Lesson learnt the hard way - never trust a TVR fuel guage...

[mikeinsheffield]

Well - learnt a valuable lesson about my Cerbera fuel guage today..... the hard way!!

I usually keep at least indicated 1/4 tank in at all times (and a jerry can filled in boot).... however took the jerry can out as had been away last weekend to a wedding and also dropped kids off at grandparents so needed all the boot space for suitcases for missus and kids etc, took jerry can out. Then coming back from York, to drop car off at RaceProved to complete their "shake down" checks on the Cerb after the engine in & out to replace the head gasket (completed my running in miles to East Yorks, down to Herts, back to East Yorks then Sheffield; York and back today....). Had indicated 1/8th of tank, though no probs can cruise down motorway when stumble stumble, uh-oh, then stumble stumble.... stall. Br!!!!

Thanks a million to that nice man Russell from RaceProved who became my "fourth emergency service" by travelling a few miles up the M1 with a jerry can of petrol, and the RP courtesy car. Swap keys, fill Cerbera tank, wish Russell a happy weekend. Now that's service!!

[SI-PEN]

...should have gone to specsavers! lol

[Gray_101]

After searching high and low for a low fuel warning light, ( yes I know now the cerb doesn't have one ) I put my fuel gauge to the test.

I must be lucky cause my gauge is correct and the car runs out of fuel when the gauge reads bang on empty.

Thank you TVR you got one thing on my car that works properly

[cerb4.5lee]

Mine still keeps going even when its dead level on empty or i have just been very lucky,or the guage doesnt read right!

Its a bad habit but i always run my cars really low,its just more fun like this! plus i cant afford to put much petrol in anyway!

[boss1uk]

mine sometimes runs out just under 1/4, now carry a jerry can !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tejr]

When your tank is full does your gauge read full? mine doesnt it reads just under.. and the guy i bought it from said hes had the gauge down to the E mark and it was still going.. I've had it just above the E mark but never risked lower, in fact, that was a one off! most times I fill up at 1/4 which is usually 180miles worth of sedate driving lol

[R 6UY S]

Now that is what i call service!!! :-)
I've always tried to keep a full jerry can in the boot (What use is it keeping a jerry can in the boot if its empty like i see so many people do. If you run out then yes you have a container, but what you really need is fuel! Lol!) in case of emergency. However i used to get a warning when i was running low via the fuel pump gurgling at me.

[anonymous-user]

First drive ever in BCA's Cerb.....the day I bought her...pretty low fuel gauge all the way thru Birmingham central ring road, was stressful enough as my first "solo" drive in a Cerb....didnt know how unreliable the fuel gauge was....I must have a "good un" too, as I managed to make it to a Shell garage just as the gauge read "E".

[Mags]

You have my sympathy, I foundout the hard way a few weeks ago, unfortunatley I blocked the outside lane of a busy road as mine cut out at the lights. And I had to pay for recovery, ouch!

[JensenA]

At least you now know where empty is I always treat the 1/4 mark as the 'empty' and begin to panic once it touches it!

[RedRoseChic]

I also now treat the 1/4 mark as empty. Ran out in the middle of Agia Napa some weeks back, during a big festival. It was so busy the police were directing traffic & I was stuck in the middle of the junction.

The police did help push us to the side but I couldn't quite communicate the lack of steering lock & suspect they thought I was a bit of a numpty.

To top it all one of our customers walked by - he's never stopped taking the michael since!

Oh how we laughed .......

[Diablos-666]

When I first picked my TVR up (not a Cerb) I didn't check the fuel. How I nearly shat myself when it started beeping away with a "low fuel" warning. Was on the mway about 20/30 miles away from nearest station.

Thankfully I made it with an indicated 4/5l in the tank.

I now fill up when I have 10L left.

[cerb4.5lee]

Just come back from work in it & it was dead level on empty again,must admit i thought about this post & glad i didnt get egg on my face!

It is risky leaving it low & i never got above 50mph on the 20 mile journey home! worried about running out.

Its filled up now ready for tommorrow.

[athomp04]

I agree, I ran out of fuel on the very first drive of my car when going back home from the dealer. The gauge was a good few mm from empty, though I should have known really - my first TVR fuel guage would stop working completely at 1/4, however the last one was dead accurate.

[Zippee]

Exactly the reason I now fill up on mileage. 180 miles and she gets filled up regardless of what the dash is showing. On mine (T350) the dash can show 4lt left and be filled with just 40 or show 4lt and take 50lt to brim. PITA but I never risk it.

[mikeinsheffield]

tejr said:

When your tank is full does your gauge read full? mine doesnt it reads just under..

Just checked this when I filled up last night. Brimmed the tank - the guage reads bang on full.

So, at least TVR got one reading right - shame it wasn;t the more critical "empty" reading that was accurate

[Zippee]

mikeinsheffield said:

tejr said:

When your tank is full does your gauge read full? mine doesnt it reads just under..

Just checked this when I filled up last night. Brimmed the tank - the guage reads bang on full.

So, at least TVR got one reading right - shame it wasn;t the more critical "empty" reading that was accurate

Wait till you try the digital guauges in the T cars, when full they should show 54lt, brim the tank and if you're lucky it'll read 54, 2 miles later anywhere between 45 & 50.