Petrol query...

Hoopylass

Ok I realise that this may make me look really stupid but I am totally confused.

Ive just downgraded from a 1.6 megane to a 1.2 corsa...today was the 1st time I filled the corsa so stuck a tenner (£1.25p/l) in it as opposed to my usual £20 in the megane. After fuelling noticed that my gauge (which was sat on the quarter before fuelling) hadnt moved a muscle...not even an inch!

I asked the assistant in the garage if the pump was working correctly and they fobbed me off saying the price of petrol had gone up blah blah blah...surely tho £10 would have moved even an inch???

Is this right?

vikingaero

Could you actually feel the fuel moving through the nozzle or hear it sloshing into the tank? If it's a Corsa "B" it probably has the traditional knackered fuel gauge.

Hoopylass

to be honest I wasnt really paying attention as there was a couple yakking at the next pump....its an 08 reg car tho and only had it since friday, gauge is moving down tho...

Flearoy

Petrol tank gauges don't always register changes in fuel level in a linear manner, as the tanks are not a uniform shape, for one reason. Imagine you had a perfectly straight glass and you then poured exactly 100mL into it. The depth would increase by a given amount, and would increase by this amount again if you put another 100mL in. Now imagine you have a glass that is narrow at the bottom and very wide at the top. As it fills, a given volume will increase the depth by a smaller amount. If your petrol tank is wider at the bottom, the reverse would apply - i.e. £10 of fuel would hardly make the gauge move when it's nearly empty, while when it's nearing the top if it narrows, it would increase the depth more. AFAIK fuel gauges work on a float system which essentially registers depth. You could read the manual for your new car and see what the tank capacity is if you want to know.

Hoopylass

so If I put another £10 in would I expect to see the gauge move to half a tank?

Katie-Kat-Kins

Try filling it to the brim and noting the mileage, driving around as usual until you are "on the red" and then filling to the brim again and noting the mileage.

This will give you an idea of the actual capacity of the tank, and enable you to work out your MPG. If you do this regularly and also watch the fuel guage as you drive you will soon get used to the way your new car uses petrol. Lots of fuel guages aren't very accurate, and you need to get to know yours. The last vauxhall I had the fuel guage was hopeless........

Also bear in mind that Meganes tend to be pretty economical, you may find that your corsa uses nearly as much fuel as the megane. My 1.6L sports car was about the same fuel consumption as my mum's 1.4L run around hatchback.......

Hoopylass

Katie-Kat-Kins wrote: »

Try filling it to the brim and noting the mileage, driving around as usual until you are "on the red" and then filling to the brim again and noting the mileage.

This will give you an idea of the actual capacity of the tank, and enable you to work out your MPG. If you do this regularly and also watch the fuel guage as you drive you will soon get used to the way your new car uses petrol. Lots of fuel guages aren't very accurate, and you need to get to know yours. The last vauxhall I had the fuel guage was hopeless........

Also bear in mind that Meganes tend to be pretty economical, you may find that your corsa uses nearly as much fuel as the megane. My 1.6L sports car was about the same fuel consumption as my mum's 1.4L run around hatchback.......

God dont say that...my megane was the convertable type and generally used £20 per week to get me to work (3 12hr shifts per week). Wanted to downgrade to save money - not end up putting the same amount of petrol in the tank!

Lum

The problem is that a 1.2 is underpowered for a car the weight of a modern Corsa which hurts the economy as you have to rev the engine more just to get it moving. 1.6 seems to be the sweet spot for economical petrol cars, with the smaller engines only really useful for people with insurance problems (teenagers etc.)

I would've stuck with the Megane myself.

hubert_cumberdale

1.2 corsa are not good on fuel they are far to heavy

xxlaurissaxx

Hoopylass wrote: »

to be honest I wasnt really paying attention as there was a couple yakking at the next pump....its an 08 reg car tho and only had it since friday, gauge is moving down tho...

I have an 08 plate corsa 1.2 and its takes ages for the gauge to move. Once I was on the empty (light was on) it took 20 minutes before it changed to full. The light actually started flashing as if to say I was about to run out although I hd filled it right up **rolleyes**

xxlaurissaxx

hubert_cumberdale wrote: »

1.2 corsa are not good on fuel they are far to heavy

Totally agree! I cant wait to get a new car as it costs to much