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How much fuel left when Reserve light comes on?

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View Poll Results: What do you do when the fuel reserve light comes on?
I never see the reserve light come one. I always fill up before this happens. 61 34.46%
Head straight to the nearest fuel station. 17 9.60%
Trust the trip computer about the remaining range, but make sure I don't push my luck. 75 42.37%
Wait until I see "--- miles remaining". I have still never run out of fuel. 24 13.56%
Voters: 177. You may not vote on this poll

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Old Apr 6th, 2016, 22:32   #11
GreenBrick
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In my first Volvo (16v 940 - went like a train) the light came on as it literally became too late, no reserve at all!
My second Volvo (now misshapen) however used to give over 20 miles, and I still never panicked, so why the massive difference?
Haven't tried with the V70 yet, I may split the difference and assume I have 10.
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Old Apr 6th, 2016, 22:46   #12
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Not sure about petrol stations being accurate.

In the summer I filled up 5l can for my mower, managed to get a little over 6l into it...um...

They shut off the pump when I told them at Tesco and charged me for 5l.
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Old Apr 6th, 2016, 23:08   #13
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Petrol cans have extra capacity for expansion, they shouldn't be filled totally up, or you could end up, on a hot day, with a boot full of petrol and a car full of fumes, believe me I know! Luckily there were so many holes in the Morris Minor, it all leaked away in the end! Cold petrol from underground expands in the heat above ground.
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Old Apr 7th, 2016, 02:49   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by id5 View Post
Expansion is why planes are fuelled by weight and not by volume and also why cars are more efficient when it is colder.

But worry not because the pump is measuring the fuel as it is drawn at the temperature of the storage tank, and not after it has expanded to air temperature.

The average 15°C temp change between the storage tank to the car tank increases the amount of fuel by approximately 0.5 litre in an average size tank full. That expansion also dilutes the amount of energy in each litre making the MPG less in summer than in winter by about 8%.
Mpg is higher in the summer than the winter with diesels by a significant amount. Can be up to 28% worse from my experience. A number of factor contribute including Cold air which is denser than warm air. http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...uel-economy-o/
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Old Apr 7th, 2016, 08:15   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RoyMacDonald View Post
Mpg is higher in the summer than the winter with diesels by a significant amount. Can be up to 28% worse from my experience. A number of factor contribute including Cold air which is denser than warm air. http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...uel-economy-o/
The fuel is denser when it is cold, there are more hydrocarbons per litre, subsequently there is more energy in each litre.

As the article suggests, the reasons that they are finding a lower MPG in winter are other factors such as heating the car up before use, windshield wipers and defrosting devices, tyre slippage, etc
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Old Apr 7th, 2016, 15:44   #16
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In my 2009 V50 DRIVe I once (within a few yards) ran out of fuel. We were living in Nottingham at the time, and I was doing a taxi service for my wife and mother to Fosse Park. Nice run down the A46 - and as I knew I had to fill up and 'prefer' to use Shell V-Power, I decided I could make it to the station at the A46/A6 junction. The warning light was already on but the mileage left indicated I would be OK, however it quite quickly went down to 15 miles remaining and then "--- miles remaining". We were within a mile of the station when 'reduced engine performance' flashed into the display. I was now driving 'very gently' and as I pulled off the (ascending) slip road towards the (green) traffic lights on the roundabout the engine started to run very hesitantly. Then the nightmare nearly happened. The lights changed to red as I approached. I took a calculated decision that my momentum (and a hesitating engine) was just sufficient to make the next 100 yards into the station off the roundabout. If I stopped at the lights I would never have restarted and I would have had to push the car with Mrs D doing the (non-power) steering (who would certainly not be amused). So, by the grace of God I stumbled over the (just) red lights and drifted into the pump bay.
The official capacity of a V50 DRIVe tank is 52 litres. On that eventful day, I filled 53.28 litres. "We just made it" was my comment to my two passengers. I don't think they realised just how nervous I was.
Now to the XC60. Looking back at my filling records, the most I have ever filled is 75.96 litres. I can't remember what the display read, possibly it had already gone from 20 miles remaining to "--- miles remaining". I knew it would be tight and I often carry a 10 litre can in the boot when this is likely. As I now live 'miles from anywhere', fuelling up has to be planned.
I never rely on a 5 litre tank for emergency fill-ups. This tactic failed once on my V50. It is all to do with the design of the fuel tank and has been discussed elsewhere.
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Old Apr 7th, 2016, 21:09   #17
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Anyone remember the reserve fuel tank switch on the Rover P6 (2000/3500) ?
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Old Apr 7th, 2016, 22:28   #18
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Nigel,

One of my old school teachers had a Jag XJ that had two fuel tanks, two separate fillers (one each side of the boot) and a switch in the car to swap them over!

Incredible when you think about it compared to cars now.

J
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Old Apr 7th, 2016, 22:39   #19
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Default Off-topic Rover P6

Quote:
Originally Posted by NigelDay View Post
Anyone remember the reserve fuel tank switch on the Rover P6 (2000/3500) ?
Yup... It was symmetrically placed opposite the choke?

My father had two of them. He sold both, and the V8 made a couple of appearances in Coronation Street as Roy Hud's car.

Now THAT car was rusty as heck, having sat on the original owner's drive for 10 years and never moved because he became discusted when company car tax was introduced. The engine, with sub-20k was a mint.

At least all the panels were bolt-on😀
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Old Apr 8th, 2016, 18:14   #20
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I always fill-up whenever my car gets near the quarter marker. I have never run out of fuel, even when I was young and could barely afford to put a fiver's worth in.
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