Help with fuel!

bigdave196

I've played Fuel Light Roulette before, and lost. It isn't fun having to walk about 2 miles to Tesco to buy a petrol can, fill it with petrol and then walk 2 miles back again. What made it worse was that I was on my way to fill it up anyway. Now I fill it up as soon as the light comes on

fivetide

Ebe_Scrooge wrote: »

Leaving aside the argument about whether it will or won't damage your engine - if you let it run too low, you're forced to buy petrol at the first garage you see. If you aim to fill up at around 1/4 full or so, you can afford to wait until you're passing a cheaper garage :-)

Likewise! Proper MSE!

5t.

MX5huggy

gibbiem wrote: »

Thanks, I'm more worried about the damage it could cause. The light does come on at 30 miles, is it advisable to get to a station as soon as the light comes on?

As you SEAT is likely to be the same as my Skoda (both made by VW group).

Your in car computer is telling you that you have 30 miles left in the tank based on your recent driving style. You have many more that this.

I often run mine down to 0 mainly because I do a 510 mile round trip, I arrive home with 0 showing then in the morning drive the 2 miles to ASDA to fill up. I fill the tank putting in 55 litres but the tank is 60. So at 0 I still have 5 litres or about 40 miles left in the tank.

Hammyman

Completely pointless. Just fuel up as soon as you get to around 1/4 of a tank or the red mark if there is one.

If the car is a few years old or has some miles on, running it low will just drag up all the crud out of the bottom of the tank, blocking the filters. If you are on a motorway and run out of fuel, it apparently seems to be an offence although nobody seems to be able to quote chapter and verse.

Hammyman

MX5huggy wrote: »

As you SEAT is likely to be the same as my Skoda (both made by VW group).

Your in car computer is telling you that you have 30 miles left in the tank based on your recent driving style. You have many more that this.

You may also have very many LESS, especially if you've been on an out of town run and are now stuck driving in rush hour urban traffic.

I often run mine down to 0 mainly because I do a 510 mile round trip, I arrive home with 0 showing then in the morning drive the 2 miles to ASDA to fill up. I fill the tank putting in 55 litres but the tank is 60. So at 0 I still have 5 litres or about 40 miles left in the tank.

You hope. The back pressure of the vapour in the tank can cut off the pump. If it is diesel, the fuel creates a foam as it is put in the tank.

Hammyman

MX5huggy wrote: »

As you SEAT is likely to be the same as my Skoda (both made by VW group).

Your in car computer is telling you that you have 30 miles left in the tank based on your recent driving style. You have many more that this.

You may also have very many LESS, especially if you've been on an out of town run and are now stuck driving in rush hour urban traffic.

I often run mine down to 0 mainly because I do a 510 mile round trip, I arrive home with 0 showing then in the morning drive the 2 miles to ASDA to fill up. I fill the tank putting in 55 litres but the tank is 60. So at 0 I still have 5 litres or about 40 miles left in the tank.

You hope. The back pressure of the vapour in the tank can cut off the pump. If it is diesel, the fuel creates a foam as it is put in the tank.

And that 5 litres you have which is spread over several square feet won't be any good if you end up on a gradient where the fuel moves away from the fuel pickup pipe in the tank.

Paradigm

Hammyman wrote: »

If the car is a few years old or has some miles on, running it low will just drag up all the crud out of the bottom of the tank, blocking the filters.

I've been told this many, many times but still don't understand the reasoning behind it.

Surely, any "crud" at the bottom of the tank will get sucked up anyway whether the tank is 1/4, 1/2 or full 'cos that's where the fuel pickup is.

chrisw

Also, don't know if it's true, but I've heard that letting it run too low can cause damage to the in-tank fuel pump over time as it relies on being surrounded by fuel to keep it cool and lubricated.

27col

Why would you even think of running so low that you might run out. Regardless of any damage that might be caused to the car. it is the sheer inconvenience that accompanies running out of fuel. You have no idea where you might run out, it might be somewhere extremely dangerous for both you, and other road users. You only thave to buy the same amount, so why wait.
For many years I have been mystified by the sight of people filling their cars up at the side of the road from a can of fuel they have been carrying with them. Then I think "they have been carrying a can of fuel with them, knowing that they were going to let the car run out of fuel on a journey". Why would anyone think that that was a good idea.

proactive

27col wrote: »

Then I think "they have been carrying a can of fuel with them, knowing that they were going to let the car run out of fuel on a journey".

think they buy the can at the garage they've walked to to get the fuel