whats the longest distance anyone has travelled in fab vrs with fuel warning light on? I have gone up to 40 miles and chickened out.

Done 25 miles with it reading zero Don't worry at all about taking it to nil. Plenty of leeway in that readout.

Lowest ive had is 5miles left showing and I chickened out. There are a lot braver people than me!

about 62 miles. and prob coulda done mere

Lowest I've gone is 5miles left in my old 1.4 16v, but in the TDi 25miles left

Nice to know theres plenty left in there, but I for one won't be testing it for myself if I can help it!

Ive been 30 miles on nil left in tank probably had more!

I based my confidence on when I filled the tank from 5 miles from empty 43 litres fit in the tank so there has to be plenty left!

Every time my warning light comes on my trip computer says I have 70 miles left!

70 miles would last some people a week or two! With a 100 mile commute a day this is a common occurrance

I've run the car for about 15 miles on zero a few times and panicked everytime

Only downside to pushing it too far is you might pull lots of gunk out the bottom of the tank into the fuelling system, although if the filter setup does its job this shouldn't actually get to the injectors.

Generally when I drive my car it tends to be (unless I have a long journey ahead of me) £20 at a time and stick more in when it reaches 5 or 10 miles to go. Less fuel = less weight (1kg per litre) so therefore better performance and economy.

Only downside to pushing it too far is you might pull lots of gunk out the bottom of the tank into the fuelling system, although if the filter setup does its job this shouldn't actually get to the injectors.

Generally when I drive my car it tends to be (unless I have a long journey ahead of me) £20 at a time and stick more in when it reaches 5 or 10 miles to go. Less fuel = less weight (1kg per litre) so therefore better performance and economy.

I don't see how it would draw crap through. The fuel feed must sit at the bottom of the tank so unless all the crap floats then it shouldn't make any difference how low you run it.

I've had the Fabia down to 5 miles and the Octy down to 0.

I don't see how it would draw crap through. The fuel feed must sit at the bottom of the tank so unless all the crap floats then it shouldn't make any difference how low you run it.

I've had the Fabia down to 5 miles and the Octy down to 0.

I was about to say the same. It seems to me that alot of people believe running a car low will get alot of 'crap' into the engine? For the same reason you mention I also cant see how!

Yeah, it's probably an old wives tale that I heard from somewhere. I've definitely never had running issues however low the tank gets. One day I might take a 1 gallon can out with me and run it dry to see how far that reserve tank goes.

I'm sure I read on here a while back (someone who does quarter runs a lot) mentioning about always running half a tank, as it gives you the best weight whilst providing the most power (to do with the temperature of the fuel), but I'm finding that hard to figure - will fuel temperature really make that much difference?

I'm sure I read on here a while back (someone who does quarter runs a lot) mentioning about always running half a tank, as it gives you the best weight whilst providing the most power (to do with the temperature of the fuel), but I'm finding that hard to figure - will fuel temperature really make that much difference?

This makes some kind of strange sense to me! Simply because I always find that my car is more responsive on the throttle/accellerates that bit better when I have just filled up, in comparison to when it is nearly empty! Always previously put this down to the double dose of millers giving it that boost/clean up. Either way it might all be a load of b0ll0cks and it just may be a placebo effect i have on myself when i've stuck a tank full of v-power in and am tryting to justify the extra £££ to myself!

Edited 25 February, 201016 yr by Sausage Roll

Yeh I usually get that smooth responsive feeling after it just being filled up!

Yeah, it's probably an old wives tale that I heard from somewhere. I've definitely never had running issues however low the tank gets. One day I might take a 1 gallon can out with me and run it dry to see how far that reserve tank goes.

Don't you have to get the whole system bled on a diesel if you get air in the fuel lines?

Don't you have to get the whole system bled on a diesel if you get air in the fuel lines?

No - the VW PD engines are self priming - Same as when you change the fuel filter - bit of cranking and it primes then starts.

Could take slightly longer to pull fuel through from the tank but it will self prime.

Don't you have to get the whole system bled on a diesel if you get air in the fuel lines?

Nah - it'll crank through eventually after a couple of primes.

and the fuel thing is right too - for the amount that gets pumped into the head (getting warm!) most of it is returned to the fuel tank than gets injected into the engine so will get warmer and warmer the less fuel there is in the tank to mix it with. I have an additional fuel cooler but generally find running less than quarter of a tank on track/drag runs will be less efficient than running half a tank.

Sweet, worth knowing about the self priming bit. Can start pushing my luck now lol.

most i've ran on 0 is probably between 5-10 miles, i only panic if i have no idea where the local fuel station is.

as for running so low you drag crap into the system, as stated the fuel feed has to be at the bottom or you'd run out while still having fuel in there. one answer could be any crap that floats at the top of the fuel, we all hate floaters

Yeah, it's probably an old wives tale that I heard from somewhere. I've definitely never had running issues however low the tank gets. One day I might take a 1 gallon can out with me and run it dry to see how far that reserve tank goes.

Not quite. That was back when tanks were all bare metal, inside and out. When it wasnt full, any moisture corroded the inside of the tank, which over time would then come away from the tank walls, and block the fuel pick up pipe when the tank was extremely low...

But most cars has plastic fuel tanks nowadays

Sweet, worth knowing about the self priming bit. Can start pushing my luck now lol.

Yeah, just be aware the manual says if you run completely dry it will take around 1 minute of cranking to pull diesel through to the engine and get it to fire (so it could take a little while!). Having said that, I don't know how accurate this is - never really wanted to find out!

When i filled up with petrol I drained the tank completely and fuel lines, filled up with diesel primed it a few times. Started up after 5-10 seconds of cranking. Strange thing is it running better since the petrols been in there!

I've had the fuel light come on as I've left the house in the morning and done the ~55 mile trip to work plus the 3 miles or so at lunchtime to fill up and dissapointingly there's always a litre or two left. the computer seems to tell me I've 0 miles left before the needle's even touching empty

With the light on, Preston to Carlisle South on the M6

Steady 60mph all the way. Last 10-15 miles were with the readout at 0.