Fuel "sloshing"

[amatej]

Hi,

 

For almost a year now i'm one very happy owner of a great car, but now when honeymoon is over i'm starting to see even the slightest weaknesses.

 

Recently, in a few occasions I noticed that a fuel sloshing (don't know if it's the right word) on my 2.0 tdi Octavia is pretty loud. You can hear it from inside as well as from the outside when the car is slightly moved (for example when it's in a gear and you push it a bit with a hand). I'm wondering if this is normal, because I don't remember noticing that in any other car I had. I can hear it also while driving over a bump or when stopping at a traffic light.

Isn't the fuel tank designed in a way / divided with a few chambers to prevent it?

 

What are other's opinions about that?

 

 

 

 

[iDENTITi]

Both mine and all the loan car octy 3s I've had have done it.

[jon_r]

I've noticed this with mine as well, it's even more noticeable when the rear seats are flat. It's more evident in this car than any other car I've owned, and I've had a few!

[billat29]

Me too. But only seems to be when the tank is full

[DamageLimitation]

I get the sloshing in my Mk II Octavia, but only for a day or two after filling the tank. I expect my Mk III will be the same (and I'm hoping to find this out before Christmas).

[amatej]

Nice to know I'm not the only one with this . Since it seems to be a "normal feature" of our cars I'm not going to bother a dealer about that, but it's definitely not something I would expect from a 2014 car. Still missing a "moving fuel gauge indicator in curves" feature, though

 

Last time it did this the fuel tank was about 80% full. Have to see if sloshing depends on how much fuel is in it.

Edited 3 December, 2014 by amatej

[TomLux]

I hear the sloshing in both our cars (Scirocco and A3). So it seems "normal", at least for VAG cars. From the outside I assume it's normal: why would they add sound proofing on the tank on the outside, that would certainly spoil their already unrealistic mpg values .

On the inside the stock exhaust in the Scirocco drowns much of any noise and I only hear the sloshing very rarely in the A3, but then it might be better soundproofed than the Skoda?

[Sheldon.Cooper]

Had my Octy III for 19 months now and never heard any sloshing.  Plenty of other squeeks and rattles but deffinately no sloshing at any level of fuel in the tank or on any road surface. :p

[airscool]

Turn up the bass.

 

[amatej]

Turn up the bass.

 

 

Bass is up all the time and that's the reason why I noticed it after almost a year of ownership   The Canton is also dealing very nice with all the rattles and squeeks.

 

Seems that sloshing is occuring only at some certain amount of fuel in the tank. At the half full tank now there is no sloshing.  

[toni8b]

Yep, some weird acoustics going on with almost full tank... how could they miss it in development phase? its beyond me and even more, how can this happen on audi as well?

Edited 4 December, 2014 by toni8b

[Gerrycan]

You are going about it all wrong...think calming water feature noise, gentle lap of waves on warm tropical beach.  

[mtl]

Sadly, it looks like this sloshing is a feature not a bug . It is evident on a few Octavias 3.

I agree, this should not happen in a 2014 car. It looks like the rear seats do not absorb the sound of fuel sloshing. On my Superb, I can hear it loudly if I remove lower part of the rear seats. But with this part on it place, this sloshing disappears.

[automass]

Hi guys, I am going to bring this post live instead of creating another same topic.

 

I have bought My Octavia MK3(I BELIEVE) few days ago. I filled the tank up to the full day before yesterday, but didn't notice any sloshing noise. again yesterday i topped it up to the full..i tried thrice to top up after the cut off. now i can hear the sloshing noise of the fuel. Did i do anything wrong or this is the common problem. will it go away or i have to bear this as long as i keep the car. .

[glosrich]

It's a known issue, due to the lack of sound proofing.

If you want a quiet car you have to buy a VW or Audi I'm afraid.

Skoda is the budget brand and some things are missing like this.

Some owners also complain of road noise and pressure and booming noises in the cabin.

 

[Tilt]

9 minutes ago, glosrich said:

It's a known issue, due to the lack of sound proofing.

If you want a quiet car you have to buy a VW or Audi I'm afraid.

Skoda is the budget brand and some things are missing like this.

Some owners also complain of road noise and pressure and booming noises in the cabin.

 

 

Given a few months (probably weeks in this case) and the sloshing sound won't be a problem anymore............

 

It won't be audible above all the squeaks and rattles, and road noise as you mention. Lol.

[Alpha2110]

Thay all make a noise when more than half full. This problem is symptomatic of the way skoda build cars. Another stupid problem they could not be arsed to design out. 

 

Its so sad fhis car has been deliberately held back, if only thay fixed all the stupid unessisary problems, such as, road noise, gearbox, booming, tank noise, it would be fantastic.

 

 

[harrylime]

Petrol tanks should have baffle plates to reduce or eliminate this. Perhaps they were missed on the production line? Glosrich, I too have a 1.9tdi, and am thinking of changing, how do you rate the Audi fsi? 

[automass]

I can get back to my seller telling them the tank they fit makes sloshing noise, but will it make any different if they replace it with another one? I am already upset with this very economical (totally bull****) car which consumed too mush fuel. I could have bought VW Passat 2L TDi if i would  pay extra £300. downside was just mileage was 15k more than this Octavia and was due for servicing.

[glosrich]

3 minutes ago, automass said:

I can get back to my seller telling them the tank they fit makes sloshing noise, but will it make any different if they replace it with another one? I am already upset with this very economical (totally bull****) car which consumed too mush fuel. I could have bought VW Passat 2L TDi if i would  pay extra £300. downside was just mileage was 15k more than this Octavia and was due for servicing.

 

The fuel tank may be noisy, but Passat are unreliable so you dodged a bullet there.

Yes it makes a noise, but if you have some music on you don't notice it.

[Alpha2110]

Theres a saying, save now and pay twice later, this holds true for many things, and the octavia is no different. My list of problems goes up by the month with this car.

 

Try and keep the tank half full, eliminates the problem, its only noticable around town and only when the tank is 3/4 full and over. 

[ahenners]

Am I the only person that hasn't noticed this sloshing? Had my car nearly 6 months and never noticed it.

[automass]

2 minutes ago, ahenners said:

Am I the only person that hasn't noticed this sloshing? Had my car nearly 6 months and never noticed it.

 

 

Really..did you try to fill up the tank to the full and once cut off try twice or thrice. drive in a very quite road and break and stop..definitely you will hear the sound. 

[ahenners]

9 minutes ago, automass said:

 

 

Really..did you try to fill up the tank to the full and once cut off try twice or thrice. drive in a very quite road and break and stop..definitely you will hear the sound. 

 

I always fill the tank full, but stop at the first click. Not going to listen out for it, as I imagine it will become annoying once noticed. 

[LewJo]

4 hours ago, ahenners said:

Am I the only person that hasn't noticed this sloshing? Had my car nearly 6 months and never noticed it.

 

Ive owned to O3 VRS' a hatch and estate and didn't notice this in either of them.

 

however, if people are filling past the first shut off at the pump that may be the problem as at that point you're not filling the fuel tank but the expansion tank, which isn't a great idea.