In my manual (2005 Superb Comfort 1.9 tdi 130bhp) the capacity is given as 62 litres with about 8 litres in reserve, is the 8 litres included in the 62 or not.

I query this as I have had a situation where the fuel guage is just on the top of the red, but no fuel warning light is on, the trip compter says I can still do 25 miles, and when I filled up, I put in 61.1 litres.

Don't forget the filling pipe from the cap to the tank, I bet that holds 3 or 4 litres!

On my 54 plate 130 tdi, the please refuel me beep comes when the trip computer is predicting 70 miles or so. Last time it came on at 65 and I actually ran another 60 before refueling. "Reserve" is a slightly misleading term in this context: I remember riding a motor bike where, "reserve", meant reserve; the engine started to splutter, so you reached down and opened the reserve tap and carried on - looking for somewhere to fill it up - and close the reserve tap again.

On my 54 plate 130 tdi, the please refuel me beep comes when the trip computer is predicting 70 miles or so. Last time it came on at 65 and I actually ran another 60 before refueling. "Reserve" is a slightly misleading term in this context: I remember riding a motor bike where, "reserve", meant reserve; the engine started to splutter, so you reached down and opened the reserve tap and carried on - looking for somewhere to fill it up - and close the reserve tap again.

Mine always comes on with 30 remaining.

I always thought it was a 63 litre tank overall, of which 8 is the reserve, making the capacity 55 plus 8 reserve - When the light comes on.

my assumption was 62 inclusive of reserve. Depending on how you are driving when the warning light comes on it could range between 30 to 70 miles

Thanks for all the input, but something still doesn't add up.

Assuming that when the fuel gauge is just touching the red arc, there are 8 litres left (the reserve) in the tank, this means the maximum I could have put into the tank is 54 litres (plus a bit for the filler neck), yet I managed 61.

As mentioned, the range left was showing as 25 miles (after driving for an hour on a/b roads) before the re-fuel, assuming 40mpg, this equates to 2.8 litres left.

There are a few possibilities :-

1) The fuel gauge is fault ( I also did not hear a warning gong or have a warning light display).

2) The on board computer range calculation is faulty or way out of calibration ( I now know it reads 3 mpg high for average fuel consumption).

3) The fuel pump at the station (a good size one of 16 pumps) was not calibrated correctly, and I only really put in 54/55 litres.

It would also be interesting to find out what's the most anyone has put into a tank.

Thanks for all the input, but something still doesn't add up.

Assuming that when the fuel gauge is just touching the red arc, there are 8 litres left (the reserve) in the tank, this means the maximum I could have put into the tank is 54 litres (plus a bit for the filler neck), yet I managed 61.

As mentioned, the range left was showing as 25 miles (after driving for an hour on a/b roads) before the re-fuel, assuming 40mpg, this equates to 2.8 litres left.

There are a few possibilities :-

1) The fuel gauge is fault ( I also did not hear a warning gong or have a warning light display).

2) The on board computer range calculation is faulty or way out of calibration ( I now know it reads 3 mpg high for average fuel consumption).

3) The fuel pump at the station (a good size one of 16 pumps) was not calibrated correctly, and I only really put in 54/55 litres.

It would also be interesting to find out what's the most anyone has put into a tank.

A recent fill took £59, that was @ £1.09 pl and I was 10 miles into the range warning from when it 1st informed me.

I once drove 20 miles with the range saying 0 miles left. Was getting rid of the car - my previous Superb, and she amazed me that she actually made it! My heart was in my mouth tho, and the trip computer was reading 61.5mpg - I was REALLY grannying it though.

Fuel tank is 62l stock, that includes 8l reserve (so 54l to message + 8 after message). The amount of reserve (the point where you get "please refuel" message) can be adjusted via VAG-COM in Group 30 adaptation of Instrument Cluster.

If you remove the vent valve in the tank filler (perfectly OK to do on a diesel and 5min job, never do it on a petrol), then you can fill up right to the top of neck, and I estimate the total capacity to be 69l-70l.

If you have doubts about your fuel gauge reading, best to siphon off fuel from the tank completely, add slightly less than reserve amount (5l?) and see if you get "please refuel" message. If you don't, the level sender in the tank may be faulty.

Correct adjustment procedure is empty the tank, add 8l of fuel and then adjust Group 30 with VAG-COM until you get "please refuel" message.

I would not recommend running these cars low on fuel - the in-tank lift pump relies on the fuel for cooling. These pumps last appreciably longer if you keep the tank fairly full.

(Although the fuel pump sits in a "pot" inside the tank, this is filled from the return which is very hot. It needs the bulk fuel in the tank to keep it cool). Feel the return fuel line under the car with the engine running...

rotodiesel.

I would not recommend running these cars low on fuel - the in-tank lift pump relies on the fuel for cooling. These pumps last appreciably longer if you keep the tank fairly full.

(Although the fuel pump sits in a "pot" inside the tank, this is filled from the return which is very hot. It needs the bulk fuel in the tank to keep it cool). Feel the return fuel line under the car with the engine running...

rotodiesel.

Ditto

and you risk killing the cat as well.

Instead of removing the vent just inside the filler pipe, I always just put the fuel nozzle against it and push it down a fraction, that vents the tank you should be able to get another 4 or 5 liters in

With the trip computer just having gone from 10 to 5 miles to go, I got 58.61 litres in. The refuel me message came up 50 miles earlier.

Instead of removing the vent just inside the filler pipe, I always just put the fuel nozzle against it and push it down a fraction, that vents the tank you should be able to get another 4 or 5 liters in

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Look inside the neck about an inch inside, and you will see a smallish black button, you can move it up and down with your finger, that's the vent

I have just refueled after 782 miles, with a predicted range of 20 miles and got the usual 57.5 litres in. The predicted range then went up to 785, which is nice and consistent: when I got home (4 miles) I was able to empty the whole of my 5 litre plastic can into the tank, but this is still significantly short of the published capacity. Either the pumps on all the forecourts I have visited are shutting off 10 litres short of full, or there was more than 20 miles worth left. Next time I may add the contents of the plastic container on the forecourt, fill it up again, and then see how much of the second 5 litres will go in.

When you fill it and the pump stops, just keep going slowly and put the nozzle against the vent and push it down gently you will find that from the pump stopping to you getting the tank brimmed you will get another 5 to 6 litres in