mx5 fuel light

[steve bowen]

I thought i was going to run out of fuel on the M4 on sunday, I pulled off at swindon to fill the mk1... I got 40.3Litres into it and I don't "brim it" when it clicks off first time I stop filling.

[skinny]

unless you're at one of those stations where it clicks off every 2 seconds for the whole time...

[MX-5 Lazza]

skinny said:

yeah, as long as you fill up when it gets down to quarter you are fine - gives you 70 miles to find a petrol station

That will take it down to the red (empty) part of the gauge and then you'll have another +50 miles before you actually run out of fuel!

stumpage said:

I didn't think my 2002 had a warning light...until.

On the way to Le Mans with my Dad next to me I say
"We had better get some fuel as the needle is on the bottom of the dial"
Dad says "Well we should be ok as you haven't had a fuel warning light go on"
Me "Oh it doesn't have one"

30 secs later. Above my fuel gauge a fuel light comes on!!!

Only comes on when the needle is off the bottom of the gauge mind.

The fuel gauge was added on the post Mk2.5 facelift which generally means +03 models. I guess yours must be a late 2002 car. I think the general rule is, if you have the silver Mazda stereo then you will have the low fuel warning lights and heated mirrors. Does your car have the silver Mazda stereo?

[stumpage]

MX-5 Lazza said:

Does your car have the silver Mazda stereo?

Nope the car has a black stereo and all black dash. But it is a Mk2.5 (white dials) first registered 30 Nov 2002.

[hornetrider]

I like living life on the edge... I reset the trip every time I fill up (a habit I've got from riding bikes) and usually fill up at the 450km mark or thereabouts... depending on how I've driven on that tank.

Never got more than 43 litres in.

[T5SOR]

Is the fuel warning light just a sensor located at the bottom of the tank, so when the fuel no longer activates the sensor, the light comes on? Like a reverse garden light effect

[juzzyp]

No fuel light in my '99 MK2 - but if you have a turbo or supercharger, don't go into boost or YOU WILL run out of fuel, like a nearly did but I managed to "hop" (literally) into a Shell.

All gauges from the MK1 to MK3 tend to be very optimistic, maybe the japs aren't good at filling up or something.