Low Fuel Warning Lamp - Conservative?

[aust250378]

Hi all,

I'm finding with my 406 1.9d, that the lamp appears to come on when the needle is quite a way off the last mark on the guage (the empty box mark). Is it conservative and I actually have quite a bit of fuel left? or is it that the guage is inaccurate and the lamp is saying "You really need fuel now!!"?

Regards

Austin

[steve_earwig]

It varies from car to car, there's only one way to find out for sure...

[mjb]

I find that light hugely annoying, but that's because I tend to run my cars as close to dry as possible

[aust250378]

@ MJB So do you call the lamps bluff and just look at the needle? There could be another 40 miles in there for all I know!

Regards

Austin

[mjb]

@ MJB So do you call the lamps bluff and just look at the needle?

Aye. You need to know how YOUR needle relates to the level of fuel in the tank though... each one's different and they all depend on how flat the road you're on is. You don't mention what car you've got but I believe it's very bad to let a diesel run out of fuel and EXTRAORDINARILY bad to let a HDI empty its tank...

There could be another 40 miles in there for all I know!

Go to the petrol station, fill it up, and see

The 406 tank is officially 70 litres, but the system holds up to 78 litres to the brim depending on model. How much you put in will tell you how much you had left.

[gumby6371]

As has been previously said it should be a 70 litre tank plus whats in the lines, I tend to fill up when light comes on until the pump first clicks out, usually around the 60 litre mark.

Removing my socks and shoes for doing numbers I reckon on having a couple of gallon in the tank when the light comes on. Works for my 1.9TD D8 but don't blame me when you're stuck at the side of the road

[Doggy]

Mine usually comes on at the top of the red bit on the gauge, computer usually says 43 miles fuel left at that point.
Bravest, (stupidest), I've managed is 20 miles beyond where the gauge reads empty and range says ---
Got 78 litres in at that point, gloriously overpriced at a little village, didn't dare wait any longer.
(Anyone else think the church bells ringing at the time wasn't entirely coincidental)?

[Mike84]

Mine never comes on at all but that's because the bulb has gone. The car 'says' fuel level low and I'll usually drive another 50 miles before filling up. The warning message comes on long before the light (when it works). Most it's ever taken for me to fill up was 68 litres.

[Archangel]

Carry a spare can in boot and when it coughs put it in.

[Bailes1992]

You shouldn't run a Diesel dry. The 1.9TD dosent have a lift pump in the tank, if you go up a hill with a low tank all the fuel will go to the back and the system will suck up air and you will have to bleed the system and crank like hell... this is from experience

[plod]

I "try" and never let mine hit the reserve if I can, otherwise you're sucking up sh*t from the tank

I have however, ran out twice in my HDi, once in my local town, and had to ring my bro to fetch me some diesel, and secondly on the M1 last year towing a wobble box, and ran out 2 mile before the services I was heading for.
Since the first run out, I've always carried a can in the boot, but battery didn't have the cranking ability to get the fuel through, although in some part my fault, as whilst doing so, still had the wobble box plugged in and hence causing a drain, although in hindsight, the battery wasn't the best. Had to call direct line rescue, and asked them to send someone out with a jump pack, and was going again in a couple of mins.

I probably was trying to be too clever on the latter, as when I connected up the wobble box, the extra weight saw a quarter knocked off the gauge, so when the gauge went into the reserve, I assumed i'd still got a good bit left, but let's face it, the 406 fuel gauge is a law unto itself

[mjb]

I "try" and never let mine hit the reserve if I can, otherwise you're sucking up sh*t from the tank

The pump sucks from the bottom anyway doesn't it?

[eoin27]

that it does

[plod]

bugger

[sirwiggum]

From my experience of the long run in England, the estimated mileage readout seems to fluctuate. For example, it can stay at 155 for ages, then jump to 121, then if traffic slows to 50, it will jump up to 155 again.

Mine usually shows when I have approx. 60-45 miles left according to the computer.

Payday tomorrow, so fill up and then into the cashier with £80. Feels like filling a bus sometimes