How Much In Reserve?.

[thatfatbloke]

Hi - does anybody know how much fuel is left in the tank when low fuel light comes on please?. It doesn't seem to be mentioned in the handbook. Thanks.

[Malc]

Hi - does anybody know how much fuel is left in the tank when low fuel light comes on please?. It doesn't seem to be mentioned in the handbook. Thanks.

I rarely get down to that level and when I do panic ensues BUT I do know that it's about 60 miles left coz once I filled it up just as the light came on and I know the tank holds 85 lites.

So, don't panic but do make sure you don't get let down.

Reading that this year alone, breakdown call outs on all cars for running out of fuel is up by 40% ......... sign of the times and no money to feed the car let alone the family !

Malc

[Scribe]

On my Mk.IV you can set the 'Mode' switch on the steering wheel to change the trip display, one of the settings being 'remaining miles'. Don't know if yours has the same facility. I think when the low fuel level warning light comes on, the display says about 60 miles remaining.

[steve2006]

It's definitely more than 40 miles,I got lost once with no sat nav and drove that distance with the yellow light on before I came across a filling station in the middle of nowhere which was fortunately open gone 11pm.I did of course adopt economy mode with a brick under the throttle pedal and spoke nicely to the car willing it on!

[LowriderUK]

It's around 20 litres, as it normally takes around 70 litres to fill when the reserve light comes on, after I've driven for about 10 miles or so, and the take capacity is 85 litres.

[thatfatbloke]

Thanks for replies. Unfortunately mine doesn't have the fuel computer,you only get to see total mileage and trip mileage. I try not to let it get to the 'red light' but we all get caught out sometimes. Why is it that the bottom half of the tank always seems to empty quicker than the top half !!.

[sir john]

Think yourself lucky you dont have to drive a Rover 75. The fuel guage tells more lies than an MP with an expenses form.

Im in the Rover for long trips now (cause of the fuel) and the fuel guage needle is up and down like a bad girls knickers when the army`s in town.

[SteveLS400]

Thanks for replies. Unfortunately mine doesn't have the fuel computer,you only get to see total mileage and trip mileage. I try not to let it get to the 'red light' but we all get caught out sometimes. Why is it that the bottom half of the tank always seems to empty quicker than the top half !!.

It always does.

Why does the car drive faster, smoother and better with a full tank?

[AdeV]

Why does the car drive faster, smoother and better with a full tank?

Probably the freshness of the petrol - some of the volatiles will evaporate off very quickly, as the fuel ages in the tank.

OTOH, I find mine goes better & better the less fuel I have. She goes like a stabbed rat when the gauge goes below the empty line...

On a related note... when I park up overnight, especially if the fuel level is low; come the morning the gauge reads totally empty (and less; the needle is a good inch below the E line); and takes ages to recover to its proper position. If I park up when the tank has ~1/3 tank or more, it only drops about 1/3rd overnight, but still takes ages to recover. Any ideas?

[AdeV]

Why is it that the bottom half of the tank always seems to empty quicker than the top half !!.

There's actually an easy answer to that one: The fuel tank tends to be smaller on the bottom than on the top... but the gauge is linear; so the first "half" is used less quickly than the bottom "half".