Page 1 of 1

when the fuel light comes on

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:23 pm
by e30316coupe
roughly how far have i got left in the tank?

Re: when the fuel light comes on

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:29 pm
by Bob_S
enough time to drive to the nearest garage to put fuel in

Re: when the fuel light comes on

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:30 pm
by stonesie
It comes on with about 1 - 1.1/2 gallon's remaining, but running an old fuel tank that low is a bad idea because any sediment in there will be sucked into the pump.

Re: when the fuel light comes on

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:32 pm
by kam-325i
Book says around 6 Liters/Litres

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:39 pm
by e30316coupe
about 40 miles then?

Re:

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:51 pm
by stonesie
I would not push it that far, the pickup is not pressed against the bottom of the tank so it will never get it all.

Re:

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 11:09 pm
by e30316coupe
doh! Once i start working properly and that il treat shim to a full tank of shell.

Re:

Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 8:18 am
by Funnybear
You get a fuel light? Lucky lucky barstard.

Re:

Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:08 am
by E30ACE
i got about 35 miles on my tank,only because couldnt find a petrol station.

Re:

Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 11:08 am
by Morat
Fuel lights are usually working, but it can take some desperation/balls to get the fuel gauge past empty so it lights up. (or a jerry-can in the boot if you're feeling sensible!)

Re:

Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 2:04 pm
by Hellbound
My fuel light and brakes light have stopped working recently. How difficult will it be to sort out? I'll have to get someone who knows what they're doing. :(

Re:

Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 2:10 pm
by Jhonno
My fuel light comes on with over 2 gallons remaining.. I have brimmed it several times after it has come on and can only get 45L in there.. (Baby 55L fuel tank)

Re:

Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 2:31 pm
by Felix79
Hellbound wrote:My fuel light and brakes light have stopped working recently. How difficult will it be to sort out? I'll have to get someone who knows what they're doing. :(
If your in Oxford ( headington ) I can help sort it out for you mate as I got spare clusters , guages , SI boards in my garage which we can use. This is one of the very few jobs I can do on an e30 myself.

Re:

Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 2:34 pm
by caneswell
I got 60 miles out of my 316i when I had a jerry can in the back to get me going again.

I don't buy the idea that it's that bad to run a tank dry (not on a petrol car anyway!). Fuel pick-up are always on the bottom of the tank anyway regardless of how high the fuel is. As soon as you drive around a few corners it's all going to be sloshing about everywhere anyway.

Re:

Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 7:46 pm
by 325isporttech1
My petrol light lives on and its never done it any halm running it all the way down, you have 6 litres when the light comes on so quite a bit :D the light is the only thing i have to go on as the gauge is terrible :?

Re:

Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:17 pm
by al-g
either the bulb has gone in mine or i don't have 1. :D

Re:

Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:56 pm
by Gortour
As said above the gauge has to go VERY low to get the light on... And I do mean VERY low.
It's well under the red section.

Re:

Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:25 pm
by GrindCulture
My fuel light comes on regularly, mostly because I'm a complete pikey and only just put enough fuel in to last me the week most of the time. :o:

Re:

Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 11:58 pm
by grantfk10
I've managed 35 miles after the light comes on - must stick a can of petrol in the boot and try harder next time.... :mad:

Re:

Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 12:03 am
by Morat
A neat trick if you have a 13 button OBC is to press the two outside number buttons (1000, and 1 from memory) and it will give a readout of the current fuel remaining, in litres. It's probably complete fiction - but fun anyway :)

Re:

Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 1:02 am
by Gortour
May need enlarging, but this is where my fuel light comes on... Well under the red sector.

Image

Re:

Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 1:23 am
by 325isporttech1
Thats were mine lives unless you put more than £10 in 8O it is broke thow because it waves at me all the time...must fix :D

Re:

Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 8:05 pm
by Gortour
I honestly believed my light didn't work... Gauge seemed fine, but never saw the light.
Then saw a thread on here with a similar pic of the empty gauge and the light on, and put a can in the boot to try it.
Took the pic above when the light did come on.

Re:

Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 8:20 pm
by djk
I run nearly every tankful down to the light, there's usually the thick end of 2 gallons (9.088l) left in there if the quoted tank capacity is to be believed.