How Low Dare You Go?

[st13phil]

Used the A-Class over the weekend to visit friends in Yorkshire, a 158-mile journey each way. I'd done around 90 miles of local running around between filling the tank and setting off, and the range indicator said 280 miles when we set off from home, but I knew from experience that number would climb as the economy improved once cruising at constant speed up the M1. Sure enough, when we arrived (158 miles later!) the range indicator said 230 miles were left. Excellent!

But then we did (quite) a bit of local running around while there, and on setting off for home yesterday the range remaining had dropped to 148 miles, with a 158-mile journey ahead. I wasn't particularly concerned as I knew there were several filling stations in the last 30 miles of the journey meaning that I wouldn't get my trousers pulled down by having to top up on the motorway, and sure enough as the journey progressed the 10-mile indicated range shortfall turned into a 25-mile indicated range surplus. I was keeping a good eye on the remaining range as we closed in on our destination and it was consistently 20-25 miles greater than we needed until it went below 30 miles remaining at which point the display extinguished. Undeterred, I continued the remaining 8 miles and we pulled onto the drive at home with the fuel gauge reading completely empty.

This morning I toddled off to the local supermarket filling station where I pumped in 50.21 litres. The tank capacity of my A220 is 51 litres, meaning there was less than 1 litre of fuel remaining

So has anyone else run it closer to the edge?

 

[190]

So has anyone else run it closer to the edge?

Brave man, I don't think I've ever quite matched less than a litre, at least not in a car,

I'm not phased in the slightest by the low fuel light coming on. I do a regular run up to my sons house in York which also happens to be near one of the cheapest places to buy petrol. I know from experience that if I make it as far as junction 20 on the M62 before hitting reserve then the 8 litres will get me to York for a refill.

My bike has no fuel gauge just a 2 litre reserve position on the tap. But with the fuel tap on one side of the tank when I run the 2 litres dry there is still 0.5 litres or so on the other side which can be accessed by lifting off the tank and tipping it sideways to allow the fuel to flow over to the tap. Sounds involved but in fact it's only the work of seconds and has got me out of trouble a few times.

 

[SpikyMikey]

Mrs S works on the principle that if she takes the fuel cap off and there's still a smell of petrol from the tank, there's enough to do another day's worth of motoring
Although, TBH, she's never actually run out completely.
Yet.
I'm one of those who starts looking for a garage when the needle reaches a quarter left.

 

[MrGreedy]

I used to be able to run my 2004 w203 down to 2, 3 or 4 miles remaining left of the range, and never ran out, but also never put in more than the 60 or whatever litres the fuel tank was.

In a Volvo 440 in the late 2000s, I put 62 or 63 litres in to a 60 litre tank!?

I did comment at the till that I'd just filled up more than my tank capacity and asked whether they might have a problem with pump calibration, but was told with great certainty that "it must be the reserve tank on your car".

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Drove the G55 recently 30 miles after the Fuel light came on, it started misfiring and I managed to stagger it back towards the local Petrol station at around 20mph (it was 11pm at night). After filling it up, around 2-3 miles later it was working fine once again, been fine ever since.


So Minus -30 range

Never had this issue before where it got to the point of misfiring, managed 60+ after fuel light in my W202 C180 without issue

 

[W1ghty]

Driving in France a few years ago I saw remaining fuel distance as 2 km , we had been looking for petrol for a while at that point .

 

[BigJase88]

Its strange my CLA gets to like 50 miles then the readout vanishes

Older VW's ive had the range ticks all the way down to zero and you can go a good 20 miles + on zero.

With the merc as soon as your below 50 miles you have no idea

 

[Deleted member 126251]

I’ve run the SL down past zero range (that week last year when there were fuel shortages). I’d planned to go to my local station but kept having to to further to find fuel. I don’t recall what was left as I couldn’t get 'V-Power 100' so only put in 10L of regular to get home and when the problem was over filled up with proper fuel.

 

[SW18]

Mine also removes the range display after the light has been on for a while, and then displays a picture of a car and petrol pump. I've often driven for a while after that, in situations where I'm headed for a particular destination. But I've never managed to put more than 73 litres in the 80-litre tank so the display is quite conservative.

 

[Mactech]

I'm very thankful for a pessimistic range display.
Back in 2000, the French had just completed the N77 from Nevers heading north up to Paris.
I took over a colleague's Audi A6 Avant for the drive back home from Manny Cours which had just 15% of fuel remaining. No worries, I thought I'll just fill up on the first of the services on the way north....except, whilst the wonderful frogs had made a great road, they had yet to complete any active services!
I drove 50 miles beyond '0' range before I eventually came across an active service station on the N77. There really was no option, and I have to say I was surprised to still be running on negative 50 miles!

 

[chic0821]

In my youth, my Lotus Europa gave you an audible alert. You heard the side of the fuel tank "collapsing" just like squeezing a drinks can due to the vacuum effect of the fuel pump sucking all the air out of it. Only problem was it was a bit late as you would coast to a halt within a few hundred yards. . Did it a couple of times before the penny dropped Ah, happy days. I used to give my dad a shot of it when funds were low as I knew he would fill it up for me, no questions asked. I thought this was a smart trick, but maybe not
These days I brim it once it gets to half full.

 

[johnsco]

I set off today to the ASDA with the yellow light and the warning already on from the previous day.
Unusual for me - I very rarely run it right down.
I wanted to fill to the top as I have a couple of long journeys in the next few days.
I primed the "Pay-at-the-Pump" with my card.
It filled all the way to the £99 authorised.
I replaced the filler nozzle and offered my card for a second fill .... Only to be told that I had reach my allowed limit for the day.
After a couple of tries, I drove off with a few words of foul language.
Something like: "Oh Bother !!"

 

[chic0821]

I replaced the filler nozzle and offered my card for a second fill .... Only to be told that I had reach my allowed limit for the day.

Never knew that. Must keep that in mind

 

[baxlin]

I know I’m carrying unnecessary weight, but I very rarely let mine get below half full before filling up.

Apart from the JZR which only has a two gallon capacity tank, and no fuel gauge! (I reset the trip to zero every time I fill up, and carry a full spare can)

 

[SW18]

That's weird, not sure why they don't want more of your money! Tesco Pay at Pump let's me do two fills (a full tank of Momentum being more than the permitted £99).

I set off today to the ASDA with the yellow light and the warning already on from the previous day.
Unusual for me - I very rarely run it right down.
I wanted to fill to the top as I have a couple of long journeys in the next few days.
I primed the "Pay-at-the-Pump" with my card.
It filled all the way to the £99 authorised.
I replaced the filler nozzle and offered my card for a second fill .... Only to be told that I had reach my allowed limit for the day.
After a couple of tries, I drove off with a few words of foul language.
Something like: "Oh Bother !!"

 

[E55BOF]

Thread revival....

Must have been about a dozen years ago, going north on the A1M, in my SAAB 9000 Aero (my first turbo, and I loved it, despite the lag) running very low on fuel, then we got stuck in crawling traffic a few miles short of Wetherby. I watched the 'miles left' display slowly dropping, and by the time we got to a petrol station in Wetherby, it was showing four miles . I expect there was a tolerance built in, but I never wanted to find out how much, nor would I now.

 

[StMarks]

My bike has no fuel gauge just a 2 litre reserve position on the tap. But with the fuel tap on one side of the tank when I run the 2 litres dry there is still 0.5 litres or so on the other side which can be accessed by lifting off the tank and tipping it sideways to allow the fuel to flow over to the tap. Sounds involved but in fact it's only the work of seconds and has got me out of trouble a few times.

Off topic, but may I ask what bike you have these days 190 ? (Iirc you mentioned a Bonnyville a while ago, but I think that was historical).

Thread related, my Vito warning light comes on with circa 35 miles range left in the tank. I always carry a full plastic 5lt can so that I can double that if necessary, or have it available if I were to ever come across someone who had "driven without due care & attention"...

 

[DrNick]

I remember many years ago coasting onto a forecourt as it had run out of fuel a couple of hundred yards up the road. It was an old Vauxhall Viva HC and the gauge (if actually working) was, shall we say, at the very least, economical with the truth.

 

[190]

Off topic, but may I ask what bike you have these days 190 ? (Iirc you mentioned a Bonnyville a while ago, but I think that was historical).

It's a 1979 BMW R45. I did buy a new 750 Bonneville back in 1975 for £749 and wish I still had it.

 

[StMarks]

.... I did buy a new 750 Bonneville back in 1975 for £749 and wish I still had it.

Lol, I bet you do mate.!