Petrol Tank Capacities

July 20, 2011

I've noticed several posts in various forums on here asking the question 'how far can I go when the last bar flashes'

WHY?

Surely the idea is never to have to find out?

toyota, and all other manufacturers to my knowledge, publish a figure that they expect their vehicles to attain in ideal circumstances.

So, my Prius is given a figure of 72mpg.

Multiply say, 70 mpg by the capacity of the tank, 45 litres (roughly 10 gallons) and the car SHOULD do a maximum of 700 miles on one tankful.

However, we all drive differently and traffic densities vary, so, if you have done 600 miles since you last filled up, then you fill up again, especially if you have got to the last bar, and if it's flashing you head for the nearest filling station, you surely don't keep going 'to see how far I can go'

Obviously those figures will vary depending on what you are driving, but the principle is the same.

It is not cheap to be towed off of a motorway, and no doubt you will be made to feel very very small if it is because you have run out of petrol!

Please guys, when you get to two bars, head for a filling station, if it's not your favourite flavour it doesn't matter, 2 gallons of BP instead of Shell won't hurt, running out altogether will!

July 20, 2011

I must admit I used to play fuel roulette a lot, having a demonstrator car (I worked for main dealer) you would never have much fuel in the car you used. You could get a good 50 to 60 miles from an A3/ Golf TDI from when the 'light' came on it starting to cough a little to warn you there wasn't much left in the tank. Once the car actually cut out on me about 50 metres from the garage and the car rolled in and with a little dab of the brake stopped at the pump :thumbsup:

I have never really done it with my own cars as I don't want to drag up 8 years of rubbish

July 20, 2011

I usually fill up when I get down to two bars. Had a Grand Cherokee before buying my Prius and the fuel guage on that was a nightmare. Nothing happened for the first couple of hundred miles then it dropped like a stone for the next 50 till it showed empty. That thing was a bit too heavy to push - I learned to be extra careful. Old habits die hard :)

July 20, 2011

I don't know what makes people wait until the tank is almost empty before filling it up. A good few years back when I was learning to drive, the driving instructor had let the petrol go down as far as the red. I said to him but he didn't care. And it wasn't a hybrid! Another time my cousin phoned me and said he was ready to run out of fuel and where would be the cheapest petrol station, he lives in a different town so he didn't know 'who was cheapest' in this town. I asked him where exactly he was and told him to go to a petrol station which was close, of course he wanted to know if it was cheap! :rolleyes:

July 20, 2011

I don't know what makes people wait until the tank is almost empty before filling it up. A good few years back when I was learning to drive, the driving instructor had let the petrol go down as far as the red. I said to him but he didn't care. And it wasn't a hybrid! Another time my cousin phoned me and said he was ready to run out of fuel and where would be the cheapest petrol station, he lives in a different town so he didn't know 'who was cheapest' in this town. I asked him where exactly he was and told him to go to a petrol station which was close, of course he wanted to know if it was cheap!

I think your old driving instructor was a little mad to let it run that low in a Learner car! I always try to keep my fuel topped upto the max mark because I dont want my Learner drivers to think its okay to run on vapour! And it teaches them a good lesson to maintain the fuel supply as well as all the other fluids under the bonnet. But thats just me :thumbsup:

July 20, 2011

A fuel gauge is only and estimate. If it was accurate it would be called a meter.

The East German Tribant had the most accurate fuel gauge ever - it was always 100% accurate and never told any lies. It was a dipstick. :eek:

July 20, 2011

A fuel gauge is only and estimate. If it was accurate it would be called a meter.
The East German Tribant had the most accurate fuel gauge ever - it was always 100% accurate and never told any lies. It was a dipstick.

Rodney Trotter?