Do E30's have a low fuel warning light?

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Farbbm
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 4:40 pm

Just driving back yesterday from a lovely weekend away and was wondering as the fuel gauge touched the quarter full mark whether it had an actual warning light? The reason I ask it that the gauge doesn't move from full for a good while and the suddenly heads for empty with rapid speed.

I remember when I had my E34 that the low fuel warning light came on along with the other warning light's when starting the car for a couple of seconds.

Anyone know?
Albinojay
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 4:42 pm

I get a warning light when it sits on the white marker when it's about to go out of the red zone towards empty lol

So I'd say yeah it will have.

How accurate or how much fuel it means you have left I have no idea. My s14a 200sx used to give me about 50 miles when it hit red with the warning light.
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 4:48 pm

Yes they do.. :)
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Simon13
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 4:49 pm

6 litres left when she comes on!
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Felix79
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 5:04 pm

Both my cab and alpina seem to have the most pestimistic fule guages ever.
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 5:06 pm

iv never seen my warning light come on! is this a bad thing?? has the bulb gone?
Jon_Bmw
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 5:12 pm

Just means you are not tight? Or you don't have big enough cahonos(spel?)!

Its common knowledge that the bulbs almost never fail. Mine works :)
GrindCulture
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 5:14 pm

Mine works on a regular basis...
Not in E30s any more :(
ric325i
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 5:17 pm

my old 325i fuel light never came on. i just thought it was me not letting it get low.....but i tested it and the light just never cam on. oops.
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Jon_Bmw
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 5:18 pm

I'd have said that was quite rare, but we wil see as this topic develops.

Was the bulb actually in the cluster? :o
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 5:19 pm

Jon_Bmw wrote:Just means you are not tight? Or you don't have big enough cahonos(spel?)!

Its common knowledge that the bulbs almost never fail. Mine works :)
well its not good to run any car down to empty.. maybe i should grow some balls and have a gerry can full in the boot to see if it comes on.
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 5:21 pm

Mines always on.
I thought it was a perminent fixture :P
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Rich_W
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 5:30 pm

In 30K miles. Ive only ever had it on once!

6Litres is what 25 miles tops. But worse than that is you may end up pcking up all the crap from the bottom of the tank if you run it that low. :wink:
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 5:30 pm

eko wrote:Mines always on.
I thought it was a perminent fixture :P
lol :mad:
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PeterS
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 6:22 pm

Mine comes on when the needle is way past the red section on the gauge, but according to the OBC the range when it comes on is still around 30 miles (325i Touring) :mad: . I usually wait for it to come on before filling the tank up, and usually get around 56 litres in.

I've yet to experience any problems from picking stuff up from the bottom of the tank. In fact I've always taken this approach; I can't stand petrol stations (although the pay at pump option makes them more bearable), so I fill the tank right up, run it until the light comes on and then fill back up. Keeps visits to the petrol station to a minimum :D

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Mon Oct 13, 2008 6:27 pm

We run both cars until the light comes on.Then fill 'em up to the brim.When I fitted the new tank to the touring last year,I put in 5 litres and the light was still on.Another 5 and the light was out,so I see no reason to doubt Simon13's claim to a 6 litre reserve.That is a safe 30 miles driving for an oldie like me. :D
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rikster
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 6:40 pm

my light did come on but i think the bulbs gone cause i ran out the other day with no warning and it dont come on no more
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corkie
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 6:42 pm

great so ive got 25miles on the light,my old sport light never worked but then the fuel gauge used to stop at half way :? .
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AlexBaur325
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 7:20 pm

my light comes on (came on....wish i was still driving the thing :cry: ) when the needle is beyond the red...i've never driven the old girl dry....but i do carry a 5 litre can in the boot....
Simon13
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 7:23 pm

i've done 50 miles with the light on! 6 litres is well over a gallon so everyone should manage 30 miles i'd of thought

The needle needs to run off the scale for it to come on. In 8 years and 8 E30's i've yet to have one where the bulb doesn't work.
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 7:43 pm

GrindCulture wrote:Mine works on a regular basis...
Same :D

E.g. everytime just before I fill up. Done over 30 miles with the light on before (I was on the M40, biiiiig gap between junctions, and I didn't want to get off at Warwick!)
If you drive gently once it comes on, you're sure to get 20+ miles, I do. I don't deliberately do that kind of mileage with the light on though, and I'd rather not.
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 7:49 pm

Never seen mine come on and I'm always on a BBS and a prayer! lol
Albinojay
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 9:11 pm

I ran mine uber low the other day so low it dropped onto 3 cyclinders and i crawled to a petrol station.

I tried the "gerry can" method but when times get really hard I end up using it and it kind of defeats the object lmfao!
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ha22
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Mon Oct 13, 2008 9:18 pm

You can always check the low fuel light by shorting the fuel level sender connector with bit of wire with the ignition on! winkeye
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Returnof318i
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Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:05 am

my light comes on when the needle is resting fully to the left about half a foot from the gauge
GrindCulture
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Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:09 am

The light came on when the needle just about hit the red in my iS, but the needle drops way off the guage before the light comes on in the touring.
Not in E30s any more :(
stonesie
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Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:19 am

It's off the gauge before it brings the light on in my touring too, only seen it once and hopefully won't again, the current tank of petrol is over a month old and still not far below half.
GrindCulture
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Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:20 am

Do you have a separate LPG level gauge then?
Not in E30s any more :(
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Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:23 am

my light comes on when the needle is well into the red. i reset the tripmeter and try to never allow myself to drive more than 25miles, although i once drove 30 miles before i could fill up (well, put a fiver's worth in anyway!) :chuckle:
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Brianmoooore
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Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:33 am

Easiest way to test the light is to lift the rear seat, remove the plate, unscrew the four nuts on the pump assembly, and lift the sender tube up clear of the petrol in the tank. It will take several seconds for the light to come on.
stonesie
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Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:38 am

GrindCulture wrote:Do you have a separate LPG level gauge then?
Totally seperate, it's part of the switch that i have mounted in the spare socket above the radio.... Ran it out of LPG tonight, 210 miles and it will cost about £20 to brim the gas tank (54L tank gives me a gas capacity of 43L but i've never got more than 40 in it at 51.9p/L) :cool:
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Felix79
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Tue Oct 14, 2008 12:43 am

The Alpina was showing nearly empty and it only took 25 liters to get the needle back up. I notice the cabs like this too.
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bigredbmw
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Tue Oct 14, 2008 11:29 am

i never let mine get that far down ..........................................
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Daryll
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Tue Oct 14, 2008 11:53 am

Neither of mine have ever come on in the all the years I had them. I always wondered this too.
But I never ran mine below the white line.
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pirate952
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Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:56 pm

my gauge plays games under 1/4 tank, one min it will be a quater, then near empty then back lol i use quater tank as empty.
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