fuel level

[akakubi]

Hi all!

 

I have noticed for a while already that there is something iffy about the fuel gauge on my R400 SV. I always fill up around 28L and get a full tank reading. The needle tracks the fuel use as expected (no sudden changes in indicated quantity). Once it is in the Red and I go to fill up, it's 28L again (the tank is 41L on the SV). If I shake the car a bit when it reads empty, I can hear the fuel slushing in the tank, so there is something in there.

 

So last time I finally decided the gauge was poorly calibrated (assuming I had roughly 10-12L in the tank) and went out for a drive with the needle in the Red. Half-way through the journey, the engine started to lose power under acceleration and in the corners; even stalled once. So I crawled to the nearest petrol station and filled it up. And guess what? It was 28L again! After coming home (ran perfectly fine) I measured the fuel level with a piece of rope and it felt like the fuel was much lower in the tank than "full" would assume (as the gauge read). So now I am a bit confused: is the pump set too high and leaves a lot of fuel on the bottom or am I not filling it to the top. I stop filling as soon as the pump autoshuts.

 

Cheers!

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

You can get a lot more in after the first auto-stop. BUT, you have to fill it slowly from that point, or you risk an overflow !

 

 

[akakubi]

How much more should I expect? 5L or 10L?

[Rich N]

1L ? Mine's a regular S3 (smaller tank obviously) and I get 25.5L in from red line to brim.

 

I've had the tank out (for other reasons) and you can see the angular design of the bottom of the tank + the height of the internal pump means some amount of fuel is always un-available at the bottom, sadly.

 

I get around 165 miles per 25L tank, which is around 30mpg if I'm commuting to work.

 

--=[Oxford7s.net]=--

[subscribe: List-subscribe@Oxford7s.net]

[Normans_Ghost]

around 30mpg

 

 

I get 18mpg and can do just over 100 miles to a tank. I've got a straight filler pipe under the carbon rear boot cover so it's easy to fill to the brim.

 

ed to ad that a full tank on mine is 32 litres so akakubi you're nowhere near filling it if it was empty in the first place. Thing to do is carry 4 litres in a can, run it dry then put the 4 litres in. Then get to nearest station and fill to brim, trickling in the last drops. Ignore the gauge. Now you know how much it takes to fill and you'll know where the gauge is reading when it's empty.

 

^{Norman Verona, 1989 BDR 220bhp, Reg: B16BDR, Mem No 2166, the full story here}

You and your seven toThe French Blatting Company Limited

 

Edited by - nverona on 5 May 2009 10:32:52

[Rich N]

Sorry, I forgot to say this is a 2001 1.8 K series with around 160bhp.

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

After the first shut-off, can get around 5L more in. I have a 2002 SV 160 bhp VVC and average around 34mpg.

 

Normally fill up around the 200 mile mark, often stretch it to 265, but once got 313 miles from a tank on the way to Liverpool for the IOM trip ... must have been a careful drive that day !!!!

 

Usually seem to get 28 litres in per fill. Greatest amount was 36 litres. Still some left in the tank when the gauge falls off the bottom of the red !

 

 

[Windy Corner]

My SV's tank is the same, on the red I have never got more than 26-28 L in. I don't like running past the red, so end up with more petrol station stops. but at 34 mpg I'm not complaining

 

I even measured the tank to make sure it had an SV tank in it !!!!

 

Rik

 

 

 

Roadsport SV 1.6 Sigma 150

in Viper Blue here

[akakubi]

Thanks, guys! So I am wasn't going insane there. 😬 I will try to measure how much will fit. Might spend some time at the pump doing it though. 😬

[Markiebabes]

Hi Val

have a look here

[akakubi]

Cheers, Mark!

[dickbowyer]

Val

 

I have a Duratec R400 SV too. Like you I only manage to get about 28L/£28 worth of petrol in when been on the petrol gauge redline for a while, despite a belief that the tank should hold 41 litres. Never gone much over 215 miles as a bit wary that if I run out of fuel it may damage the cat or is that just an old wives' tale?

 

Dick

Superlight SV Duratec R400 Arch Inside 😬

[sjmmarsh]

I tend to run the car (CSR) into the 'red' (actually it's black) zone. I normally put in 28-31L. The max I have put in was 31.9L.

 

Steve

 

Edited to say that I have checked my old SV records (2001 1.8VVC)- the biggest fill-up I did was on a long run to Spa; 238miles and a 37.02L fill up. The best MPG I got was coming back - 32.96L and 277miles for an average 38mpg...

 

The best I have got from the CSR is 32.7mpg, but interestingly the average consumption is marginally better in the CSR (26.4mpg) than the SV (26.0mpg).

 

 

 

Edited by - sjmmarsh on 5 May 2009 23:15:15

[Wil Akroyd]

As approach the half way mark between 1/4 and red i get a loud noise from the fuel pump, the fuel gauge is for me a rough guide, depending if i'm going up or down a hill!!

I just refuel whenever im approaching 1/4, in fear of no petrol station/ awesome road!

It would be a waste! 😬

 

 

C7 WEA 1.6K DVA 150bhp

[akakubi]

I wonder what causes it though? If the pump is set too high off the bottom (the manual states that when you first start the car after build use a min of 5L, or realistically 10L) then CC should surely make a workaround. Why bother fitting a larger tank if you can't use it anyway? Seems a bit strange....