Do E30's have a low fuel warning light?

[ric325i]

I've yet to experience any problems from picking stuff up from the bottom of the tank

i would agree to that. the pump picks up from the bottom anyway.

maybe its not a good idea run it dry but dont worry about running it low. infact i always kept mine relatively low cause i was not sure if it would last the amount of fuel it had in.

turned out to be my most reliable car yet.


im happy to be back with a m20b25 again

[mrLEE30]

the fuel filter's job is to stop any stuff from the tank anyway, and who is to say the crud in your tank is not floating/suspended in the fuel. As the pump picks up from the bottom of the tank running very low should have no effect really (as any heavy stuff will move about on the bottom of the tank as the car moves anyway), only possible to damage the pump if it runs dry.

i didn't think there was any relation between where your guage is and when the light comes on...they are both on seperate sender units IIRC

mrlee

[Simon13]

i fail to see this whole dirt in the tank myth. I've stripped a few 325's with well over 200,000 miles on them and looked in the tanks and they're really clean in there. Plus theres a filter right on the pump, plus another external fuel filter. Unless you went poring a shovel full of sand down there theres nothing wrong with running them low.

[Brianmoooore]

i fail to see this whole dirt in the tank myth..

I've seen the insides of many E30 tanks as well, and the sediment from all of them wouldn't have filled half a teaspoon!

[Brianmoooore]

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.

Lesser E30's, with 55 litre tanks, suffer from this, as fuel moves from one side of the tank to the other, through the transfer pipe, under cornering forces.

[beemerbird]

I've removed half a mug full of sandy stuff from my tank using my 'magnet on a stick covered in a bit of old T shirt' technique.....

The car had been in the hands of a garage and only covered about 30 miles in 9 years tho!

[BruceVeedub]

wher is this elusive light of which you speak? Seeing as I am running on nearly fumes at the mo I'd be interested to know if mine works.....?

[Brianmoooore]

You can always check the low fuel light by shorting the fuel level sender connector with bit of wire with the ignition on!

That checks the bulb and wiring, but lifting the sender checks the switch as well.

[maxlee]

my gage just dances on the 325 i bought today dose the light work even if the gage dosn't i know on some cars it dose

[Brianmoooore]

Light and gauge are independent of each other, but use some components in common.

[wrcarter]

Never saw mine come onbutnever knew you could let the needle go off the guage. Will let it go a bit lower this time and see what happens.

[BruceVeedub]

where is this elusive light located...?

anyone?

[stonesie]

Below the empty mark on the gauge, if you look you will see a roughly rectangular section there, it lights up bright orange when it's triggered.

[GrindCulture]

Just to the left of the red bit on your fuel gauge.

[elliott]

you cant see it untill lit its right under the red section on your gauge!!!
when your needle goes on the empty mark it will then go on the red section
and even further than that pointing down to fresh air then the light comes on!
i found out one night on a late trip home on A roads!!
computer said i had 28 miles left i only did about another 10 then found a
petrol station!!

[BruceVeedub]

coolio - cheers guys

[Gibson]

First day i had my E30 i was driving around B roads late at night and started getting near empty. my computer got to about 10 miles left then started going back up again! i didnt even see the light that night. it took another 6 months for me to learn that even when the needle was a distant memory and the fuel computer had started flashing - - - - at me i still had 2 miles left to find a petrol station....