Had a new VW Polo the other day for a courtesy car. Put in a total of £14.50 for fuel, 2 x £5.00 top ups followed by a £4.50 top up to take it back as received.

The 2x £5.00 top ups registered fine and took the range up and changed the gauge but the last £4.50 top up didn't make the gauge or the range display change?

Spoke to the dealer as I had to take it back with similar amount to how I got it and they said something along the lines of below £5 or xxx amount of litres, it will not register.

My question is if I went to the garage and topped up a few times at £4.50 each time, could I fill the tank without registering a drop on the gauge?

I know it is hypothetical but putting in fuel and it not registering is pretty annoying no matter how small the amount.

Sounds like bull**** to me

Simples.

They get it back with what they get.

EG,

If the VW Brochure says the car has a Extra Urban Fuel Consumption of 50 MPG. 

put in 1 gallon for every 50 miles you do, and if the Dealership says that is not enough petrol left in,

suggest they check out the EU Testing and Certification and the faulty fuel gauge.

I found the polo I borrowed incredibly good on mpg and massively over estimated how much I'd use.

Display showed high 60s on the mpg for the day.

Simples.

They get it back with what they get.

EG,

If the VW Brochure says the car has a Extra Urban Fuel Consumption of 50 MPG. 

put in 1 gallon for every 50 miles you do, and if the Dealership says that is not enough petrol left in,

suggest they check out the EU Testing and Certification and the faulty fuel gauge.

 

hahaha Brilliant George. 

 

Never thought of that argument before. 

 

Your dealer must love you haha  

I found the polo I borrowed incredibly good on mpg and massively over estimated how much I'd use.

Display showed high 60s on the mpg for the day.

what engine though? 

Ironically it happened about a month before on another different Polo courtesy car.

I actually had to drive a mile past the VW garage to get the fuel. It was on 45 miles range as I pulled onto forecourt put £4.00 in and drove the mile back to dealer and it read 35 miles range and the tank didn't register the few litres I had put in at all??

Reckon it will be the same on the new Fabia's too as virtually the same car.

Be interesting to see if anyone else notices this. Think it only registers if more than 5ltrs is added any less and nothing happens.

Edited 30 November, 201510 yr by Defenderben

what engine though?

1.4 SE

I cant see it being true, else you'd be able to have fuel pouring out the neck but the gauge would show 0. 

 

I rented a Vauxhall Vivaro, went to London (80 mile round trip) then a few local trips, the fuel gauge didnt move, I planned to put £10 in it just to be safe, only took £7 odd Was well chuffed. 

1.4 SE

Diesel? Or petrol?

I cant see it being true, else you'd be able to have fuel pouring out the neck but the gauge would show 0.

That is exactly my point top up an almost empty tank with less than 5ltrs and it does not register, so in theory if I did it a multiple times I could fill it up but it would not register.

Both were petrol, the last one had "TSI Bluemotion" on it.

That is exactly my point top up an almost empty tank with less than 5ltrs and it does not register, so in theory if I did it a multiple times I could fill it up but it would not register.

No, because if you topped up with £4.50 then added in another £4.50 it would be like putting in £9 so it would register. The reason it won't register until a certain amount of fuel is added will be because if you park on a hill and the fuel slops to one side of the tank then there may seam more or less in and you don't really want it displaying this as a difference in fuel levels.

That is exactly my point top up an almost empty tank with less than 5ltrs and it does not register, so in theory if I did it a multiple times I could fill it up but it would not register.

Both were petrol, the last one had "TSI Bluemotion" on it.

I think its something hes dreamt up.

My Fabia shows even the smallest increases. Its prob the same system as the Polo, id imagine?

Diesel? Or petrol?

Petrol

If I get one full when refilling I put key back in light up the dash and fill until the needle JUST and no more hit's full then I stop dead, could likely get another gallon in. If I get one with the light on, it's much a game of burn as much as I can on the way back and play the Top Gear style mpg challenge game for the last part of my time with one. 

Take the Mick but it has done it twice, which is very repeatable on two different cars both petrol Polo's on 65 plate and put in less than 5ltrs on the car when it is virtually empty (range approx 40miles on maxidot)!

It does not register...FACT.

I await someone else doing this but most won't run their cars like courtesy cars which is put in minimal amounts of fuel to get it back to the garage.

Put more than 5ltrs and the whole amount registers and takes it back to say 80 miles range or so on the maxidot and it moves the needle.

Edited 1 December, 201510 yr by Defenderben

Are you just saying adding fuel didn't change the trip computer range or didn't make the fuel gauge move? If it's the former then small changes in driving can make a big difference to the range.

I had it showing about 35 miles left as I was in traffic going to work. When I left work and there was no traffic the range went up and 20 miles later it said 30 miles left.

Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk

Defenderben,

just being nosey but is your Golf R in for Warranty Work, some poor factory Quality Control or the likes?

 

If so get your Invoice into VW for your out of pocket expenses, taking in your car & collecting again, 

and loss of Vehicle, 

you really should be getting a nice like for like Courtesy car while your prestige top of the range vehicle is in,

many that Golf R, Polo GTI , Golf GTI, or other Demonstrator some Dealership Employee has a perk currently.

the older polo ibiza  furby had approx 10 litres of air space in the top   (which can be vented)  once the float hits top that's it even if there's space 

Take the Mick but it has done it twice, which is very repeatable on two different cars both petrol Polo's on 65 plate and put in less than 5ltrs on the car when it is virtually empty (range approx 40miles on maxidot)!

It does not register...FACT.

I await someone else doing this but most won't run their cars like courtesy cars which is put in minimal amounts of fuel to get it back to the garage.

Put more than 5ltrs and the whole amount registers and takes it back to say 80 miles range or so on the maxidot and it moves the needle.

 

Ahhh Ok, now I read it properly I get it.

 

It's not the amount you're putting in as much as it's the level. The bottom of the fuel gauge isnt the bottom of the tank, the float will always sit a little bit off the bottom, this is so when it's run to the red on the gauge there is still a bit left in the bottom, couple of litres maybe. So when you run it right down to nothing more or less, the level drops lower than the float, when you go and put your 3.5 Litres in it to get back to the garage all it does is fill the gap between the level of the tiny bit left in there and the height of the float, each time the few litres you have put in will most likely have raised the level to inline with the float which will still be as low as it can drop. Put another couple of litres in and it'll finally raise the level high enough to lift the float a little and show on the gauge. 

Edited 1 December, 201510 yr by matt1chelski

the older polo ibiza furby had approx 10 litres of air space in the top (which can be vented) once the float hits top that's it even if there's space

So does the mk2 fab

They are not usually that cr4p a fuel gauge.

If it is down to showing a 40 or 50 mile range left,

and you put in between 4-5 litres (4.546 litres @ 109 pence a litre = £4.95)

Then the range is going to rise, or should if not faulty.

How much is increases is usually by the Average MPG before you stopped, but not necessarily if you were doing a particularly good Average.

 

So 40 mile range when you fill up with 1 gallon (£5 Currently) might go up to 70-80 miles maybe more.

......................

A Vented MK2 Fabia Petrol with the extra 7-8 litres in might go 150 miles showing the same range as when not Vented,

and it can be 100 miles plus covered before the Fuel Gauge moves.

 

.......................

A Toyota iQ with its flat Fuel Tank might need 11 litres added before it showed any fuel had gone in.

Edited 1 December, 201510 yr by GoneOffskiroottoot

That was it, both the gauge and range did not move... And it was on both the Polos as I being tight didnt want to hand it back with anymore than I got it with, which was just above the red part and showed around 60 ish miles on range(I understand the range can change due to driving methods).

I spoke to service desk and they said they know about it they think less than 5ltrs on a top up from just going into the red bit and it does not register? Very strange...its back in next week for a whole week so no doubt will have some little base Polo I will take a picture just before topping up with time stamp, then top it a very small amount and get time on receipt then take another picture of the gauge/range to show, it is nuts but true.

Yes third time in for warranty work on the R and no special treatment :( or loan cars.

New door seals, new radio head unit and glove box unit 1x replacement set of rear shock absorbers but still have the dreaded mk7 rumble/rattle at the back over ripples/bumps :(

And still my doors creak like an old galleon, its very poor for a car with a list of £32k :(

Edited 1 December, 201510 yr by Defenderben

Are you just dealing with the Dealership?

 

Its time to get VW Customer Services in on the act and get the car sorted.

Car left and a proper Courtesy car replacing it,  if VW CS need to arrange it then thats what needs doing,

driving some rubbish Polo is an absolute joke while the Sales Executives and others 

drive nice 'Management / Demonstrators' that will be getting flogged off soon.

ATM yes, dealer I bought it from.

They have dragged a bit on the radio, so I kicked off after waiting 2 months for a software update wasn't good enough, losing the radio randomly was slightly more annoying than the constant creaking and the suspension rattle as I had no noise to drown them out

They replaced the glove box control unit and it was still faulty so replaced the head unit.

That was last week, had 4 days in a Polo topping up each day as they kept saying the car would be ready each day but then it wasn't, which is how I noticed the small fuel thing again as it happened on a different Polo a month or so earlier.

Assumed getting a courtesy car was just what you get not an equivalent to my actual car.

Edited 1 December, 201510 yr by Defenderben