73 into 70 - how does that work....?

 

I could not be asked to fill my Merc last Friday on the way home from London, and continued using it the last couple of days until I eventually passed the local Shell garage. The light had been on since Friday and the trip odometer was showing 410 miles since the last fill (I rarely see more than 365), so thought I'd better stop.

 

Considering the car is supposed to have a 70 litre tank (which includes the 9 litre reserve), how is it that I managed to squeeze in over 73 litres? Is the tank bigger than the handbook suggests, or is there something wrong with the calibration of the forecourt's fuel pumps....:shifty:

 

Still, at least I now know just how far I can push it between fill-ups before it is actually running on fumes!!!

 

Richard:ohmy:

The tank is a nominal capacity, but that doesn't automatically include the length of the pipe that that goes to it. A number of times I have "put in more than the car holds", on different vehicles.

The fuel filler neck is not counted in the capacity and holds a couple of litres.

Of course - I didn't think of that:blush:

 

I've never let it run so low before - I think the most I have put in is 69.5 litres...:lol:

A leak and you have a boot full of fuel...;)

I wouldnt drop a flame near your shoes, thats all I can say.. :1eye:

You have replace all the fumes you've been running on with fuel !

I do not know about the fuel pumps precision for volume delivery in UK... but in France, I have seen serious gaps!

73 is what you pay for, and 70 could well be the delivered volume... 3 over 73 is 4%, so what is the tolerance at the end of the calibration validity period?

I have seen also certification validity dates (on the pump stickers to prove calibration) finished since three or 5 months...

By the way, on top of this, there was a study on "how to fill your petrol tank" so that the delivered volume is supposely right: You have to fill until the automatic stop closes the flow the first time. As soon as you restart, reclick, restart, reclick... and so on, the errors are just enormous (up to 25% of the complementary volume added!!)

Oh, and be sure that the delivered volume is always less than the one you get!! :gun_bandana:

A 5ltr fuel can holds 6ltrs, so will be the same principle I guess but you can't pour it but they don't pour they just glug everywhere unless you use the spout flexible thingy.

 

For Richard - Drove my Merc today and the light was on and I was keeping my eye on the range left as I traveled along, then suddenly this range disappeared from view, it was about 30 and was replaced with a fuel pump with pipe which led to a car graphic - Germans saying fill up or else :smartass:.

A 5ltr fuel can holds 6ltrs, so will be the same principle I guess but you can't pour it but they don't pour they just glug everywhere unless you use the spout flexible thingy.

 

For Richard - Drove my Merc today and the light was on and I was keeping my eye on the range left as I traveled along, then suddenly this range disappeared from view, it was about 30 and was replaced with a fuel pump with pipe which led to a car graphic - Germans saying fill up or else :smartass:.

 

Yup - mine does that too. My previous one didn't - the "remaining miles" just counted down to zero.....

 

......but this one goes down to about 30-40 miles and then gets the car graphic. I don't know about your car, but mine is a clear graphic of an SLK front-on view; it's pretty good actually!! I still drive on a good 40-50 miles with the picture and fuel light showing though - and watch Julia's face getting more anxious by the minute...:lol:

 

Richard:smartass:

Yup - mine does that too. My previous one didn't - the "remaining miles" just counted down to zero.....

I don't know about your car, but mine is a clear graphic of an SLK front-on view; it's pretty good actually!! I still drive on a good 40-50 miles with the picture and fuel light showing though - and watch Julia's face getting more anxious by the minute...:lol:

 

Richard:smartass:

 

All sounds like the same as mine, my last one also counted right down to zero where you could run but not far on it, as you reached a gradient it certainly plummeted to zero.

 

With my new one being a diesel no chances will be taken and once the car graphic appears I noticed the needle was still quite away from the empty mark so can understand easy why you can travel a further 30 miles or so.

All sounds like the same as mine, my last one also counted right down to zero where you could run but not far on it, as you reached a gradient it certainly plummeted to zero.

 

With my new one being a diesel no chances will be taken and once the car graphic appears I noticed the needle was still quite away from the empty mark so can understand easy why you can travel a further 30 miles or so.

 

LOL - not quite mate.... I wait until the needle is also resting on empty and still carry on another 40-odd miles......:rofl:

 

One day it will catch me out....:innocent:

I've has the reading down to 3 miles to go before emptiness but my head always tells me to fill up and not break down!

Mind you I normally expect 800 miles on a tank so its not often I like to test how much further it can go without fill ups.

BTW - the lights and graphics come on with 100 miles to go - its madness! Although there is probably some German like logic in it??

BTW - the lights and graphics come on with 100 miles to go - its madness! Although there is probably some German like logic in it??

 

Yep, they hate us british and want to annoy us for 100 miles......lol