Petrol Russian roulette - how does this work
Discussion
Im sure we've all done it, trying to eek out the last few miles out of a tank but I don't know how I've done this. I've just been driving a new Honda Accord hire car. The petrol light came on and I thought I could do a few more miles. I then do a few more and a few more still. By this time I'm starting to get worried and desperate but there's no petrol stations, then I see one but it's on the other side of a duel carriageway and nowhere to turn.
The needle is below empty and I'm pretty sure I'm done for. Then I see the petrol station. I make it in with the engine still running.
I fill the car up 70.33 litres. I then think, that must have been close, I wonder what the capacity is. Getting the handbook out, I find its 65 litres!
How does that happen?
The needle is below empty and I'm pretty sure I'm done for. Then I see the petrol station. I make it in with the engine still running.
I fill the car up 70.33 litres. I then think, that must have been close, I wonder what the capacity is. Getting the handbook out, I find its 65 litres!
How does that happen?
The manufacturers also round the figures on their spec sheets and pr material to look nice. The tank might indeed be 66.73L or 67.19L but they would round down up or down to whatever the marketing department thought looked nice!
Still - i take your point, you were rather close to pushing!
Still - i take your point, you were rather close to pushing!
onesickpuppy said:
toohuge said:
I think as mentioned above, that was the reserve tank that you filled up too.
Chris
What 'reserve tank'?Chris
The 'reserve' people refer to is that the fuel light or zero miles is set to come while you've may still have a gallon or so left in the tank.
Manufacturers tank size quoting often aren't very accurate.
pretty sure tank sizes are fairly rough...
My jeeps low fuel light comes on when trip computer says roughly 30 miles till empty.
I have managed to drive another 40 miles after that trip meter said 0 miles till empty and still not run out of petrol.
To this day I have not managed to run out, despite my best efforts.
My jeeps low fuel light comes on when trip computer says roughly 30 miles till empty.
I have managed to drive another 40 miles after that trip meter said 0 miles till empty and still not run out of petrol.
To this day I have not managed to run out, despite my best efforts.
Fuel warms up in your tank after coming out of underground storage cold, esp if you park in the sun. This means it expands and so there is an expansion space in the tank. You can fill this if you trickle in the last few litres but you may get fuel leaking out forming a fire hazard as well as costing you when it warms up.
If you are going a istance then its a useful trick to fill this space as it gives you more range with no risk as you will burn it off before you can lose it. otherwise, dont. Back in the day we used to have a daft ageing tart at a local garage who always filled the expansion space and you couldnt tell her, I stoppped going there when I saw her ancient Jag parked there meaning I would wake up to fuel staining the car.
Oh for completness.
It was a Mk 10 as all good PH ers will want to know.
If you are going a istance then its a useful trick to fill this space as it gives you more range with no risk as you will burn it off before you can lose it. otherwise, dont. Back in the day we used to have a daft ageing tart at a local garage who always filled the expansion space and you couldnt tell her, I stoppped going there when I saw her ancient Jag parked there meaning I would wake up to fuel staining the car.
Oh for completness.
It was a Mk 10 as all good PH ers will want to know.
real4star said:
What some people refer to as the 'reserve' on some cars is just a slope or step in the bottom of the tank, something like this
The light comes on when the float hits the bottom of the thin end of the tank but you have a few more litres at the deep end.
I would hazard a guess and say that they honestly thought they had a reserve tank...The light comes on when the float hits the bottom of the thin end of the tank but you have a few more litres at the deep end.
Not the sensible stuff you just posted up there ^^^^^
Might be wrong...
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