What is the most fuel you have managed to squeeze into a 4x4 tank?

[rockhopper]

I managed to squeeze 54.23 litres in yesterday with a range of zero miles and 464 on the trip. On the basis that the car has a 60 litre tank, I could have done another 40 miles or so - 5 + litres. This is the only tank I have never managed to get anywhere near the stated size - rather like this is the only car where I have never got anywhere near the published mpg either.

[ejstubbs]

Never try to keep filling after the pump switches off, the is a fuel expansion volume allowed for in the tank,which is there for safety reasons. ( It's all in the handbook )pages 200 to 202

That's all very well, but some pumps are ridiculously over-sensitive.

Last weekend I was only expecting to need to put about 25l in to fill the tank. The pump cut out after only 18l, which I knew was nonsense. I waited for the fuel to settle in the delivery tube, then got another 6l or so in before it cut out again. I had a listen and again there seemed to be a fair amount of gurgling going on, so I waited for that to subside and then carefully topped up to 25l. I did consider trying a bit more but by then I had put the nozzle back in its holder and the attendant had turned it off, so I just went in to pay. When I sat down in the car and turned on the ignition the needle was only at 7/8ths full :wonder: My previous car's gauge used to be a bit reluctant to admit to having a full tank so I gave it a few minutes but that was the most it ever registered. The mildly annoying thing is that this means that I have to wait until my next fill to get a brim-to-brim mileage figure

Does anyone know why some pumps are so spectacularly useless at knowing when your tank is actually full? BP garages used to be the worst for this with my Scooby but there doesn't seem to be a pattern with the Yeti, it's just random pumps that do it. I've found in the past that rotating the nozzle 180 degrees in the filling tube can sometimes persuade a nervous pump to calm down. It's not terribly helpful the manual saying: "Never try to keep filling after the pump switches off," if pumps don't actually behave in a reliable way. :(

Edited 15 June, 2012 by ejstubbs

[bahnstormer vrs]

That's all very well, but some pumps are ridiculously over-sensitive.

Last weekend I was only expecting to need to put about 25l in to fill the tank. The pump cut out after only 18l, which I knew was nonsense. I waited for the fuel to settle in the delivery tube, then got another 6l or so in before it cut out again. I had a listen and again there seemed to be a fair amount of gurgling going on, so I waited for that to subside and then carefully topped up to 25l. I did consider trying a bit more but by then I had put the nozzle back in its holder and the attendant had turned it off, so I just went in to pay. When I sat down in the car and turned on the ignition the needle was only at 7/8ths full :wonder: My previous car's gauge used to be a bit reluctant to admit to having a full tank so I gave it a few minutes but that was the most it ever registered. The mildly annoying thing is that this means that I have to wait until my next fill to get a brim-to-brim mileage figure

Does anyone know why some pumps are so spectacularly useless at knowing when your tank is actually full? BP garages used to be the worst for this with my Scooby but there doesn't seem to be a pattern with the Yeti, it's just random pumps that do it. I've found in the past that rotating the nozzle 180 degrees in the filling tube can sometimes persuade a nervous pump to calm down. It's not terribly helpful the manual saying: "Never try to keep filling after the pump switches off," if pumps don't actually behave in a reliable way. :(

Two possible items that may cause the issue;-

1. Fuel flow rate from the pump being to fast.

2. Car not level when fuelling, thus creating an air lock in the fuel tank. I always check to see if the garage forecourt is sloping at all, my local regular one is level, but if there is a sideways slope I position the car with the fuel filler 'up' (not 'down').

[blouis79]

Never try to keep filling after the pump switches off, the is a fuel expansion volume allowed for in the tank,which is there for safety reasons. ( It's all in the handbook )pages 200 to 202

Not sure the expansion volume is needed for diesel. Manal is the same for diesel and petrol variants. Have done "ventectomy" on Polo TDI, with no issues in 3 years routinely putting in 52L into "45L" tank. Getting 50-54L into Yeti 60L tank never down to zero on computer range.

[bahnstormer vrs]

Did my largest fill this morning; 55.50 litres.

I'd been to Silverstone yesterday and, whilst I thought I had enough 'range' to get there and back easily, the fast run plus time spent in traffic queues took its toll. Got home last night with range on '5 miles' but then had to do 20 miles to work this morning and my preferred filling station.

Drove really economically keeping to 56mph on the M'way (got 53.4mpg on maxidot), and had range on '0 miles' for the last 5. Not something I'd like to repeat in a hurry.