Beware-Very Good Distance to Empty - New Wolfy TLDR: 62.9 fillup on 60 litre tank

[Guest001]

I would take the readings with several grains of salt on any VW's I have found them not to be very accurate

EG Says 25l to full took 31.6

[Transporter]

Dropbox - Wolfie_6.3l_100km_Dec_2019.jpg - Simplify your life

The picture is telling that you done a very good average speed 86km/h (not many stops), travelled 129km during which you use 6.3L/100km. It’s very, very good, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not an everyday fuel consumption for most drivers. You will also find that when you refuel and calculate your real fuel economy from the docket, you’re far from the 6.3L/100km.

[Simonr23]

I’ve found my car readout has been quite close to reality. Both fuel to fill (a bit less than predicted- ie. 55l predicted to fill is really 53-54l) and avg consumption.

[Mozzz]

The picture is telling that you done a very good average speed 86km/h (not many stops), travelled 129km during which you use 6.3L/100km. It’s very, very good, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not an everyday fuel consumption for most drivers. You will also find that when you refuel and calculate your real fuel economy from the docket, you’re far from the 6.3L/100km.

Hi everyone... just to clarify I didn't say it was an everyday fuel consumption for me or other drivers ..... but on the Noosa to Oxley run I have seen 6.3 litres per 100 km finishing with 6.5 litres per 100km at the end of the journey on the last three jaunts.

If I was undertaking a Brisbane to Sydney run in without any significant traffic issues I would be comfortable with hitting 900km before refueling - still loving the wolfie

I generally putter around the brisbane cbd and suburbs - so average litres per 100km are in the 7.5 to 8.5 range depending on peak hour heavy commutes.

[Simonr23]

That’s impressive.

My 15km commute averages around 30-33kph in the morning. It’s half downhill (80kph zone, 3 traffic lights), going from 160m to 25m elevation in about 7kms) other half is flat (60kph, many traffic lights). Fuel is in the 6.5-8.0/100km range usually (unless it’s a passive dpf regen day- then add 1.0-1.5l).

The evening commute averages 28-31kph. Fuel use is around 8.5-11/100km. Same route as the morning.

So my daily average is usually around 8.2-9.5. It’s rare I get a day with both a ‘good’ morning and evening run.

[iDiesel]

My average daily commute is around 10.5L for around 20km in the Allspace 162
living in the Hills I get better mileage on the way to works and slightly worse on the way home - more uphill...

[Mozzz]

Another Noosa run back to Brissie - 162TSI 2.0l Wolfie - 5.8 litres per 100 km for the drive from Noosa Heads to hitting Brisbane traffic on the northside - finished the run at Oxley at 5.9 litres per 100km. I did sit in the left hand lane for the drive on active cruise mostly behind a couple of the same cars. Only me in the car at 100kg and about 20kg of luggage and other stuff in the car, air conditioning on and a normal type summer day 28 - 31 degrees.

Dropbox - WolfieFuelEconomyJan2020.jpg - Simplify your life

[The_Hawk]

If you want to track consumption, I recommend Fuelly:
Fuelly - Track and Compare your MPG

I've used it through a couple of name/app changes over the years, still a free user (although I should probably pay up for the extras being I've been using it for so long).

I don't understand the mentality of running cars down to near zero fuel. Besides running the risk of picking up debris from the bottom of the tank, for me there is also the fear of needing to go somewhere in an emergency and having to stop for fuel. I know people that will see the 20km to empty warning and know their commute is only 15km so will worry about it tomorrow... What if you're stuck in traffic? Or detoured?

Running out of fuel feels like a very avoidable problem.

[Guest001]

If you want to track consumption, I recommend Fuelly:
Fuelly - Track and Compare your MPG

I've used it through a couple of name/app changes over the years, still a free user (although I should probably pay up for the extras being I've been using it for so long).

I don't understand the mentality of running cars down to near zero fuel. Besides running the risk of picking up debris from the bottom of the tank, for me there is also the fear of needing to go somewhere in an emergency and having to stop for fuel. I know people that will see the 20km to empty warning and know their commute is only 15km so will worry about it tomorrow... What if you're stuck in traffic? Or detoured?

Running out of fuel feels like a very avoidable problem.

Just a thought though Isnt the pump taking fuel from the bottom of the tank regardless of whether its full or nearly empty.

The filter should take care of it

Im not arguing and tend to agree but did get severely rubbished on here once for suggesting the same LOL

[The_Hawk]

You may be right and my teachings come from a time before now and were probably more about older cars where metal tanks would break down over time. Not something that is so relevant anymore to newer cars....

Even so, any gunk in the tank is more likely to be at the bottom, when there is more fuel in the tank any sediment floating about is in a lower concentration whereas as the pump tries to suck every last bit out of the bottom .... well, then the concentrations are higher and more likely to cause damage.

Submerged pumps also like to be kept wet, running them dry over and over can cause them to fail sooner... theoretically.

In my own cars I would rarely ever see the low fuel warning, if the car was below a third of a tank I would fill it up. Another hold over from a different time and teaching. You always filled up the car, putting in less than a full tank just wasn't done... after all, how could you measure you're milage without a full tank?! Mind you, now that I don't drive my own car very much it still pains me a little to put $20 in so I don't just let fuel sit for months. Hopefully I will be out more this year again

[Mozzz]

Good points to consider The_Hawk - I agree with your considerations - I have just been playing around with the limits of my new car so that I know it as well as I can, as it's my first new one in 15 years

I won't be pushing the limits of running on empty again, any time soon now ..... but I now do know what I can do and get away with, in terms of distance and economy.

[Transporter]

Just a thought though Isnt the pump taking fuel from the bottom of the tank regardless of whether its full or nearly empty.

The filter should take care of it

Im not arguing and tend to agree but did get severely rubbished on here once for suggesting the same LOL

Yes, you’re absolutely right, the fuel pump sucks the fuel from the lowest point in the tank.

However, when there’s low fuel level, the fuel pump can suck the air with fuel. If your driveway is steep, you may not even start if you parked overnight as the fuel may getaway from the f.pump strainer area at the bottom of the tank.
Though, the biggest negative from the almost empty tank and driving will be on the hot days and longer trips as the fuel may get hot in the fuel tank because of the fuel return line.

So, I try never use more than 3/4 of the tank and always fill up. Also, water will accumulate in your fuel tank if you keep it almost empty because of the condensation.

[Sydneykid]

It is worth keeping in mind that the quoted fuel capacity of a vehicle is the capacity of the fuel tank itself which doesn't include the filler neck. Which on some cars can easily hold 3 or more litres, especially if the tank is located, say, under the rear passenger seat, making the filler quite long.

Water (specific gravity of 1) is actually heavier then petrol (typical specific gravity of 0.8 ) as a result water sinks to the bottom of the tank and gets picked up by the fuel pick up which is located close to the bottom. So refilling at less than empty achieves nothing. Fuel systems these days are sealed so almost zero chance of water vapour sneaking in. Water in the fuel at the servo is more likely, but still rare specially if you use a large regularly filled servo.

Conversely, I always run my tank as close to empty as I dare before I fill up, because it picks up any debris, scum etc in small doses with each tank. Let the fuel filter catch it in manageable bites. With the filter being changed at the service intervals. Whereas if you never let your tank get that low the shyte will build up and when, in some emergency, you have to run it lower it will pick it all up in one go and block the filter.


Cheers
Gary

[Transporter]

As the return fuel cools down in the fuel tank the condensation will form.
Running always almost on empty is not good and the above is only one of the reasons, Gary.

[Simonr23]

Plus the fuel pump isnt sentient. It doesn’t know to exclude water when sucking in liquid.

I’d rather an engine running on a supply of 15+l fuel to 100ml water, than 3l fuel and still having 100ml water. Think about a horrible cordial/alcohol that you need to drink out of politeness/a dare. You dilute the hell out of it with water/coke!

Just coz it’s heavier doesn’t mean it doesn’t get splashed about and ‘mixed’ with the fuel. Same story with old tanks and crud build up.

I personally don’t care that much about it, but to say it is a non-issue isn’t correct.