Scirocco Central

Guys,

No long got my Scirocco 2.0 tdi 140 and I've misjudged how much much diesel I have left. As a result I'm now in the red, computer says I have a range of 20 miles. Nearest petrol station is 20-25 miles away. Am I fooked or is there a little in reserve that the computer doesn't tell you about?

PLEASE HELP!!

There's always a bit left. Has the fuel warning light come on? If not you should be fine.

Yeah - you would need to have computer saying '5 miles to go' with petrol station 20 miles away to justify breaking in to sweat! Even then people have got away with it. I did drive nearly ten miles once with it saying 0 - I did sweat!!

Ye the lights on guys. I'm kinda bricking it!

You should still be fine. Just be conservative with your right foot. And there's not much else you can do but try!

There should be some safety margin in that figure. Just go there when the roads are quiet and take it easy.
Bear in mind though the projected mileage is based upon your recent mpg. So it you have been hammering it it will be working on a pretty low average mpg so that should allow you to get a bit more out of it.
Otherwise get a mate to drive you there with 5 litre can.

I have been driving on 5 miles to empty for 10 miles and then 0 for a few miles. Scary, but does it every time. Just make sure your turn of your RCD / RNS and also aircon if it's on / seat heaters.

I'm guessing you'll have made your journey to the pumps by now so this will be a bit late, but for what it's worth...

My other half came to pick me up from Luton the other week. When I got in the car, I noticed the fuel light was on. I asked how long it had been on for - she said she had heard a "bing" not long after leaving our house, which I assume was the 20 mile range warning. Flicking through the MFD, range was now at 0 miles! *sigh* Our flat is just under 30miles from the airport and we live in central London, so there was a fair amount of stop start driving before hitting the M1.

We crawled to the nearest petrol station, which was another mile away. I have a 2.0 TSI GT, so probably significantly more thirsty than your engine - I'm sure you'll make that 20-25 miles fine as long as you're not driving with your right foot glued down!

Yay I made it! Not doing that again though!

Cheers chaps!

The rule I use is as soon as the Tank Lamp comes on is......., go and fill. No use eeking it out. Petrol stations are less frequently distanced these days.

Gauge is like this....
It "accelerates" in the bottom half past the 12 o'clock position so you are lulled into thinking you have more fuel than is actually is in the "bottom half" of the tank.

C.

Yes - agreed. I never want the stress of 'testing' the miles to empty estimate. I always try and refill before the light comes on. As said above, petrol stations seem to be few and far between these days.

RW1 wrote:It "accelerates" in the bottom half past the 12 o'clock position so you are lulled into thinking you have more fuel than is actually is in the "bottom half" of the tank.
C.

That'll be the effect of gravity pulling the needle down

Having run out once in my younger days I make sure now that I don't leave it too late. Third of a tank left and its time for me to fill up.

I've gone a good 20 miles when the needle is already at zero (i.e. past the red zone) - so there's definitely plenty of fuel in reserve even when you think it's rock bottom.

As others have said though - I wouldn't recommend risking it

ZephyR wrote: Third of a tank left and its time for me to fill up.

Third of a tank leftg and it means I have just filled up! A month or so ago I found some very cheap fuel and filled the tank (for once).... cost me £71 in my Golf VI. I was then horrified at how the mpg plumeted due to carrying around all that fuel... back to my normal £20 worth now.

The countdown seems to be very inaccurate, my fuel light comes on with 30miles left to go, seems to run down to 10miles when ive driven 5. Even on 0miles you should easily be able to do another 15 with a light right foot.

Mark V wrote:

ZephyR wrote: Third of a tank left and its time for me to fill up.

Third of a tank leftg and it means I have just filled up! A month or so ago I found some very cheap fuel and filled the tank (for once).... cost me £71 in my Golf VI. I was then horrified at how the mpg plumeted due to carrying around all that fuel... back to my normal £20 worth now.

There is something to be said there about running round with a full tank. For sure, even on a performance car like the Roc, you can definitely detect a slight performance drop with that extra weight at the back. I don't know what 55 litres of fuel weighs, but try lifting it!

I never brim it out so to speak, I tend to stick £50 in and be done with it, or £60 if the light has illuminated. But yes - for sure, accelerating, braking and turning a full tank of fuel will take the edge off mpg.

55 litres of petrol weighs 40.2kg
55 litres of diesel weighs 48.1kg

Cuprabob wrote:55 litres of petrol weighs 40.2kg
55 litres of diesel weighs 48.1kg

Thanks Cuprabob, yes - quite significant, probably about 2/3 of an average person weight.

skippy wrote: There is something to be said there about running round with a full tank. For sure, even on a performance car like the Roc, you can definitely detect a slight performance drop with that extra weight at the back.

I always fill my car up to the max. If you were to only half fill the tank, the weight saving would be 24.1kg in a diesel car and 20.1kg in a petrol. On a car that weighs approx 1,750kg it's less than 1.5% of the vehicle weight. I can't believe that such a small increase in weight would have that much of an affect on fuel consumption, or at least not enough to offset the increased trips to the petrol station!

My car feels no quicker with half a tank then it does with a full tank. Now if you put a couple of 220lbs work colleagues in the back and another in the front seat, that is a different story

Has anyone compared the "extra" fuel consumption for carrying around the 24kg of fuel (from 1/2 tank to full tank) versus the fuel used to visit filling stations twice as often ?
Stopping at the pumps (with or without having to wait for a queue of people in front of you) then moving away from the pumps, pausing at the exit and moving off again from rest....
I read somewhere that it uses more fuel to go from 0 to 30mph than it does to drive a mile at 30 mph (or something like that - it was a fair while ago)

If you don't have to deviate from your normal commute to refuel and you have the filling station on your left, then the losses from the refuel stop/start won't be so bad. This is starting to look like a Formula 1 strategy meeting now