Fuel gauge slow to move from full

[just music]

Hi

Has anyone else noticed how slow the fuel gauge is to move off the 'full' bar? It seems to stay 'full' for ages, but then the move down seems reasonably linear.

As an example, I filled the tank and drove 200 miles to Heathrow a few weeks ago. At the point of parking, the gauge was still at full! The car was showing an estimated and impressive 58mpg, but that's still about 16 litres used which is approx a third of a tank so I would have expected 2 bars to be unlit.

 

After driving back a few days ago and pootling around, the gauge showed 1/4  full which was about right.

 

Is this a common 'feature' for the car, or is it worth mentioning to the dealer so they can check the sensor?

[varooom]

Noticed the same on many cars, not an issue worth investigating.

 

Needle sits at top, and doesn't move for ages, and then begins to drop as you say.

 

General consensus on the way they calculate is they have a reserve of 7lt (read in their documents before) that makes it appear to seem full for longer.

[Ootohere]

There is the tank and the tank capacity, then there is fuel up the tube, then there can be fuel up the tube till you see it, so brimmed.

The fuel in the tank is what can be measured, more up the tube can not, or when brimmed. 

[SiWaiting]

I've got the same "feature". Really annoying. Fill the tank only half full and the fuel gauge shows "full bar". Only after awhile it adjusts itself. I hope there is some setting to get the fuel gauge to show a representation of the actual amount of fuel in the tank instead of a delayed estimate based on the way you've recently been driving. Sadly haven't found that setting yet. There's already a digital feature which shows a numeric estimate of the remaining driving distance so I don't understand the point of making the fuel gauge act on an estimate as well.

Edited 2 September, 2022 by SiWaiting

[PetrolDave]

I've had this on every car I've owned over the last 40+ years - fuel gauges are not linear and the mileage to 'first movement from full' is usually large.

 

On both my Octavia 3's it's been 80 miles before the gauge moves, and on my previous Audi RS4 it was over 100 miles - even on my previous Toyota Aygo it was 70 miles.

[Felix2021]

12 hours ago, PetrolDave said:

I've had this on every car I've owned over the last 40+ years - fuel gauges are not linear and the mileage to 'first movement from full' is usually large.

Actually analogue ones were way more accurate usually. Owned few cars that were quite spot on.

In modern cars i'm using range indicator, which is also not perfect, but gives a bit better overview of what to expect.

[PetrolDave]

11 hours ago, Felix2021 said:

In modern cars i'm using range indicator, which is also not perfect, but gives a bit better overview of what to expect.

The range indicator can produce spectacularly silly results too. The range is based on the consumption over the last few miles, I as told 20 when I asked.

 

So if you go from an urban commute week and then fill up before a motorway or dual carriageway drive then the range will increase as you drive dur to the lower fuel consumption on those roads.

 

I saw this happen many times on my RS4, the most ridiculous was when I started with a range of 250 miles (from a 70 litre tank!) drove 100 miles and was then told I had a range of 300 miles!

11 hours ago, Felix2021 said:

Actually analogue ones were way more accurate usually. Owned few cars that were quite spot on.

It all depends on the shape of the tank, if the tank is basically a rectangular box then the gauge will be more linear, but most tanks are shaped to fit around the suspension, etc. so are very far from being a simple rectangular shape.

[Davidr1986]

I've noticed this, a few months ago, I managed to drive from Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye (190 odd miles) before the fuel indicator stopped showing 'full', and it only took me another 30 miles after that to lose another light

[Ootohere]

There are people with mk4 iV,s that have a car that tells them they are getting near 190 mpg.   If they could actually travel 190 miles using only 4.546 litre of fuel that would be simply clever and really marvelous.  

[Gerrycan]

A feature of every car less than 20 years old I have owned or rented.

Current UK rental Vauxhall Corsa can do about 100 miles before fuel level starts to drop.

Very economical when up to speed (averaging 4.9l/100 over the last 860 miles calculated from refuels) but the skins on rice puddings can rest safe in their bowls when a bit of power is actually needed

[Ootohere]

@GerrycanOut of interest since you mentioned this Corsa before, what age is it and is it a 1.2 & what power and with what gearbox? 

The ICE Corsa's come with 74, 99 or 128 bhp engines and manual or 8 speed automatics.

 

The Corsa is the UK's 2nd most registered car in 2020, and most in 2021 & 2022 as all those cars went out to the NHS and on Click & Collect during lockdown.

There are loads with hire companies and the likes that will be in Auction quite soon in the UK.

Edited 17 September, 2022 by roottoot

[Gerrycan]

A 71 reg 1.2l 3 cylinder NA 5 speed manual.

I believe the new Vauxhall owners engine but no paper manual with the car so probably the least powerful and the cheapest I could rent that could take our two large suitcases.

IMO makes the Fabia 1.0tsi as smooth as a Rolls and fast as a Lambo by comparison (I may exaggerate slightly).

Does what we require but I would not recommend it other than it can be very economical if you try.

Hate how the mirror cuts out an important part of the forward vision.

I think the name Corsa was inspired by how the engine feels when you apply a bit of welly to the pedal at low and even high revs, very coarse. 

Edited 17 September, 2022 by Gerrycan
Speling

[Ootohere]

The 128 BHP does have different wheels / tyres and suspension and the Auto is rather good. 

I had one for a month and it could be economic enough, and handled well as lots lighter than a Corsa Electric.

They were seemingly called Nova first in the UK because the bosses thought it sounded like Coarser rather the Race in Italian. 

 

I have a 40th Anniversary Corsa-electric arriving shortly to try out for a week to see if they have improved how far they can travel, it is lower spec than the one i have put 35,000 miles on. 

I have the seat at the lowest and the rear view mirror is not an issue for me but the blind spot with the A pillar is. 

[Gerrycan]

Yes the A pillars are awkward as well but they are probably thicker on many modern cars because of crash and rollover requirements and may also contain parts of the side airbags?

[SkOmk4]

On 17/09/2022 at 10:34, Gerrycan said:

A feature of every car less than 20 years old I have owned or rented.

Besides the fuel level staying at Max for longer than expected (which is almost the "new norm" in automotive as you mentioned), is anyone else around here bothered by the noise made by the fuel smashing against the tank top or walls? It's occurring when the tank is almost full, and it's most obvious at slow speed maneuvers, e.g. braking for a speed-bump, forward-reverse while parking etc. I've heard it before in other cars, but in Octavia 4 it seems to be the loudest.

[Felix2021]

Actually i haven't noticed it at all. Was a pleasent surprised after Ateca, where this sound was quite loud.

[SkOmk4]

Hmm... that's strange! Different tank shape/layout? What's the engine on your car?

[Gerrycan]

57 minutes ago, SkOmk4 said:

Besides the fuel level staying at Max for longer than expected (which is almost the "new norm" in automotive as you mentioned), is anyone else around here bothered by the noise made by the fuel smashing against the tank top or walls? It's occurring when the tank is almost full, and it's most obvious at slow speed maneuvers, e.g. braking for a speed-bump, forward-reverse while parking etc. I've heard it before in other cars, but in Octavia 4 it seems to be the loudest.

Fuel sloshing when full or near full is a frequently commented on feature of the mk3 Octavia , which from your comments was carried over to the Mk4. It does not worry me even though it is a baffling problem

 

[Felix2021]

27 minutes ago, SkOmk4 said:

Hmm... that's strange! Different tank shape/layout? What's the engine on your car?

Might be. I have 1.5 TSI DSG.

[SkOmk4]

10 minutes ago, Gerrycan said:

It does not worry me even though it is a baffling problem

Sure, it's not worrying me at all, but I'm slightly bothered by the noise. It's simple physics - smart engineers would have found simple solutions, it's not really reinventing the wheel.
It seems my expectations were too high for this car... factory tire noise, brake pedal noise, fuel tank noise - all less obvious on my previous cars. 

[Ootohere]

Smart engineers would have sorted out door and hatch seals and sunroof drain pipes.  Water pumps and Chain Tensioners.  Then not allowed defeat devices to be introduced.  Even designed fuel filler flaps that do not freeze closed.   But VW never keep Smart Engineers they let the CEO,s like Martin Winterkorn that was an engineer's engineer sign off Euro 5 emission engines with rubbish components.  Then they take IT in house and think they know better than Microsoft or the likes. Smart engineers took the jail time for the VW board and others would not work for VW. 

Edited 28 November, 2022 by toot

[Felix2021]

2 hours ago, toot said:

Smart engineers

Smart engineers are limited by greedy accountants and management. As easy as that. And cause of that is the same all over the world - stakeholder "cult". You're not supposed to make customer happy. You're even not supposed to work for the good of the company as such. You're supposed to bring profit here and NOW, for the next quarterly report. Never mind the future.

So they are looking for cheaper solutions, cheaper materials, cheaper vendors, cheaper everything.

 

2 hours ago, toot said:

Then they take IT in house

That's actually not a bad thing. Unless you buy "out-of-the-box" solutions (which in this case is not possible really), outsourcing doesn't really work. It's cheap(er) though...

 

2 hours ago, SkOmk4 said:

It seems my expectations were too high for this car... factory tire noise, brake pedal noise, fuel tank noise - all less obvious on my previous cars. 

Depends on what you have driven before.

Tyre noise for me is on par or lower than in other cars i used to own. Also on par with i.e. CLA Merc i've been considering.

Haven't experienced break pedal noise or fuel tank noise in O4.

[Ootohere]

@Felix2021 'Cheaper' never worked and the Inhouse is now out of house to find anyone that can sort out a dogs dinner.

& another CEO walked.  Pockets filled though.

http://fullycharged.show/blog/why-volkswagen-sacked-herbert-diess

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 28 November, 2022 by toot

[SkOmk4]

13 minutes ago, Felix2021 said:

Depends on what you have driven before.

Nothing too fancy, just check my signature - both owned from new... plus about a dozen rental cars, various brands, from small to compact cars.

- tire noise is now sorted: it's the factory Goodyear set that is too noisy, my winter set sounds great&quiet (I wrote on the other topic);

- brake pedal noise on release - there are a few others mentioning it on another topic here; 

[Felix2021]

3 minutes ago, SkOmk4 said:

- brake pedal noise on release - there are a few others mentioning it on another topic here; 

As said, i have not experienced that.

Compared to other cars i've owned or (test)driven, i would say it's on par with others in this class, except for door cards/handles quality - they are squeeky as hell. But it's the case on other Skoda's too. I have fixed it with some fabric insulation tape, and now it's dead quiet.

As said - i've been considering getting new CLA, as i loved this car. Well, turned out it's not really that much better than O4, being 50% more expensive. It is slightly better in my opinion, but not much.