Why is my fuel tank so small?

[anonymous-user]

V12 Vantage S coupe. Which is supposed to have an 80l tank.

Except I’m sure mine is 60l.

Today: let the needle drop well into the red - the final sixth of the dial. And the car took 54l to brim it.

Earlier in the month: filled it from half way on the nail. Between 30 and 31l.

What gives? Is there a secret cavity I’m not using?

[Bobajobbob]

I’m not sure how big the tanks are but if it is 80 litres then maybe the gauge is just set a little too conservatively?

[IanV12VSRs]

Filled mine up at the weekend (V12 AMR Roadster) on which the yellow light had just come on and put in 57l. Also filled Flugplatz up and put 60l in that as well - and it had the yellow light on as well.

From memory on our old V12VR we were down to 3 miles of range left and pretty sure we put in 70+litres so pretty sure the tank exceeds 60l

[Felonious]

IanV12VSRs said:

Filled mine up at the weekend (V12 AMR Roadster) on which the yellow light had just come on and put in 57l. Also filled Flugplatz up and put 60l in that as well - and it had the yellow light on as well.

From memory on our old V12VR we were down to 3 miles of range left and pretty sure we put in 70+litres so pretty sure the tank exceeds 60l

That sounds about right. After a particularly nail-biting late-night hunt for petrol I have added over 70l to my V12VS.

[TR-Spider]

From my experience (V8V 07) the fuel warning light and remaining km calculation are way too conservative.
When it displays "zero km's left to go" = 60-63 liter refill.
The tank gauge seems a bit more accurate, with the needle showing zero = 70-73 liters refill.

[cayman-black]

Fuel tanks are like manufacturers quoted mpg, wrong!

[anonymous-user]

Thanks all.

Time to load up on some brave pills, I guess.

[dwell]

2011 V8V - Travelling up from Italy to friends in Germany, we pushed on and finally found an open petrol station with 401 miles on the trip - I got 80 litres in the tank... So it's possible, but I was sweating for every one of the last 10 miles...… Dave.

[bogie]

A couple of times when touring Europe I nearly got caught out in my first Vantage. When the fuel light comes on it will say 50 or 60mile or so, then when the it says zero I still managed to get another 12 miles cruising at 60mph and made it to a service station. Managed to get 80 point something litres in a "78 litre usable" tank

So run it down until it says you just have a few litres left with the light on, and see what you can get in

[TR-Spider]

bogie said:

So run it down until it says you just have a few litres left with the light on, and see what you can get in

...Or spare fuel can in the trunk and run it dry on purpose - then you will know the real "empty" position of the needle...

[westhumbler]

I'd caution against running the tank right down, that's where any grot will have settled over time as there is a risk that you could suck it through your fuel system into the engine.

[TR-Spider]

westhumbler said:

I'd caution against running the tank right down, that's where any grot will have settled over time as there is a risk that you could suck it through your fuel system into the engine.

It's usually not so much of a problem nowerdays, with good steel and clean fuel.
I recently exhanged a tank (another car from 1990) after 250'000 km, and it was quite clean inside.
Besides, there's a filter sock in front of the fuel pump and a large filter between pump and engine.

[drac]

MY2010 V8V, after driving 433 miles it took 78.5L but like others before me I was starting to worry.

This is over 25MPG which I think is pretty good. Growing up, my best mates dad had an XJS and he never got over half of this.

[Graze01]

mine took 69L last week - supposedly had 50km left

Graze

[anonymous-user]

Today: 6 miles of range left. Admittedly urban driving so it was dropping alarmingly fast. Got 68l into it.

[Buster73]

westhumbler said:

I'd caution against running the tank right down, that's where any grot will have settled over time as there is a risk that you could suck it through your fuel system into the engine.

Old wife’s tale.

[Shanksy87]

Buster73 said:

westhumbler said:

I'd caution against running the tank right down, that's where any grot will have settled over time as there is a risk that you could suck it through your fuel system into the engine.

Old wife’s tale.

Indeed. This logic is nonsense. The fuel pick up is always at the very bottom of the tank and the system has an in-tank sock filter and higher density inline filter to account for any detritus.