T350 Fuel Advice Please...

[Manchesterboy]

Hi guys,

Just purchased my first TVR last Saturday - my birthday! A stunning T350 in Rolex Blue (its purple really)...
Had a memorable first date with her driving her back from Worcester to Manchester... she was lovely!

But, now i'm over the first 3 days of excitement i need to think a little more practically... and i mean the fuel gage... it seems to be something of a guessing game between me and the car!

I'm looking at the onboard display and it says it nearly empty... about 3/10 remaining at a guess... so i think, maybe a petrol stop is in order... next time i glance down, its at half full again... either its a magic refilling tank or this is just a TVR quirk... the numeric display suggested it went from 29L to 16L in about 3 minutes and its looking nearly empty again!! i was only doing 40mph!

I dont want to look like a wally and break down for lack of fuel, however am i panicking unnecessarily? it the gage a true indicator of what is in the tank?

Any advice from anyone would be so appreciated as the 'handbook' is about as helpful for a TVR as the Beano is.

Baz

[Manc Dwarf]

Manchesterboy said:

Hi guys,

Just purchased my first TVR last Saturday - my birthday! A stunning T350 in Rolex Blue (its purple really)...
Had a memorable first date with her driving her back from Worcester to Manchester... she was lovely!

But, now i'm over the first 3 days of excitement i need to think a little more practically... and i mean the fuel gage... it seems to be something of a guessing game between me and the car!

I'm looking at the onboard display and it says it nearly empty... about 3/10 remaining at a guess... so i think, maybe a petrol stop is in order... next time i glance down, its at half full again... either its a magic refilling tank or this is just a TVR quirk... the numeric display suggested it went from 29L to 16L in about 3 minutes and its looking nearly empty again!! i was only doing 40mph!

I dont want to look like a wally and break down for lack of fuel, however am i panicking unnecessarily? it the gage a true indicator of what is in the tank?

Any advice from anyone would be so appreciated as the 'handbook' is about as helpful for a TVR as the Beano is.

Baz

Congratulations on the purchase. You are going to love it!

With regard to the fuel guage, yeah they can be a bit inaccurate. On my T350 the guage used to do as you described only perhaps not quite as erratic as that. It might be a pain in the ar5e but I usually just keep the tank with a fair bit of fuel. The Sagaris does seem a touch better but not sure if the sensors were improved or something. Might be worth checking with your dealer but I am sure people will be along here soon to either correct me or say they have had the same.

Anyway, enjoy the car while the weather is still holding out!

[Targarama]

Warning - fill it slowly - very slowly. Otherwise it will spit fuel in your face. Also don't look down the filler when you open it. You have been warned.

Work out how much fuel you need to get to 50Litres and when it clicks off near this quantity don't try to put any more in. It will spit any more back at you.

[smithyl23]

lol, i fell for that one the other day. Was looking closely at a mark on the filler, still with head close i reach into the boot and opened the filler only to be spat in the face with a fine mist of lovely v-power.

My guage is the same you get used to it. I find that it changes less the more fuel you have in. Mine only really changes quickly when i have 1-10 litres in.

[Road Hog]

you get a warning when there is only 4l left but this is still not to acurate as a few corners later fuel gauge is reading 10l ,
best just to fill up when down to half tank ,or in my case whenever I go out in car !

enjoy your new toy

[FrancoTam]

I think my fuel sensor is on its last legs because every time I turn the car on it comes up for fuel sensor error which I can clear and it doesn't come back. But more recently when I turn it on and after I have cleared the fuel sensor fault it will do a constant beep and say fuel 0L when I know I've got say 20L in it. It will start to work fine again after I've driven her for a few mins.
I'm looking into getting the sensor replaced before it totally gives up and will let you know how much it costs etc.
I know there was one guy on here before that had his Tam of the road because the sensor was duff and strugled to get a new one for it. If he had any luck replacing could you please share your superior knowlage with the rest of us?

[Marty G]

Targarama said:

Warning - fill it slowly - very slowly. Otherwise it will spit fuel in your face. Also don't look down the filler when you open it. You have been warned.

Work out how much fuel you need to get to 50Litres and when it clicks off near this quantity don't try to put any more in. It will spit any more back at you.

Good advice

My T350 can change about 6 or 7 litres in a couple of minutes and in the process of using a tank, when it says 15 litres left (when i always fill up). I can only put about 30 litres in so there was probably actually 25 litres left before the fill up, not 15 as displayed.

I love driving it into petrol stations and seeing the look on peoples faces so i don't mind filling up I just dislike paying for it

Edited by Marty G on Tuesday 11th September 12:11

[andyatkins_1]

All the above ring true for me too!

the fuel overspill, dodgey fuel gauge readings and the fuel inhalation moments...makes you quite giddy if you don't expect it!

[Manchesterboy]

hahaha.... the fuel spitting happened to me at 8.30am this morning!!! and then about 9.30am i read your posts! lol

oh well, whats a new pair of shoes anyway?


i agree that keep it toppped up above 1/2 a tank and it should be fine... it costs no more and gives you piece of mind, which in a TVR is a rare and priceless state!

Happy driving everybody - hope the weather stays dry...

Baz

[Daftlad]

Manchesterboy said:

i agree that keep it toppped up above 1/2 a tank and it should be fine... it costs no more and gives you piece of mind, which in a TVR is a rare and priceless state!

Its also kinder to the Cats to not let the fuel level run too low.

[Targarama]

Daftlad said:

Manchesterboy said:

i agree that keep it toppped up above 1/2 a tank and it should be fine... it costs no more and gives you piece of mind, which in a TVR is a rare and priceless state!

Its also kinder to the Cats to not let the fuel level run too low.

Yeah, mine jumps up and down on my head at 5AM if its fuel supply is low.

[G_Sleigh]

Targarama said:

Warning - fill it slowly - very slowly. Otherwise it will spit fuel in your face. Also don't look down the filler when you open it. You have been warned.

Work out how much fuel you need to get to 50Litres and when it clicks off near this quantity don't try to put any more in. It will spit any more back at you.

hahahahaha

I have done both.

First i opened it to fast and it spat all over my face

Another time i was filling i thought i could put 50litres in as it said it only had 6 left and at 30litres it started pouring all down the side of the car and over me.

Now i open it very slowly to let presure out
Secondly i always make sure it says 20litres left and always refill to 45litres.

[Road Hog]

always carry cloths and polish in boot !

[geoffphead]

Yup agree with keep a cloth in boot for fuel spillage, also keep a different cloth for checking oil level and one for my shoes when i fill them with ultra v power "quid a flippin litre" fuel.
2 months and nearly 2000 miles and i cannot stop grinning and drivin.
btw wife is very sus with all the cloths in car hahahahahah

[jerrytlr]

Manchesterboy said:

Any advice from anyone would be so appreciated as the 'handbook' is about as helpful for a TVR as the Beano is.

Baz

Hi

I always run mine until the first 4l warning. I have - not through choice! - driven for a good 30+ miles following the first warning, so it is a fairly safe guide.

Cheers,

Jerry

[GR1FF1F]

Always an amusing subject this one. I have an averaging system for working out the current fuel load. Nothing complex, it involves taking a left and right hand corner and assuming something around the middle of the range. I can easily get the reading to fall by 10L on a decent size roundabout and even sitting still the reading can vary by 3 or 4L depending on whether you're pointing uphill, downhill or leaning left or right on the camber.

The most extreme variability I got recently was at Brands Hatch. Towards the end of the session, every time I went into Druids I was having to hit the cancel buttons to stop the beeping as the gauge read warning 4L . Then down the hill into Graham Hill bend I saw it back to close to 20L . After 4 laps of this I finally called an end to the track session and headed home. Sure enough, back on the road in a straight line the reading settled back to 13L .

[Lensey]

Mine doesn't appear to be that bad, I always fill her up at 10 litres and always aim to get a total of about 48 litres in

[Manchesterboy]

as i thought... we are all in this same boat!

I have not wanted to go as low as 4L just in case i dont hear the beeping... call me synical but i'm not prepared to take the risk of embarrassment in case the warning never comes!

The advice has been very helpful though guys and i am going to go out over the weekend and purcahse a nice soft cloth to bring the shine back shoud another spitting incident occur.

I was originally surprised at the size of the fuel tank... about £30 or so seems to nearly fill mine! but then again, i am filling up twice a week and only drive the T350 about 3 times per week! lol

[GR1FF1F]

Believe me, you won't miss it when it happens. Read out changes in the pod, continuous beeping. I even heard it with my crash hat on. Plus now you're safe in the knowledge that unless you've been driving continuously on a flat road in a straight line for miles and miles then it is in all likelihood a false alarm.

Relax and enjoy

[Speed Buzz]

yeah i had the fuel in face treatment when i went le mans this year not a very pleasent experience!
i have run mine down to the 2 litre warning and still never managed to fill it up without the fuel over-spilling!