Combatting the Early Fuel Gauge

[schueymcfee]

The fuel guage on early cars aint the best piece of technology.

Anybody have any tips about trying to stop it being so wayward? Could I change the sender and/or gauge?

I know, I can just do the miles per gallon to a tank thing, but I just hate putting in £20 and then going round a corner and seeing that yellow light flicker on in the corner of my eye! So depressing

[zippee]

Depends what you mean by early? Mines a 97 facelift and does exactly what yours is doing.
I can fill it to the brim, and within 10 miles the needle will show only 3/4 full where it then stays for the next 40 miles.

[JensenA]

Just treat the 1/4 tank mark as the empty mark, and you'll be OK!

[kwacker]

Mines a 93 model and the needle doesn't move for the first 100 miles. Then over the next 50 it goes down to the 1/4 mark. Finally I know I have to get to a petrol station within 20 miles when the needle simply wont move off empty even when I go round corners.!

[ngt]

What yellow light is that?!?!? I haven't got one.. it's a 2000 450 model.. should I have one!? only time I know when I've run out it when im parked on the pavement waiting for my dad

[v8nrg]

Mine seems to work quite well.
It stays on full for the first 100 - 125 miles, then drops steadily until it gets to just below 1/4 and the light comes on (usually while tuning right).
Once the light comes on and the needle is below 1/4 there’s about 25 - 40 miles left, so its get to a garage quick time.

I even got an average consumption of 27.6MPG out of the last tank. Who needs a diesel ?

[Size Nine Elm]

I must have got a good one out the parts bin. 1996 model - fill the tank, and I usually get around 280 miles, which spreads pretty linearly on the fuel gauge, about 70 miles per quarter mark.

Never run out, and I don't think I've seen a yellow light come on... maybe thats the bit that doesn't work on mine

[tahiti450]

v8nrg said:

I even got an average consumption of 27.6MPG [b/] out of the last tank.

bl**dy h*ll !!! How is that possible, obviously I'm not too bothered about the consumption since the car is for performance / fun but I only expect 12mpg in normal hooligan mode and maybe 20-22 on M-ways at 80-90 av. Will easily dip well into single figures if pushing it...

I have no yellow light either ('99 450) , and yes my gauge is anything but linear

>> Edited by tahiti450 on Monday 25th April 11:10

>> Edited by tahiti450 on Monday 25th April 11:11

[schueymcfee]

Yellow lights were only graced on the classic cars

[Bob the Planner]

v8nrg & kwacker said:

... full for the first 100 - 125 miles, then drops steadily until it gets to just below 1/4 and the light comes on

Looks like mine is about standard then as it does exactly the same. There is something about adjustment in the bible but I don't like to play with things related to petrol. Its on the questions list for the next service as I'm beginning to get fed up with it after 4 years.

v8nrg said:

I even got an average consumption of 27.6MPG out of the last tank. Who needs a diesel ?

tahiti450 said:

bl**dy h*ll !!! How is that possible, ...

Over the York to Poole round trip I have seen 31.6 in the rain at a steady 75-80 (605mls). Roof off drops consumption by a few mpg and I'm sure 4.0l cars are better than the larger engine varients. I think it depends on how much of a hurry you are in on the motorway, if you cruise at a steady speed you can return good figures, I even managed 28mpg out of the Tuscan this weekend .

Bob

[zippee]

Size Nine Elm said:

I must have got a good one out the parts bin. 1996 model - fill the tank, and I usually get around 280 miles, which spreads pretty linearly on the fuel gauge, about 70 miles per quarter mark. Never run out, and I don't think I've seen a yellow light come on... maybe thats the bit that doesn't work on mine

280 miles - Wish I could get that from mine. Best i've managed is 200 from 40 quids worth of Shells finest. Were you doing 56 MPH everywhere and driving Miss Daisy?
Put your foot down a bit man!!!!

[edward1]

I just wish I could get 280 out of a full tank, is that all M/way. My fuel gauge ('98 450) tends to behave as I find most cars do, the top half of the tank is always bigger than the bottom half, about 125 miles to half way then about another 75 until it is getting close to empty.

Interestingly the owners hand book acually states that the fuel gauge is not accurate and warns of the lack of any kind of reserve.

PS no yellow light either!

[sharkytvr]

Well, I have only refuelled 3 times since getting my Chim, (1998 500) and each time has been when the gauge hit one quarter full. Each time, I have got about 42-44ltrs in. By my reckoning that is exactly correct, as the handbook says it holds 58ltrs...! Pretty damn accurate.

Averaging 20 - 21.8mpg incidentally. Not bad for a mix of hooning and sensible motorway cruising...

This tells me I should be safe to go to 220miles on the odometer between fill-ups. Is this consistent with any of you 450/500 pilots?

[tahiti450]

Bob the Planner said:

Over the York to Poole round trip I have seen 31.6 in the rain at a steady 75-80 (605mls). Roof off drops consumption by a few mpg and I'm sure 4.0l cars are better than the larger engine varients. I think it depends on how much of a hurry you are in on the motorway, if you cruise at a steady speed you can return good figures, I even managed 28mpg out of the Tuscan this weekend . Bob

That is truely amazing, I'm afraid I just havent got the self restaint or patience to do an "economy run", I have tried, honest, but after 5 minutes i cant help thinking "bu**er this for a game of soldiers, lets have some fun" (right foot straining at the leash!!). Respec' due to those who can go the distance tho'!

[parrot of doom]

I can easily get more than 250 miles out of my 4 litre Chim, just stick to 70mph on the motorway and you'll be fine.

I haven't yet emptied the tank going up and down the motorway, but suspect that more than 25mpg won't be too difficult.

[kenny320]

Funny this should come up. I was going to ask how far you are likely to get when the fuel light starts coming on a lot. How far do you reckon you can get once it is fully on and doesn't want to go off?

250 miles on a tank sounds pretty good. My elderly 320 has a 60ish litre tank and only gets 250 miles on that. If the chim was even close to as economical as the 320 I see can some interesting decisions being made... Chim as the everyday car

>> Edited by kenny320 on Monday 25th April 19:58

[Size Nine Elm]

zippee said:

Size Nine Elm said: I must have got a good one out the parts bin. 1996 model - fill the tank, and I usually get around 280 miles, which spreads pretty linearly on the fuel gauge, about 70 miles per quarter mark. Never run out, and I don't think I've seen a yellow light come on... maybe thats the bit that doesn't work on mine 280 miles - Wish I could get that from mine. Best i've managed is 200 from 40 quids worth of Shells finest. Were you doing 56 MPH everywhere and driving Miss Daisy? Put your foot down a bit man!!!!

Tend to get that doing A-roads/DCs/Motorways, i.e. pretty steady speeds of 80-85 microsqueaks per millisecond, sitting in 5th. I don't tend to do much urban driving, and (apart from rush hour) roads are not very congested up here

Goes down to about 80 miles per tank on track

At the moment fuel consumption has gone sky high, though. I filled up, and the meter read 39,999. Next fill, meter still read 39,999, but I'd used a tank of fuel. Actually, it nearly read 40,000, so I must have got at least 0.1 mpg out of it.

I have tried tapping on the speedo, but still can't budge the mileometer, any other suggestions?

>> Edited by Size Nine Elm on Monday 25th April 20:18

[rbryant]

Truly amazing figures, from nearly 30 mpg down to single figures !!

I get 24 mpg maximum on a fastish motorway run and 14 to 18 mpg on my daily commute. Its a 450.

57 litre tank, and 1/4 full equates to 10 litres left consistently. On a long run I get 80 miles from the 1st Qtr, 70 from the 2nd and 90 from the 3rd. Keeps me amused on the A1 to Yorkshire (oh, and the blast away from the roundabouts is quite nice too)

[prunus]

Managed to run out of fuel for the first time ever last Friday.

Going by the fact that the guage said the tank wasn't quite empty (no little warning light in mine either, was this an optional extra for sensible people?) it's a miracle that it hasn't happened before.

Was on the way to the local garage doing 80 when it coughed a couple of times and then all I had was the sound of the wind. Quite novel and enjoyable until I came to try steering and braking (I know PAS is a bit girly, but how the hell do any of you manage to steer without it?) Finally I managed to trundle into a side turning where I could 'hide' until Mrs Prunus came out with a can.

Don't know why I bothered to park out of sight of passing friends; she's told the whole bloody world anyway.

[Gaffer]

kenny320 said:

Funny this should come up. I was going to ask how far you are likely to get when the fuel light starts coming on a lot. How far do you reckon you can get once it is fully on and doesn't want to go off? 250 miles on a tank sounds pretty good. My elderly 320 has a 60ish litre tank and only gets 250 miles on that. If the chim was even close to as economical as the 320 I see can some interesting decisions being made... Chim as the everyday car >> Edited by kenny320 on Monday 25th April 19:58

Miss Daisy is my everyday car and so far the fuel consumption has been better than in my Vitara.

I stick to the 1/4 tank - time to find Optimax rule as well.

Looking forward to summer even more now.

Claire