Distance to empty

[Tornado T5]

Obviously the range a trip computer shows after filling fuel rarely, if ever, pans out by the time the tank empties however out of curiosity I thought it fun to ask others "what's the greatest range they've seen on the trip comp after a fill"? Yesterday I filled up 82 L (for a 80Ll tank that still showed 30km to empty????) and the trip comp showed 1190km as the tank range. Would be great if I ever got close!

(p.s. this is for 128kW, A6, LWB T5).

[gregozedobe]

I've seen 1170km once, but usually 1050 to 1070km. It depends on the fuel usage immediately preceding the fill-up (full tank capacity divided by recent ie last ? minutes/kms or so of fuel consumption).

So if you want to see a very large (and very unrealistic) distance to empty on your MFD, drive really, really economically for the last few Ks before filling up (and on a warm engine, not a cold one).

Maybe I'll try it before my next fill to see what I can get out of it (unfortunately my preferred filling stations are all in suburbia, not out on the highway).

As far as putting 82litres in, I'm not game to take a diesel so close to running on air, as I believe air can be bad for various components in the fuel delivery system.

[Transporter]

Obviously the range a trip computer shows after filling fuel rarely, if ever, pans out by the time the tank empties however out of curiosity I thought it fun to ask others "what's the greatest range they've seen on the trip comp after a fill"? Yesterday I filled up 82 L (for a 80Ll tank that still showed 30km to empty????) and the trip comp showed 1190km as the tank range. Would be great if I ever got close!

(p.s. this is for 128kW, A6, LWB T5).

You were ripped of mate; you paid for 82L of fuel but in your tank had less than 82L. Petrol station operators are cheating. Buy your fuel somewhere else.

[BobD]

You were ripped of mate; you paid for 82L of fuel but in your tank had less than 82L. Petrol station operators are cheating. Buy your fuel somewhere else.

Not so.

I have put 82.9l in my tank twice now at two different fuel stations around Perth. On both occasions the computer said 30km to go. The first time it happened it said 30km to go for quite some time and I realised I had to fill up quick because it didn't get any lower.

The second time, which was only a couple of days ago, it actually went down to 20km to go by the time I reached the fuel station, after staying on 30km for about 10km before that.

Anyway, I can vouch for the fact that it is not yet empty with 82.9 litres of fuel to fill up the 80l tank. It was even OK after being parked on quite a steep slope in my front yard, despite only driving 1km from my house to the garage and taking over 82l to fill up. I assume the fuel pick up must be at the back of the tank because the bottom looks very flat.

On a related issue, after reading about the leaking fuel heat exchanger on the T4 in another post, I was wondering if the oil cooler under the floor is actually a diesel fuel cooler? I can't see what else it could be due to its location and the number of other cooling devices in front of the radiator. If there is a fuel cooler, that would be it. Does anyone know?

[95vr6]

what are you getting in L/100k's. I ave 8.6 to 9l/100k's in my M6 128kw swb

[Tornado T5]

what are you getting in L/100k's. I ave 8.6 to 9l/100k's in my M6 128kw swb

Long term average is 10.8l/100km, however I tow regularly and the trailer is 750 kg empty...

[gregozedobe]

I'm getting 6.6 - 7.8 l/100Kms, mostly highway driving in a 128Kw manual LWB T5 with a medium load (no trailer).

[bluey]

You were ripped of mate; you paid for 82L of fuel but in your tank had less than 82L. Petrol station operators are cheating. Buy your fuel somewhere else.

But the expansion tank holds up to an extra 10L. I got 53.7L in the Polo supposed 45L tank after ventectomy.

Main problem is the fuel gauge and trip computer don't know that there's extra fuel in there. Distance to empty stays static until the fuel level starts moving.

[Transporter]

But the expansion tank holds up to an extra 10L. I got 53.7L in the Polo supposed 45L tank after ventectomy.

Main problem is the fuel gauge and trip computer don't know that there's extra fuel in there. Distance to empty stays static until the fuel level starts moving.

Work out your fuel consumption from the docket properly (I'm doing it from the day one with every vehicle. And I can see that when the fuel was cheaper there was not such a big difference between servos in how much fuel we pay for and how much goes in the fuel tank) get some fuel in the jerry can and you will see what I'm talking about. I filled once 25.5L in 22.5L jerry can (filled to the same level). My fuel economy was 11.5L normaly was and is 9.3L/100km to 9.5L/100km. Isn’t that amazing. The error at the pump is very often around 50ml less fuel in every liter of fuel. The trip computer doen't know that you paid for more fuel than what is the tank. I try to use the same service station every time.

[gerhard]

There is no doubt in my mind that some service stations cheat on the quantity of fuel.

I have seen 95 litres of LPG go into a tank that has an absolute volume of 90 litres, meaning the gas should stop filling at about 85 litres.

Supplying 80 litres and charging for 83 litres means a nice extra earner for the thieving operator. It's not only servos, either - butchers, fishmongers, greengrocers, etc etc.

Weights and Measures don't check very often, they have a massive task checking all sorts of scales and measures, from butcher to baker to candlestick maker.

[Transporter]

That's spot on mate and they get very offensive when you tell them.

It is very hard to nail them down because it takes 2 weeks for The Weight

and Measure to go and check them up.

[Ivo]

I have filled up jerry cans for my boat and have found that they vary by a up to 1 liter for 25l jerry cans.

I have been buying Caltex due to the 4c/l discount but it contains 2% biodiesel. I think I need to do a few experiments and see if I get better MPG out of non bio fuel then do the $sums and see if my 4c saving is worth it. I get the feeling that the 4c is not really saving me anything and may in fact be costing me.

[The_Hawk]

You guys are pretty keen running your fuel down that low. I was always taught to fill the tank when it went under 1/4 so you don't pick up the rubbish in the bottom of the tank. Sure you have filters and it should all be good. For me it also means that in emergencies I will always have at least 1/4 of a tank of fuel so I can get pretty much anywhere I may need to in a hurry. (rather than my wife bitching when she is running late and has ZERO fuel in the car )

Got a funny story about DTE too... I have always thought that the DTE figure allowed a margin of error so at 0km you still have 50km left to stop drivers from the shallow end of the gene pool running dry... Seems the in laws XR8 REALLY means 0 when it says 0, or so they have found out... twice. Seriously, who gets in a car that says 12 km to empty and just nip's down the shop and back planning on filling up tomorrow... twice...