Stupid car

[Daim]

Originally Posted by foggyjames

I agree with the OP and Mr Fenton. Yes, there's no excuse for running out of fuel...but if the car is going to "invent" a misfire to force you to re-fuel before it runs dry and you have a big problem (good idea, I think, actually)...it REALLY should be accurate.

The situation Mr Fenton describes will occasionally be a reality for some people, and it's pretty annoying if the car refuses to recognise that you've put £10 in the tank.

My P1 V70R would do this, but I don't think it'd cause a problem as such - you just had to remember that the 'range' meter was lying.

My P2 V70 D5 does acknowledge small amounts. I don't make a habit of it (in fact, I've only done it once in 10k miles), but the range dropped from 50 miles to 0 in about 5 miles on a recent trip, and I was forced to dive for expensive fuel at a service station. I stuck £10 and brimmed it back home at the supermarket (don't even think about scowling about supermarket fuel...!). Luckily, it did recognise the £10, and the range leapt back to 130 miles or so.

Not recognising small amounts of fuel is poor design and irritating...but it's really very bad if it then causes an artificial misfire because it (incorrectly) thinks you're down to vapour.

Oh...and you should all know by now that Keith likes to jump in with both feet and CAPS LOCK engaged...it's nothing personal...and I think part of his charm!

cheers

James

You're comparing an entirely different car with something again totally different. Why should it have to show that you are to tightarsed (please excuse the term) to fill the tank and only add about 3 litres of fuel? What should it say in the display?

"Thank you for your kind refill of 3 litres. I acknowledge the amount and will lie to you about the range, just to please you. Thank you again. Sincerely, Your car."

Come off it... The car doesn't misfire! It will reduce power output. Why? Because it wants you to tank up to SAVE you from high repair costs. I guess some people will only learn, if their accounts are raided due to their own stupididty.

[foggyjames]

There can be other reasons to fill only a small amount of fuel - like objecting to paying 10p/litre over the odds at a motorway station. When that fuel should get you ~100 miles, the car damn well ought to recognise it. Being frugal is a good way to avoid being skint

I totally agree with your comments about needle damping...but that is a different subject...this is failure of the car to recognise that 7-8 litres of fuel has been inserted. I bet you'd realise you were carrying 7-8 litres of diesel! Luckily it seems the P2 platform cars (like my V70 and your S80, lillia) do respond...but my P1 V70 didn't, so I know what you're saying.

cheers

James

[foggyjames]

I agree with the limp-mode measure, and that it's a good idea...but it MUST deploy it properly...not when you've just added 50+ miles worth of fuel! And £10 buys a lot more than 3 litres of fuel.

cheers

James

[fenton_jd]

Originally Posted by Daim

Sounds gross, BUT I know the situation of being a little on the skint side... But set your priorities... And if you are just getting enough money to get your life sorted, or have higher expenses than income, then sort that out.

Yes, it can be, that you can be skint trying to sort the month out. But again, blaming the car then not do so so is not quite right...

Now, Volvo has made the fuel gauge with a delay on purpose. Just like the temperature gauge. Think of the following:

You drive along with a full tank of fuel. Head up a hill and the gauge will move. In a curve, it will move. Braking, it will move. Accelerating, it will move. What is that for a reading? When do you know, what is the correct reading? Make is simple, make it sluggish. You get a better reading...

The same with the temperature gauge. Do you think it is always perfect? The gauge was made to stay in the middle when warm. When overheating it won't move. When overheated it will. If it were to raise and drop people would be running to the dealership saying "my engine doesn't run right and heats and cools down to quickly".

Ever driven a Volvo 740? If you haven't be happy! As they have a very very senstive fuel gauge and a lot of the time just are wrong (with full tank show full empty half full full empty full).

Again, it isn't the car's fault, that you are broke (for example).

The fuel gauge in the C30/S40/V50 is supposed to check the fuel level every 2 minutes. That is how it eliminates incorrect readings by driving round a corner, or going uphill. Same as any other modern car.

My Grande Punto did it, and responded to any amount of fuel put into it.

I

[Daim]

@ Foggyjames

Even if you are such a tight arse to reject to pay £0,10 more a litre, what is that in total?

A 50l tank -> 50 x £0.10 = £5... A box of fags... Just because one is so tight arsed to do that... Hello!? Not an excuse I'll allow to be used in this situation ...

As it has been shown already, the V50/S40 has a rather strange tank with two sections, one of which has a pump. If it all goes into the other side, it wouldn't work anyway...

[Daim]

Originally Posted by fenton_jd

The fuel gauge in the C30/S40/V50 is supposed to check the fuel level every 2 minutes. That is how it eliminates incorrect readings by driving round a corner, or going uphill. Same as any other modern car.

My Grande Punto did it, and responded to any amount of fuel put into it.

I

It doesn't though. You notice that when driving a car running on a fuel from a secondary tank. The secondary tank empties, the gauge - though there is no connection to it - still drops... Even though the fuel (petrol) hasn't even been touched...

[fenton_jd]

I'll have my tank replaced with an oil drum and be the end of it!

[Daim]

Convert to nuclear power. A small reactor should give you enough electricity for a few years The gauge should be stuck on full for a very long time! And you should have a nice green glow when dark

[faffi]

Originally Posted by fenton_jd

I'll have my tank replaced with an oil drum and be the end of it!

[foggyjames]

Originally Posted by Daim

Even if you are such a tight arse to reject to pay £0,10 more a litre, what is that in total?

A 50l tank -> 50 x £0.10 = £5... A box of fags... Just because one is so tight arsed to do that... Hello!? Not an excuse I'll allow to be used in this situation ...

Look after the pennies, and the pounds will look after themselves. I believe Germany is in a better state, but few people here have had a pay rise in 3+ years, and fuel has gone up by 15% in the last year alone. It's not a time to be throwing money around without justification, whether that's £5 or £5000. Your argument is just as weak as mine - if my 30 year old car recognises £10 of fuel, one that's almost brand new (and a lot more intelligent!) damn well should!

It's not about being tight, it's about not letting yourself be taken advantage of. That £5 buys a round of drinks for my friends, and I think that's a much better use of the money than lining the pockets of a filling station owner. Besides, my car has an 80L tank

I don't actually disagree with you about this (as I said, I've done it once in 10k miles!), as playing fuel light bingo is irrisponsible, and I was angry with myself for letting it get down even to 50 miles without being within spitting distance of one of my preferred filling stations.

Frankly, though, the reason you end up in that situation and the rights and wrongs of it is irrelevant. A car that refuses to acknowledge £10 of fuel is stupid, especially when that triggers (falsely) a limp-home condition. There's no good reason why it can't register it, so it should, even if it's a silly thing to do.

cheers

James