How far on reserve fuel?

[racerg6]

Petrol light came on a few days ago in my car but with me being rather skint I decided to try and make it last until I got paid again.

To my surprise I actually managed over 50 miles from when the light came on at which point I chickened out and decided I'd better put some in or risk not making it to work the next day.

Just wondering how far people have managed to get without running/pussying out?

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Light on = 1 gallon left

So in a 182, not very far

 

[Brett]

Light on = 1 gallon left

So in a 182, not very far

You sure its 1 gallon. I could always fit 41L in my 1.2 when the light came on. The dashboard check thing showed 9L remaining when the light comes on which is 2 gallons.

 

[racerg6]

I'm not sure when the light comes on tbh, I don't have a trip computer in my poverty spec car lol.

If it's at one gallon I was probably pushing it by going over 50 miles!

How far has everyone else managed then?

 

[Ben]

I've always been told that its around 25 miles. Dunno if thats my dad bullshitting to stop me from running out lol.

 

[GazM]

must be more than a gallon but only slightly. get about 40-50 miles on average.

Did anyone see top gear with the 3 diesels traveling to blackpool? Clarkson was on empty for ages in his diesel Jag and he got there, they drained his tank and worked out he still had another 70 miles worth or something stupid like that.

All cars can be completly different though, i wouldnt like to try to much as aparantly it pics up all the crap at the bottom of the tank

 

[Munson]

i wouldnt like to try to much as aparantly it pics up all the crap at the bottom of the tank

Yeah because normally the feed comes from the top of the tank.

 

[Fluxuk05]

Whenever i fill up the Ph1 from the light to the top i can only get around 40L in what is supposed to be a 55L tank. So there "should" be ~15L from when the light comes on... This would make sense as well due to me only get around 250 miles from top to light.

 

[GazM]

Yeah because normally the feed comes from the top of the tank.

So in theory thats true? I've never wanted to test it lol

 

[GazM]

Whenever i fill up the Ph1 from the light to the top i can only get around 40L in what is supposed to be a 55L tank. So there "should" be ~15L from when the light comes on... This would make sense as well due to me only get around 250 miles from top to light.

i only ever got about 40l in my clio, i'm pretty sure it carn't be a 55l tank. My teg is supose to have a 55l and i seem to get 50l in - probably 5 litres left when i fill up

 

[Munson]

Oh god.

 

[Vish]

Mine range trip goes blank after saying 25-30 miles left. My car cut up and failed to restart in the forecourt waiting for a free pump. Only got 48 and a bit litres in it that time. Don't want to cut it that close again.

 

[Vish]

Oh god.

FLOL

 

[Ben]

Oh god.

roffle.

 

[Munson]

Also. The fuel system doesn't run dry. The engine will not suck the tank dry. I have run out before in the Clio. After refilling the tank, it started instantly. It did not take any time at all to draw fuel through. I presume that the system cuts the supply off before the system has run dry.

RE: crap at the bottom of the tank. This is an old wives tale that only a wife would fall for. The fuel in the tank is always mixed up and always comes from the bottom. You could argue that the 'crap' is less diluted on a near empty tank, but that's why the fuel system has filters?

 

[LFCJosh]

park on a downhill, tips the petrol to the front haha

 

[GazM]

Lol I mean the theory of picking up crap not fed from the top, I mite not be the most mech minded person but I'm not that bad :S

 

[172Ben]

Also. The fuel system doesn't run dry. The engine will not suck the tank dry. I have run out before in the Clio. After refilling the tank, it started instantly. It did not take any time at all to draw fuel through. I presume that the system cuts the supply off before the system has run dry.

RE: crap at the bottom of the tank. This is an old wives tale that only a wife would fall for. The fuel in the tank is always mixed up and always comes from the bottom. You could argue that the 'crap' is less diluted on a near empty tank, but that's why the fuel system has filters?

Think the worst that might happen would be a blocked fuel filter maybe.

just put some fuel in TBH!

 

[nick172sport]

On my trip comp, when the light comes on it says I have approx 62 miles left, but it sometimes varies from 54-70 miles.

 

[ado]

The light comes on with around 35miles remaining depeding on MPG and it will still run after around 50miles. This is a 197 btw.

And as roy says the car started straight away when refilled.

 

[Fletcher]

I quite often go 35-40 miles on empty.

 

[-J-]

I left from milton keynes with my fuel light on and got to North London without troubles driving at 70 mph all the way.

 

[Higgy]

As a bought my Clio (Ph2 172) fairly recently I read the handbook!!

Pretty sure tank capacity is 50 ltr. I could not find where it mentioned what was left in tank to make low fuel light come on.

Last Sunday the light came on and I filled the car up within 1 mile. I managed to put 40.7 ltr in.

Therefore my light came on with roughtly 10 ltr left in tank. So assume a slightly low MPG of 30.

10 ltr = 2.2 UK gallons therefore 66 miles before tank is empty.

Roy Munson - I agree with your comment on muck in tank. About 4 years ago I bought a scrap '88 Pug 405 Mi16x4. 405's have a 70 ltr tank! I took the tank off and drained the fuel for lawn mower etc. There was no muck in the tank.
Also a Pug 205 GTi has a very fine filter surrounding the pump + as with 99.9% of cars an external fuel filter further down the system.
If Pug/BOSCH has this back in 198? then I would expect all in tank pumps to have a fine filter around the pump.

Higgy.

 

[Arr0nUK]

Fuel light should come on when theres 4 litres left about 1 gallon. range computer stops working between 25-30 miles so i would guess to play it safe in a 182 you shouldnt be going more than 25 miles odd in it with your light on.

I only push it to 15 miles top if i have to then i fill up

 

[Snails]

My range computer said i had 32 miles left when i last checked and this morning the fuel warning light came on. Currently my average mpg is 28.8.

 

[Arr0nUK]

I tryed using that check thing you do when you turn on the ignition to check how many litres of fuel are left.

Once it said 9L & the other time it said 0L :S so dont think it works that well