get him to the local garage!
J
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I've ran the Focus TDCi to around -20 miles below 0, then filled up and calculated it still had around 3 litres left before the auto cut-off would activate. Diesels these days are generally designed to cut off rather than allow the fuel tank to completely empty which could result in serious problems.
For those of a slightly nervous disposition it's better to add fuel before the warning light comes on, saves unnecessary anxiety/stress etc.
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I always run down to about half a tank of derv and treat it as needing filling at that stage. Like Jacks, my young son, only 36 now, runs his Astra on empty all the time. I used to put a gallon in the boot for him but he just uses that and runs with an empty can. I can't seem to make him realise that it doesn't cost any more to keep a few gallons in the tank and top it up on a quarter, say. Every time SWMBO's C3 gets down to 2 bars on the LCD gauge, I just stick £20 in...keeps her happy.
Ted
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I am just wondering if these lights come on at the same set amount of litres (like say an industry standard) or if they vary due to tank size ?
I have always wondered how many litres are left when the light comes on.
Filling up till the pump cuts out does really tell the amount needed to fill the tank as for example :-
my car has a 42 litre tank but I have been able to put 45 litres in till the pump cut out.
Id imagine that the tank may well be 42 litres but the tube from the tank up to the refill cap could accommodate a little more ?
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I'm like you 1400ted. Fill it up long before. Only time I haven't was when curious and doing local (less than 2 miles) trips. Range left said 8 miles but it had more than 10 litres left.
A few weeks back on the way back from Scotland I should have filled up before leaving (diesel and petrol cheaper there but that is another thread).... got near Lancaster and "had to fill up" so put some in. Would have got home probably but would not take the risk.
Edited by rtj70 on 10/06/2009 at 00:23
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An empty tank = less weight to ferry about = better fuel economy.
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Our old Scenic would get to 50 miles on the computer, the range would disappear and be replaced with "--", a piercing beep would emanate from the bowels of the dash, and the bottom bar of the fuel gauge would flash. As far as useless pieces of information go, it was up there with the 4 minute warning. It was very pessimistic though. Even in this state, there was a good 9 litres of fuel left in the tank based on what it took to refill - a good 80-90 miles worth.
The Golf throws an amusingly Germanic "REFUEL NOW" lecture on its computer display, which seems to be with a 5 litre reserve.
The Volvo's light comes on with about 6 litres remaining - so about 40 miles, give or take. I do drive it to the light, but as I do 50 miles a day, the total driving time spent with the light on is never any more than about 20 minutes. I refill at either end of the commute as soon as the light pops up.
Edited by DP on 10/06/2009 at 08:06
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I've never let my level get below 1/4 - and a few times have been glad as I've had to make emergency trips to hospital - and our nearest is 15 miles away, with the next one 35 miles away.
I recall once having to let my neighbour borrow my (company) car to go for fuel for his Range Rover when he ran out - trouble was, he actually owned a petrol station.... 20 miles away! His embarrassment was a sight to behold!
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I had the unlikely joy in my first car of actually running out on the forecourt. The engine literally stopped as I pulled onto the premises, and there was nobody at the pump, so I coasted the last three yards. That I think was as close as it's possible to be.
Car started perfectly. It had already inadvertantly been part filled with diesel once before (petrol engine) and suffered no issues other than a bit of blue smoke, and of course I had repaired the crack in the engine block with Polyfilla and that seemed to do no harm either. They could build them in those days.
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Dipstick, I had a similar experience when I owned a Mitsubishi Carisma (1.6l).
They were well known for drinking fuel around town (especially when cold) and on one occasion after SWMBO used the car the fuel light was flashing and the fuel gauge would not even come up to the first marker !
I had less than a quarter of a mile to the nearest petrol station and the car was cold.
As I started turning onto the forecourt the engine cut out.
Lost power steering (mechanical driven) and brakes but managed to roll up to the pumps.
When I got out and started filling up, another customer had noticed what had happened and said 'I bet you couldn't do that again'
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I am not into self inflicted stress, so I fill up at about 1/4 full, no hassle at all.
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My mum has also run out of fuel on the forecourt. More common than we think?
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i go by the rule , if the needle is way back behind the red empty line on the fuel guage and the little illuminated petrol pump starts to glow that means ive got approx 6 ltrs of unleaded left to gamble with, ive been caught out once
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had the warning light come on just as we entered the lion enclosure at Longleat a few years ago, that was an experience not to repeat !!
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"had the warning light come on just as we entered the lion enclosure at Longleat a few years ago, that was an experience not to repeat !!"
Sometimes the untold stories are the best.
Did you put a tiger in your tank?
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Bet he got a flea in his ear though..
Edit - Or had you forgotten the kitty....
Edited by Humph Backbridge on 10/06/2009 at 17:01
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I ran otu pulling up to pump in my escort Si, my lexus light comes on when theres still 20 litres in the tank (thats more then half my old arosa/mk1 micra's fuel tank lol) the cordoba comes on and makes horrible noises everytime you start the engine with about 6 litres left (about 70miles....)
Edited by Pizza man on 10/06/2009 at 15:00
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My Vectra 2.2 petrol auto gets through the juice at a rate faster than I would like. When it gets to about an eighth on the gauge, the fuel light comes on. The on-boad computer reckons about 60 miles to go at this stage. After about another 10 miles, the fuel light starts flashing, then finally with about 25 miles to go and the fuel light still flashing, the satnav comes on and offers to find the nearest petrol station. I'm not sure if it has any other tricks up its sleeve as that about the lowest I've run it to.
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The engine stopped as I pulled onto the premises, so I coasted the last three yards ...
I remember coasting across a road into a gas-station in the old 1100 when the engine began to splutter. A risky business in Canada, where stations could be a long way apart. Also a long downhill run towards the Nevada-California border, praying for one to appear round the corner ... One did, luckily.
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All the Pug manuals I have read say roughly what the warning light means. The 205 gauge used to flicker at first (coming and going as you drove round bends) and finally stayed on steadily. The handbook suggested the flicker meant 5 litres left, steady meant 2. Unfortunately if grit accumulated in the tank sensor, the reading became unreliable, rather to SWMBO's surprise on one occasion.
When the 207's light (and beeper) come on, it is claimed to mean 30 miles left in the tank. I have no intention of testing that claim.
Edited by Andrew-T on 10/06/2009 at 16:14
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The light on the Espace starts flashing when there's - usually - at least 30 miles worth left in the tank. When it stays on it means 10 miles if you're lucky. Got caught out a few weeks ago though on the way to work, the light started flashing as I went round a corner just up the road from home, and I assumed I had plenty to get to work. Sadly I was mistaken, and 10 miles up the road it coughed and died. The RAC man who came out managed not to laugh and had me on the road again very quickly; interestingly he did say that he gets a lot of call outs to modern diesels which are running low on fuel as even the slightest trace of air in the fuel system can make them cut out.
Incidentally I blamed the duff French electrics for letting me run out - nothing to do with my not filling in time! I don't allow the tank to run into the empty now.
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for owners of CR diesels cars I would strongly recommend not allowing the fuel tank below a quarter mark! The main pumps are under extreme pressure & when cornering ,braking or accelerating they can pick up air causing rapid wear to the pump causing metal fragments to contaminate the injectors as well.
In fact yesterday I have just dealt with a car with fragmented pump & contaminated injectors & the owners did admit to only putting a fiver of fuel in at a time untill it almost ran out!
Saving pennys on fuel is false economy! remember derv is a lube oil & you woulnd't run the sump on air!
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Saving pennys on fuel is false economy!
I cant figure out how people think they are saving money. If you use five liters of fuel it is still five liters if it comes from an almost full, or almost empty tank.
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I have always treated 1/4 full as empty. Simples.
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mine has 3 gallons left, which is rather a lot considering the tank is 50 litres. That means about 140 miles. However, a little extra leeway may have been desinged in. I generally run it down to the light as a result- there seems to be plenty left so I doubt I'm running risks with pumps overheating etc.
Edited by rtj70 on 11/06/2009 at 14:22
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Many, many years ago I took my road-going mini to an event at Cadwell. Not much fuel in it to try and be competitive. I suppose I was running on adrenaline when I left and thought nothing about fuel and, of course, ran out. Friendly spectator sorted me out.
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I can't figure out how people think they are saving money
A full tank of 50+ litres weighs about 40 kilos, roughly equal to half a person under the back seat. Over several years that will make a slight difference.
And if your car is nicked, the tea-leaves won't get quite so far before running out ...
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Over several years that will make a slight difference.
As I have never been accused of holding up the traffic, probably not in my case.
>>And if your car is nicked.....
I dont live in a rough area and garage my car, and when driving long distance and am "out of area" I fill up each morning.
Edited by Old Navy on 10/06/2009 at 22:07
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I remember delivering 2 Silver Shadows by road, on trade plates, from Liverpool Docks to Harwich. Being a 'lickpenny ' I kept the fuel in both cars to the very minimum. My other driver ran out within sight of the dock cranes at our destination.
It caused a few eyebrows to go up when we took the other car to find a garage and bought half a gallon in a scrounged can.......probably thought we were eccentric millionaires !
Ted
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I once had a Volvo 480 with a digital fuel guage. It consisted of little bars, but as the display was ageing a little it was impossible to read it in strong, low sunlight. At the time I was commuting to work very early in the mornings around the M25, and one bright summer morning the sun was low and strong enough to obscure the gauge. With no audible low fuel warning I just ran out in the middle lane whilst overtaking someone.
Over to the hard shoulder I went wondering what the hell had happened, it took a few minutes for it to dawn on me that I'd run out of petrol. At the time I had no breakdown cover and I was very near the Reigate exit, so I did the naughty thing of walking off the motorway to the nearest petrol station to get a can and some fuel. Looking back on it, it was a very stupid thing to do and I'd never countenance such stupidity again. I quickly bought myself an RAC membership after that.
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Until you're sure about the light,carry a can of fuel as well.
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Easier to fill up before it comes on.
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Just checked the car manual on my car and it says the light will come on between 5.5 - 6.5 litres.
That's actually quite a bit left in the tank.
My very first car was a fiat 127 and this had a puny 22 litre tank.
When the fuel light came on it really was a matter of diving into the nearest petrol station (I think it had about 2 litres of fuel left when the light came on).
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I never let mine go below a quarter, and seldom below a third. The thought of being in a motorway, stuck in a slow-moving traffic jam for a couple of hours, whilst on the last few litres fills me with horror!
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Hi Hector, my fuel warning light comes on and the computer always say 50 miles to go. I once had to drive a lot further than that, but stucj to 50mph ish and covered 89 miles. Then I I brimmed the tank and got in 61 litres, into a 65 litre tank. Doing the sums that means I could have driven carefully for 135 miles before theoretically running out. But I do get over 50mpg average normally and 700 miles between fill ups is normal. I suppose you just have to know your own car. However I still fill up fairly quickly after the light comes on or at around 700 miles- you never know do you?. Concrete
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I've never seen the fuel warning light in my car. The gauge goes below zero long before it comes on. For all I know it doesn't work.
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lud, maybe the bulb has burnt out from the previous owner. he he
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One of my previous Mondeo's, a venerable M plater with a 1.6 petrol engine, had a tempramental fuel gauge. My wife and I had a simple policy of always filling the tanks and then running to no more than 450 miles before refueling and resetting the trip counter, which worked perfectly for ages.
Unfortunately one day my wife's grandmother grandmother insisted on paying for fuel after being given a lift to the shops and so a tenner or so was put in and the trip counter reset. A few days later at around 2230 having picked up friends from Gatwick we 'broke down' on the A27. it was bitter cold, no-one had a coat and they'd just come back from honeymoon in the Maldives, you really couldn't make it up. Naturally we'd run out of fuel with the gauge showing someting over 1/4 full :)
I had a close call a couple of years back in the Hunter Valley on a Sunday afternoon when I realised that the nearest petrol station that was likely to be open was 35km away and the fuel light was already lit. The vehicle was a 15 y/o Mitsubishi Pajero 3L V6, we made it to the petrol station but it was a slow and sweaty journey, windows closed and AC off!
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Guage in Outback is marked in 1/6s not 1/4s. I usually start thinking about filling up at between 1/3 and 1/6 full and start really thinking when it gets to 1/6. Ihave run it below and find that the reserve is bigger than it makes out to be, but I don't chance it unnecessarily. In a car the size of mine the difference in economy between a full and empty tank is irrelevant.
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As a student I owned a 1929 Riley 9. The fuel tank was mounted in the engine compartment : on the front bulkhead and fed the carb by gravity feed. IIRC there was a fuel gauge, but when you ran out of petrol, you ran out 100%...
I used to open the bonnet and check by opening the fuel filler and peering in: if the engine was warm it was a slightly hazardous occupation...
I ran out regularly but always had a jerry can with a gallon in (the days of 2/- per gallon).
The Yaris has a graduated flashing warning indicator - the faster the gauge flashes the less fuel. i reckon there must be about 4 litres in when it starts flashing - enough for about 50 miles. I have only dared travel 30 miles when it is flashing.
Once took delivery of a new Volvo 740 estate: could not find how to open the fuel tak to refill it late at night on the Edinburgh to Dundee road. I think the tank held 60 litres: all I can remember its when I refilled it (eventually), I put in the entire quoted capacity of petrol.
Friend has a 2.9 EFI Granada : ran out on Motorway. We eventually refilled it but dirt from the tank screwed up the injectors and it was never the same car again...
He sold it 6 months later...
Edited by madf on 11/06/2009 at 20:06
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Because I have a 307 with a DPF, I don't refuel very often, so as to try and keep the ECU from injecting too much EOLYS. Today I was driving to work and the fuel low light came on with an indicated range of 80 miles. I refuelled when it said 65 miles remaining and put in 3 litres which should have increased the tank contents by about 50%. The result was that the gauge didn't move, the light was still on and the range was still 65 miles ie the refuel had no indicated effect. I shall treat the system with some caution!
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Interesting, AS. I have often wondered about car computers' estimation of the miles left in the tank - they don't KNOW you have added fuel, they just 'measure' the depth. You seem to have a fairly insensitive sensor, or perhaps the float is starting to stick due to fine grit in the bottom? I have always felt fairly secure as long as the gauge seems to be moving steadily.
SWMBO wasn't thinking like that a few years ago; she just believed she was getting unusually good mileage out of this tank of diesel ...
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My Vauxhall Astra, had such a small "Red Section" on the guage, that you didnt really get much chance to run it into the red as I never dared to for very long
The light would also come on though, Solid Illumuniation at 1st to say "No fuel" and then it would Flash to say "Really, you have no fuel left" LOL!
The Vectra has a combination of Guage, Warning Light, and Range display, although i have never let it go into the red as yet.
Ste
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The Vectra has a combination of Guage Warning Light and Range display although i have never let it go into the red as yet.
Like your Astra, the light will come on statically for a little while then start to flash on and off in a final attempt to remind you that you're about to run on vapours.
I've had the range display saying zero miles left and still managed to drive a further 30 or so miles before finally finding somewhere still open at 3am. The fuel light had been flashing for a good 10 miles as well. Managed to get something like 63 litres of fuel into a 61 litre tank, so I was running on borrowed time.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 15/06/2009 at 19:57
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"I have often wondered about car computers' estimation of the miles left in the tank - they don't KNOW you have added fuel, they just 'measure' the depth."
My two Lexuses "knew" when I'd added fuel, because the time and date of the fills appeared on a list on the touchscreen calendar thingy, along with mpg etc. They also changed the background colour of the touchscreen according to the time of year, but that's by the by. I think there was a sensor inside the filler neck that detected the nozzle.
In my rather more humble replacement Aygo it's more like a little thingy goes bong and then the engine starts wheezing pretty quickly, which I find spiritually refreshing.
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My two Lexuses "knew" when I'd added fuel ...
Maybe - maybe not. Perhaps the car just noticed that the fuel level rose suddenly, and perhaps if a Lexus (God forbid) got grit up its sensor it might not notice either?
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Went "Bingo" fuel today on the bike - a persistent flashing LCD block was all I got - no reserve on the bike - it was a little scary as I was on a strange road near York. Anyway filled up OK eventually.
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Many years ago when I had a girlfriend in Scarborough I used to stay over there the weekend after arriving from West Yorkshire on Friday night - then return after midnight on Sunday night.
I was low on fuel once when I set off but felt sure there would be a filling station open on the route back. Should have gone into Scarborough and filled at the garage by the bridge - because there was nothing on the route back.
The Fiesta was down to 40mph after a while and then onto a deserted A64 (York bypass) at around 2.00am. Then down to 30mph putting the flashers on if anything came up fast behind. I crept onto the A1 with the needle having been on the peg for half an hour - it actually took a FULL tank a few minutes later.
On the second occasion I stupidly arrived in France in the Clubman D with an empty tank (trying to save £2) and had to come off the motorway and return to Calais at a crawl..
Edited by oilrag on 15/06/2009 at 19:41
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Many years ago - I might have posted this story before, if so please forgive me - I was running late for a ferry from Le Havre to Portsmouth.
Just as I passed the last Mway services, the bike ran onto reserve. I was not that worried, as I knew there were plenty of petrol stations between there and Le Havre.
Little did I know - they were all closed on Sundays, although this is France's second port.
As every closed petrol station passed, my speed fell, until I was doing about 35 in top on a whiff of throttle.
The bike - a CX500 - conked out twice. We had to lean it right over to left to get the last drops of fuel out of the right side of the tank.
Coming into the port, came across an open petrol station. The engine cut out and I coasted the last 50m or so.
I brimmed the tank, safe in the knowledge that I had a 100f note in my my wallet.
The bill was, IIRC, 98francs and 98centimes.
Quel horreur - 100f note was nowhere to be found.
My friend and I both emptied our pockets and came up with........The exact amount.
I applied for a credit card when I got home.
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Oilrag,
Just ridden those very roads today - Harrogate to Whitby over t'moors and then back via Scarborough. Lovely, lovely roads with decent cambers and excellent, if oversigned, bends.
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PU, I much prefer those roads in North Yorkshire compared with the overcrowded Dales. Around 67 we used to take bikes over there doing the ton on the swoopy bits near Fylingdales. Once, at around 5am, hit a rabbit with the footpeg - parked up and ran down the road to it - at which point it got up and hopped off.
Another time one went into the front spokes - nasty that...... we loved early runs as we had the roads to ourselves but the abundant wildlife of the times on the dawn roads and the speed we were doing, started to freak us out after a while.
Edited by oilrag on 16/06/2009 at 09:38
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