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How much fuel left when Reserve light comes on?

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View Poll Results: What do you do when the fuel reserve light comes on?
I never see the reserve light come one. I always fill up before this happens. 61 34.46%
Head straight to the nearest fuel station. 17 9.60%
Trust the trip computer about the remaining range, but make sure I don't push my luck. 75 42.37%
Wait until I see "--- miles remaining". I have still never run out of fuel. 24 13.56%
Voters: 177. You may not vote on this poll

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Old Apr 17th, 2019, 18:07   #71
Dash300
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I would agree with Clan that the fuel range on the VEA is pretty accurate save for one thing, that if you get as low as 20 miles left and then have a long gentle up gradient for a few miles you then run out! I now don't take chances.
Now my Vitesse (1969) on the other hand when it runs, out merely entails running round to the rear opening the boot turning the lever on the top of the tank to reserve and then turning the car over to pump the fuel back to carbs and you're good to go, first stop petrol pump, whats not to like.
It's also got one of those dipstick thingys!!!!
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Old May 6th, 2019, 10:01   #72
Mr Woog
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I have never run out of fuel for the same reason I've never bought an Alfa. If I wanted to walk I wouldn't have bought a car.

That said, my 1st car (a Metro) stopped once with what felt like contamination in the fuel line but started again 10 mins later and was actually fine. Weird!
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Old May 6th, 2019, 11:27   #73
john.wigley
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A little over three years ago, 'dcr69' asked a question: "How much fuel left when Reserve light comes on?". I may have missed one, but scanning quickly through the replies, I don't think anyone has actually answered the question posed. Instead, people have talked at length about 'computers' and 'range', which as others have pointed out, is a theoretical figure based on immediate past usage.

I believe that the low fuel warning light is set on most cars to illuminate when a nominal 10 litres of fuel (or less) remain in the tank. On a car returning 30 MPG, that equates to a 'safe' range of a little over 60 miles.

But, again as others have pointed out, why risk damaging or contaminating the fuel system by attempting to squeeze the last few remaining miles out of the tank? I'm with 'Baxlin', 'Dash300' and those others who advocate against the over reliance on computers in cars today.

Drivers of 700 series cars with unreliable fuel gauges are well used to filling up, resetting the trip, driving 250 miles and repeating without ever running out of fuel - I did it myself for years! The belt that went with those braces was a 5 litre can securely strapped in the boot, which I used more to assist others who had run out of fuel than a personal reserve. Mostly I ended up using it in the lawn mower when it became stale, and then replenishing it.

We rely on the computers in our cars at our peril!

Regards, John.
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Old May 6th, 2019, 13:36   #74
SignumGB
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I fill up when 50 miles left in the tank. Most I have put in to fill is 65.9 litres in a 70 litre tank from 'empty'. So I guess not completely empty. I'd never drive it to ---. Heard too many stories of people running out or regurlary driving on fumes to then have problems with the engine later and gunk clogging fuel lines.
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Old Jun 24th, 2022, 20:28   #75
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The short answer to the original question,: Not enough.
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Old Jun 30th, 2022, 13:16   #76
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We're all guilty of it but running low is bad for the car,

What it does is put wear on things like the lift pump in the tank as fuel moves from side to side cornering or parked on a camber, it's bad for dpf's, drags tank sludge into injectors, in the trade it's known as irregular supply,


As for range it depends on use, if you're using it out of the urban it might say 80 miles where a city only use could say 25 miles, it's all relevant to it's conditions of the last 50 miles or so.
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Old Jun 30th, 2022, 16:15   #77
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The most I've put in a tank according to the pump is 70.9 litres, on my 2011 V60. The tank is supposed to be 68 Litres.

When the light goes on I try not to go any more than about 60 miles, 80 at a push.
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Old Jun 30th, 2022, 19:38   #78
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to all who play the how far can i go before i run out game . dont . how far do you think you can push a volvo = not far . then go and price up replacement fuel system parts high and low pressure pumps filters ect plus labour to fit said parts it soon will become obvious why you should not play this game.. if you do prepare for a walk and the expense of being misguided....
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Old Jul 28th, 2022, 22:11   #79
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RoyMacDonald View Post
If you run out completely Nigel don't expect to be able to just put more fuel in and have it start up again. Happened to my friend and the car has never been right since, cutting out at random intervals. The garage wants to renew the whole fuel system.

Roy
Modern ultra high pressure fuel pumps are cooled and lubricated by the fuel - they really don't like running dry and may generate swarf as the pump starts to eat itself. Don't run a modern car out of fuel - some cars (Jags for instance) actually have a programmed in splutter to urge the driver to find fuel and will cut the fuel pump before they are actually dry to prevent fuel pump damage.
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Old Jul 29th, 2022, 12:13   #80
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dcr69 View Post
I did my first proper tank refill yesterday on my D4 FWD Manual.

I am used to computers that fib as to how much fuel is left (my Toyota would say I had a range of 20 miles when I could put on 55 litres in a 60 litre tank).

Anyways, being dumb, and making a 70 mile motorway journey, I ignored the Reserve light (which came on at around 50 miles left) and went off the trip computer telling me the range left.

When it got to 20 miles left I decided to leave the motorway and get to a fuel station.

On the slip road (uphill) the range went from 20 miles left to "---" and stayed like that for 2 miles to the petrol station.

I was expecting to get about 65 litres into the fuel tank.

I actually managed to put in 73.08 litres - definitely NOT something that I am proud of
Bear in mind the tank is officially 70 litres, plus the plumbing from the filler cap.

Incidently, I managed 777 miles on the tank and averaged 48.33mpg with a mix of
- about 500 miles on the motorway, locked in cruise control at 56mph - an indicated 58 mph on the computer - hey, they always overestimate, but GPS never lies
- about 200 miles on decent windy A-roads, speeding.
- the rest around town

So, from here on I will search for a fuel station when the reserve light comes on.

Has anyone ever run out of fuel, or run the fuel levels so low they got more than 73 litres in?
The only instrument which tells you how much fuel is left in the tank is the GAUGE It is a highly accurate expensive moving coil instrument and it is designed so that even when the needle is dead on the bottom mark it wont stop so just go by your gauge that's what it is for... 👍
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