Maxi Dot Fuel Gauge Issue

[Richf]

I have never owned or driven a car that doesn't stay at full for a while and then drop rapidly.

[Bishopton]

The LCD guage on the Monte (non-maxi dot, std MFD) is tapered. Soooo the first 1/8 increment takes about 100 miles to disappear. The next 80. As I learnt yesterday, the last two (with fuel light on) only last 40 miles or so.

Yes, it is two 1/8th increments, but not 1/4 of a tank of fuel left.

I don't know about Maxi-dot, but perhaps it does the same - any change to driving style since passing 10k? You mentioned the holiday in S France - presumably driving from full tank to empty, so you would get better economy and notice the foible. YOu did some long journeys since returning, so it is behaving the same.

If I hadn't done the same journey last year with the gauge 'doing good', I might agree; gauge worked like every other car I've had (lots!) until just before crossing into France. That's how it came to light. Once I realised there was an 'issue' (at least in my book), I topped up every few hundred miles so that I wasn't having to rely on the gauge

Quick update; 170 miles since filling up; started car this morning, gauge went to marker below full; was at full last night when I parked in driveway.By my reckoning, and based on pre £10k behaviour, should be somewhat lower down.

Edited 30 August, 2012 by Bishopton

[weeloon]

Managed 55 litres in mine tonight from "zero miles" that's over 2 gallons before it even goes down to being a full tank.

[Bishopton]

thanks for comments folks. My original post was really around the fact that the gauge was working very differently from how it had been. Appears that I'm alone in this so I'll need to (re)visit the dealer to see if they can do anything.

[Bullyboy]

Never had this on mine. I would say it drops normally bit by bit. Maxi dot helps with range. Would also say this normal on a car. Never owned a car that stays full then suddenly drops loads at once. Interesting

[Ootohere]

Bullyboy,

Do you stop the pump when it first clicks off,

or like me if you were down to fumes, (still good for near a gallons worth) put in 50--55 litres in a car that is supposed to be a 45 litre tank.

& then if it is not at a round litre or pound, squeeze a bit more untill it is?

(vRS just goes down at the right rate once 60- 80 miles or so have passed from brimming it IME,

being in a hurry or not obviously makes a difference on how far or soon obviously)

george

[HumptyDumpty]

I have a problem with my LCD fuel gauge on my skoda 2 '09 plate.

Last week was driving the car with a quarter of a tank and then the dark blocks in the LCD gauge disappeared completely, registering no fuel but the fuel light did not come on. Stopped the car an turned engine off and restarted it and it went back to a quarter of a tank. It's been doing that again last few days but now as well it'll go up and down really quickly. One min will say half a tank and and say like 200 miles till I run out then in seconds will go down to just one bar and petrol light will come on, telling me I have just 25 miles till running out of fuel then it'll jump up again to quarter of tank again within seconds.

Any ideas please?

Thank you.

[PDIBK]

Some sort of sender problem.

The OPs issue of it showing one thing when stopping, another when firing up the next day is fairly common too (or has been in every car I've ever owned). The guage almost has a lag built in. I guess most people do short-ish journeys, rather than emptying a fuel tank in one go, so you get out, get in and start up and it gives you a more accurate reading.

I get the point about the guages behaviour being different after the holiday to that of previous. Maybe you just noticed it more because of the long journey. It seems slightly paranoid to stop every 150 miles or so - even if I thrape mine, it would return over 350 miles from the 45 litre tank.

Now, I'm not prepared to run mine until it coughs into submission with an empty tank, but I reckon it is 45 litres, so no way you could squeeze in 50 or 55!

[Bishopton]

Some sort of sender problem.

The OPs issue of it showing one thing when stopping, another when firing up the next day is fairly common too (or has been in every car I've ever owned). The guage almost has a lag built in. I guess most people do short-ish journeys, rather than emptying a fuel tank in one go, so you get out, get in and start up and it gives you a more accurate reading.

I get the point about the guages behaviour being different after the holiday to that of previous. Maybe you just noticed it more because of the long journey. It seems slightly paranoid to stop every 150 miles or so - even if I thrape mine, it would return over 350 miles from the 45 litre tank.

Now, I'm not prepared to run mine until it coughs into submission with an empty tank, but I reckon it is 45 litres, so no way you could squeeze in 50 or 55!

Now back to normal! Done nothing different, so, as they say, it's a mystery.

[PDIBK]

Gremlins! They must have snuck in at the first French petrol station!

I stopped in France, I wonder when mine will act up!

[Ootohere]

Sorry for talking sharn as usual, re my post,

on puting in 50 or 55 litres.

I ran mine down on Saturday to '40 miles to go',

(was at, and over 50 mpg ave for a while)

before filling up with good stuff & getting on a Ferry.

Only squeezed in 40 litres brimming it & as the pump showed it.

george

[weeloon]

Still slighty off topic but squeezed in 50ltrs after a run to Alton Towers at the weekend, said '5 miles to go' admittedly I pushed the vent button in when filling it but can defo consistently get 50-55 litres in doing this. Either that or 5 different stations all have faulty pumps and my mpg is far better than it should be.

[PDIBK]

VRS got a bigger tank?

Mine was on zero range, had been for some time (20 miles or so) and I got in 44 litres.

[Bishopton]

Gremlins! They must have snuck in at the first French petrol station!

I stopped in France, I wonder when mine will act up!

a tres amusant mon ami!

unfortunately, it happened at Folkestone....................they must have snuck thru that darned tunnel!