Fabia III 1.2 petrol Estate - fuel gauge stuck at full

[mike1950]

Just clocked the first 1000 miles and really enjoying the car - until:

Filled up just over a week ago. Trip recorder shows 168 miles since filling and fuel gauge is locked at full.

 

Miles to go to re-fuel is 400 miles... All the time.

 

Anyone had this problem and was it resolved easily?

 

This is behaving like the fuel tank sender is either sitting above the fuel level or similar.

 

On the previous fill ups by 40 miles the fuel gauge was falling - the miles to go on the current fuel followed the journeys done i.e. distance to go to re-fuel was reducing by roughly each jouney distance.

 

Thanks for any good feedback.

 

 

 

 

 

[pab567]

The question is how you refuel it. And I'm serious. Manual says tank has 45 liter capacity but after moving air valve inside the fuel inlet you are able to tank 11 litres more - and then you have the behaviour you described. I had the same...

Edited 22 May, 2015 by pab567

[Matt17121991]

As said above, if you 'vent' the tank you can easily get more than 45 Litres in! I have a Rapid, which was 55 Litre tank but I can get at least 10-15 litres over than in there, meaning my fuel gauge doesn't move off full until I've covered roughly 150ish miles on the trip computer.

[Ootohere]

As they say ^^^^^^

Be careful not to vent a tank by accident,  rather than Venting to extend between fill ups on a trip.

ie, Venting then not use up the extra fuel you have in taking up the expansion area.

Venting and then parking up can be dangerous as weather conditions change, cold night and hot/ sunny days.

[fabiamk2SE]

Yup. Venting the tank is the same as the mk2 fabia, and other stuff

Shouldn't be done unless you're doing a long trip mind

[mike1950]

First Many Thanks for your replies - very much appreciated.

 

I take your point of the possibilty of fuel getting into the expansion tank. Perhaps another hundred miles or so may be enough to drain that down. I will come back with the result after the trip is done.

 

Just a thought - If it is possible to have fuel get into what should be an expansion space seems a bit risky from the full tank and hot weather situation...

 

Anyway, I ran the tank down before the last refil to the point where the refil alarm was running. Remaining fuel indicated about 40 mile to empty at the point of refilling.

Given the tank capacity is about 45 litres the refill took 41 litres and the pump clicked out. At this point filling was stopped.

 

Have a good weekend.

 

Again many thanks for your interest and replies. It makes for a nice community spirit!

[fabiamk2SE]

Give it another 50 miles or so atleast mate

Dont worry just yet.

Is it a petrol or diesel?

[mike1950]

OK - have completed 278 miles since the refil. Fuel gauge just started to move down, with the fuel to go before refilling showing 380 miles, was at 400 miles.

Must have had fuel inside the expansion tank - but this is strange with the refils never exceeding the tanks empty capacity and fuel to go showing about 40 miles at the point of filling...

 

Back to enjoying the car!

 

 

 

Many thanks for your interest and replies.

[Ootohere]

Are you saying you had put no more than 45 litres in when the Range showed 40 miles.?

 

The 40 mile range comes about by how you were driving at the time and what the computer worked the Average out as.

It could say 40 mile Range and there could be 6-7 litres still in the tank, maybe more, maybe less.

[mike1950]

Helllo goneoffSKi,

 

On each refil the tank has been run down until the computer is reporting about 40 miles to go (by 50 miles to go the refil alarm had sounded and the warning light had lit). The last refil was its third since new, when this situation came about. Each of the first two refils followed the expected conditions, As the trip recorder counted up the miles the fuel remaining reduced by virtually the same amount.

 

In the user manual in the section on fuel refers to only allowing the fuel station delivery pump to fill until it "clicks out" first time. This rule has been followed.

 

On the fuel receipts each shows no more than 42 litres delivered and paid for. The last refil was 41 litres.

This kind of implies that the fuel consumption calculation is incorrect. Or, some fuel has been "stored" and suddenly released.

I think the second option is probably true and is following pab567 suggestion where the expansion tank has been venting while re-filling.

 

Cheers for now.

 

 

 

[Matt17121991]

As they say ^^^^^^

Be careful not to vent a tank by accident,  rather than Venting to extend between fill ups on a trip.

ie, Venting then not use up the extra fuel you have in taking up the expansion area.

Venting and then parking up can be dangerous as weather conditions change, cold night and hot/ sunny days.

 

 

Why is venting the tank bad? I do it on every fill up in my Rapid.

[Ootohere]

Because the space you are filling with fuel is for expansion of gas that your get from petroleum when you heat it.

So many of us Vent our tanks on trips and get an extra 7 litres or so in,

but if you were to vent it on a cold evening or early morning, drive only a few miles and park it up and then the temperature was to rise 20 *degrees during the day, you might get the idea when Venting needs some thought before doing it.

 

If you are happy that venting your tank in the type of cars we have and then leaving it very full and parked up,

then that has at least been thought about and you decided that we have cars that it is safe to do that with.

Edited 26 May, 2015 by goneoffSKi

[stug45]

My car did this for 120 miles.

Last tank was 45L too.

Will do over 500 miles this tank (50+mpg) according to the computer.

Very happy with the efficiency!

[fabiamk2SE]

My car did this for 120 miles.

Last tank was 45L too.

Will do over 500 miles this tank (50+mpg) according to the computer.

Very happy with the efficiency!

Only way to test it properly is to set a trip and see. Wouldnt listen to the computer too much, mine goes up and down.

[stug45]

As I'm getting pretty static 50+ the range does stay about 500 (total).

Nearly half a tank left now so only time will tell. 500 miles will be the goal rather than 450 like I thought it would do!

[fabiamk2SE]

As I'm getting pretty static 50+ the range does stay about 500 (total).

Nearly half a tank left now so only time will tell. 500 miles will be the goal rather than 450 like I thought it would do!

Probably find the gauge drops faster near the bottom though, if its anything like the mk2

[stug45]

I'm on the other half. I'm expecting the same.

Hopefully I can keep the mpg at 50 and see how it progresses. 170 miles range

[Ootohere]

Have you yet been driving long journeys and short journeys and getting 50 mpg average so after 45.64 litres is used you have covered 500 miles,or is it just the computer saying this is the Average MPG.

 

The range changes as it computes your recent fuel usage, sit with the car stopped and engine running and the Range can Drop obviously.

You can quite possibly Zero the Computer, go and drive economically and get that range up to 220 miles after a short while.

do 20 miles of driving and have it showing 210 Miles range as an example.

[stug45]

Unfortunately a rush has dropped my mpg from 50 to 47 however I should get 475 miles for the tank.

35 miles left so I'll behave and see if it improves!

[Goody1]

I have never relied on car computer read outs to measure my mpg. I brim the tank on each fill-up and use a calculator to get an accurate figure. The last 2 fill-ups have been 47.6 and 48.5.

[stug45]

470miles with 10 miles range. 41.6L.

Computer indicated 48mpg. Calculated 51mpg.

20 miles on new tank is showing 60+ since eco driving. 69 was peak before travelling back up a hill.

Its pretty efficient if you try!

What frustrated me is the litres. Put in 45 last time with 30 miles remaining. With 10 this time I couldn't even get 42?

[fabiamk2SE]

470miles with 10 miles range. 41.6L.

Computer indicated 48mpg. Calculated 51mpg.

20 miles on new tank is showing 60+ since eco driving. 69 was peak before travelling back up a hill.

Its pretty efficient if you try!

What frustrated me is the litres. Put in 45 last time with 30 miles remaining. With 10 this time I couldn't even get 42?

That's because you accidentally vented the tank first time?

[stug45]

42 litres this time.

I dont remember doing anything different or trying to fit more in.

I stop at the second click rather than actually brimming like I have done in the past.

[Ootohere]

You do not have to be aware of doing anything, it is easy to push the Vent Slide with the Petrol Gun Nozzle by how you insert it,

Check it out and see where it is, it slides and vents the tank.