Fuel light On, record distance?

[KillerHERTZ]

Earlier tonight while driving back from my folks in the Cottswolds my Orange fuel warning light came on, mile after mile, Closed petrol station after another I was starting to get worried.

As I went on I decided to slow down to 40-50Mph (60 Mph roads) I ended up outside Coventy & found an open Texco. 62 miles from when I got the warning..

Is that a W202 record? Its not somthing I wish to recreate again

 

[MangoMan]

Not too sure what the 'reserve' is on your car, but I had a w123/200 at one stage and it had a 13lt reserve (60 main/13 reserve/total73). That's what it said in the book anyway.

As previously stated, not too sure about other models, but once I drove around a bit more than I realized in my w124/300 stuck in a tenner, and within a couple of miles the light came on again, so that must be pretty simular.

 

[Gollom]

Please do not ask Mrs. Gollom this question.......

Her answer would be "Well not enough to get on a $&"* French ferry!!!"



She would then beat me again

 

[recycled]

7litres reserve or about 1.55gallons

 

[Rose Chap]

I spent 15 minutes driving round Nottingham in my CLK once with a range of 0 miles and a fuel tank contents of 0.0 gallons (having already spent 45 minutes looking for a petrol station).

The relief at finding a 24 hour Shell was tangible, even if it was full of wannabe gangstas and the night payment glass was very obviously bullet proof.

 

[Kompressor_Dude]

Warning came on whilst tanking it back from Oxford last night, managed just over 30miles on the orange light before i bottled it and filled up........... an i thought i did well!

62 must be a record I used to reliably get 40 miles out of my old Pug's reserve, dont know about this one though so i fill as soon as i see the light!

 

[fuzzer]

When i had my C270 i had the tank down to 1L. Can't remember the exact figure , but the car took all bar 1 litre of the tank capasity.

 

[MangoMan]

While we are on the subject, albeit this is not a Merc, but once coming back from Purley down the M3 at night, the light, (fuel), on my Avensis came on just as we were passing Basingstoke, managed to make it home, (Hamble). Brave, very brave! Considering I had only had the car about two weeks!

Whats that, 40 miles thereabouts?! So yeah, 62 must be well up there!

 

[R2D2]

13/08/2006 I posted this.
"Coming home I did a new personal best of 476 miles on one tank of fuel!! The digital readout said 10 miles to go but as I went over the dartford bridge (a steep hill) the range fell to zero- photo to follow. I thought if I run out of fuel actually on that bridge, I'll be popular!"

I rolled to the next petrol station and filled her up. I actually think I ran it to empty. I wasn't down to how many miles left it was how many yards left!!

Scary feeling isnt it!

 

[BenzComander]

A few years ago, driving up the A1 in my Audi, light came on and could not find a filling station. When one did appear I got 62 litres into it, it only had a 60 litre tank

 

[crockers]

I once drove from Swindon to Bristol, then up to Inverness on one tank in a Volvo S60 D5 Auto...I missed the last petrol station as I was heading for the the top of Scotland so had to turn around and come back over the bridge into Inverness searching for fuel....and I was very worried....when I filled up the woman said "you must have been running on vapours"...:bannana:

 

[Shude]

I usually reckon that 30-35 miles is achievable without too much trouble from when the light comes on.

You were getting about 40mpg if you think about it

A few years ago, driving up the A1 in my Audi, light came on and could not find a filling station. When one did appear I got 62 litres into it, it only had a 60 litre tank

I have a receipt that claims I put 65 litres into my W202 and it's only got a 62 litre tank! It wasn't even completely empty. If ever there was a case for sending the weights and measures chaps round...

 

[MangoMan]

Don't forget the filler pipe takes about 3-4 lts.....

 

[david55amg]

I was travelling through france to south brittany and the fuel light came on my clk. I looked into the sat nav and it said fuel in 6 miles got there to find a house with no roof on and NOTHING else travelled round trying to find a station which we eventually did with the display saying 0.00 miles left for ten minutes. the family and I could have sliced that atmosphere before then. not nice!!!!

 

[DITTRICH]

On the subject of putting in more fuel than the nominal capacity of the tank. On a number of occasions, when filling up, I have inserted the nozzle fully and filled up until the nozzle cut out. Then, if one is careful, fuel can still be added into the tank until the fuel level is just under the lip of the 'hole' (and just above the plastic flap which keeps the fumes in the tank). I can squeeze about 4.5 litres extra into the tank this way or about 32 miles worth (7.2mpl C230K motorway miles). i would bet that these 4.5 litres aren't in the official tank capacity.
Les

 

[gina2201]

I think they've got a 7l reserve? And I have driven on the red only for 45 miles, I get worried! And why does the last 1/4 tank disappear so quickly compared to half to quarter full?

 

[gaz_l]

And why does the last 1/4 tank disappear so quickly compared to half to quarter full?

That's a good point, I managed a 325 mile round trip on Bank Holiday monday on one tankful (don't laugh, it normally chews its way through a tank in about 200 miles, so I was a happy bunny).

I'd guess that the tank tapers at the bottom and the fuel gauge senders aren't that well calibrated for it.. whatever, the light came on 20 miles from home and the needle was right on the bottom of the gauge by the time I got to the pumps.. when I filled up, it only took 57 litres so there must have been still a gallon in the tank.. but somehow I don't think I'll be trying to beat 62 miles.

Fuel light roulette has that extra element of danger with a V8 under the bonnet..

Cheers,

Gaz

 

[Mactech]

A few years ago I was driving up a brand new road from Nevers in France to Paris. The road was so new they had yet to finish the services areas. I was in an Audi 2.5tdi estate and it was showing a range of 35miles.
It was eventualy 97 miles until I found a fuel station and the range had been showing '0' for a genuine 55 miles. I subsequently decided that german engineers are a conservative bunch!

 

[Bear]

I've got you all beat the fuel light on my 123 came on three years back and has stayed on since,in that time I've done about 12,000 miles

 

[fuzzer]

A few years ago I was driving up a brand new road from Nevers in France to Paris. The road was so new they had yet to finish the services areas. I was in an Audi 2.5tdi estate and it was showing a range of 35miles.
It was eventualy 97 miles until I found a fuel station and the range had been showing '0' for a genuine 55 miles. I subsequently decided that german engineers are a conservative bunch!

brave man , ive seen some parts of paris and you would not want to run out of fuel there!