Fuel Gauge.

[bokkie]

I think this might have been flogged already but I can't quite find the answer I'm after. My wife told me that the final two bars on the fuel gauge flicker now and then from 2 to 1 then back to 2 for a while, then 1, and so on. I think I was right to say to her that the sensor might be on the transition between the two blocks so she should think of it as being on the top of 1 and not the bottom of 2. That is, you're not really on block 2 rather entering the reserves of block 1. I'd surely have preferred an analogue fuel gauge as you can see the petrol gradually run down on a needle and guage. Her dilemma is how far can she push her luck on the final block as there's nothing to say "I'm about to bite your *****, baby" if you get my meaning? I told her that if she races like a Chavette she'll go from hero to zero with little warning but if she drives like the sensible and very well-educated 52-year old she really is she might go from hero to zero much slower. Do you wizened iQ'ers have something I could tell her about the last block? What I'm getting at is that she could drive around for a few days yet if she knew that she might have roughly X litres in the tank remaining when the last block is steady but I can't find anywhere what X litres might be.

[pterostigma]

Come on..........smell the toast.. I along with other subscribers have answered this a number of times...here we go again:

The reason your fuel gauge is like this is that you have a very flat tank-I undestand that it is less than 10 inches deep-this, of course, is so that you can fit a quart into a pint pot on overall design. This also answers another part of your question-you can't have an analogue gauge as, even with damping, it would be wildly inaccurate.

If you now go to your dashboard and cycle through the options in MODE you will find an option where there are dashes only-my educated guess is that is where Toyota in the design stage wanted to put a 'Range' facility like there are on a number of other vehivles that they produce notably the Yaris. This facility is excellent in tha Yaris and you can tell how many miles you have left in your tank allowing for your your driving style which gives you a + or - of 5miles.

Excellent you may say-but what about my IQ?

I have a Yaris-my wife has an IQ. Get yourself a cheap spare petrol container out of Halfords and put in 5 litres of fuel (get you to nearest petrol station stuff)stick it in the boot of your car. Now fill up your IQ with fuel AND ZERO ONE OF YOUR TRIP METERS. (you have 2 on your IQ to choose from).

Now DRIVE until your little block on the fuel gauge flashes at you-this is telling you it is time to fill up (possibly 20 miles left in the tank). Drive to your petrol station and fill up-remember-you've got emergency fuel in the boot if you ***** it up!

NOTE YOUR TRIP METER MILEAGE SAY 410 MILES AND WRITE IT DOWN. RE-ZERO YOUR METER and you now know you you have, for example, 410miles in the tank.

My wife leaves her dashboard permanently on the trip 1 meter for this purpose as she never needs to refer back to the odometer as her service intervals are yearly as she never drives 10000 miles.

Hopefully that has put that one to bed for the umpteenth time!!

[bokkie]

Thanks. Personally, I think a little less sarcasm in your reply would have been better. If it's been answered over and over maybe it should be in a sticky for quick reference? I can see why some people give up on forums.

Still, I'll consider what you say. You intimated possibly 20 miles when the last block is flashing so that will do for me.

[Monolakes]

Yesterday I filled up just as the bottom block began to flash, it took 27l to fill up. Given that the stated fuel capacity is 32l that would imply that there were 5l left in the tank.

So 5l is basically 1gal so at 50mpg which we are averaging that gives 50 miles.

[Devil-ish]

Meh.....I always fill up on the 2 blocks....very rarely on the one. Petrol costs the same whatever..................

[SallyIQ]

I drove round for 3 days with it flashing on the last bar. The fuel tank can hold 32L in my IQ2, I think the most I have put in when refuelling is around 30L so I do leave it pretty late I guess! The manual says it starts flashing when you have 5.9L or below remaining.

[s2rv]

Hi Everyone,

First post here, so PLEASE be gentle!

I have got 34L in my tank, this was from the car starting to 'stutter' (ie on fumes) then being filled to the brim.

From this I have worked out a 'ready reckoner' to do with the average MPG display on the computer.

On my last 'blob' (the flashing one) doing pretty high MPG figures (certainly 54mpg average for the tank) I have done nearly 100 miles.

This info is for an 1.0 IQ2

If I can figure out how to attach pictures, I will put a scan of my ready reckoner on line for all to use.

DO NOT blame me if you run out of fuel!

I have never ran out of fuel using the ready reckoner, but, I do tend to fill up 5 or so miles before I need to, generally using Shell fuel.

Regards

s2rv

Please feel free to send your thanks if you use my creation.

[Salsadicto]

Hi Everyone,

First post here, so PLEASE be gentle!

I have got 34L in my tank, this was from the car starting to 'stutter' (ie on fumes) then being filled to the brim.

From this I have worked out a 'ready reckoner' to do with the average MPG display on the computer.

On my last 'blob' (the flashing one) doing pretty high MPG figures (certainly 54mpg average for the tank) I have done nearly 100 miles.

This info is for an 1.0 IQ2

If I can figure out how to attach pictures, I will put a scan of my ready reckoner on line for all to use.

DO NOT blame me if you run out of fuel!

I have never ran out of fuel using the ready reckoner, but, I do tend to fill up 5 or so miles before I need to, generally using Shell fuel.

Regards

s2rv

Please feel free to send your thanks if you use my creation.

I did exactly the same with liters and kms... and i always reset "A kms" when i refill the tank.

[niwabc]

Basically the fuel sender gauge in the iQ has only about 1/3 of the articulation range of a conventional unit and needed some special adjustments.

Plus its the first of its kind.

Think of it as prototype development....you just have to pay for it.

[turniphead]

I do the same as Devil-ish.

Treat 2 blobs as zero, then you can't go wrong. :D