Full Tank Question?

[GT4N]

and now... after 108,000k's i think fuel consumption has gotten worst... check the speedo today, travelled 200k's and its just above half tank...WTF!!!! i normally see 300k's at half tank..

Wow, either you're driving it hard or something's wrong with your engine but I normally hit the 500km mark bang on the half-way mark. Unfortunately we all know half isn't actually 'half' but yeah you should be getting much better economy than that.

Few things though ... is it a manual, are you using 95/98 octane fuel and are you really trying to drive it like a granny ??

It's a manual, using BP Ultimate 98 oct. Don't drive hard at all. haven't revved over 4000k in a long time....

[SteveAndBelle]

Wow, either you're driving it hard or something's wrong with your engine but I normally hit the 500km mark bang on the half-way mark. Unfortunately we all know half isn't actually 'half' but yeah you should be getting much better economy than that.

Ew, quoting myself. Feels kinda funny ;)

Here you go ... to prove my point above ...

Now the needle will rise up a bit further than this when I start driving it but this was only 5 seconds after putting the key in.

Oh, one other thing, do you use the AC all year 'round ? AC is a fuel economy killer !!

Steve.

[SteveAndBelle]

It's a manual, using BP Ultimate 98 oct. Don't drive hard at all. haven't revved over 4000k in a long time....

Hmmm, I'm no mechanic but I can't see how I can regularly get 700-750ks to a chokka-block tank of 98oct and you're only getting around half that.

Got a hole in your tank or lines perhaps ?? Can't think of any other reason sorry.

Steve.

[GT4N]

Wow, either you're driving it hard or something's wrong with your engine but I normally hit the 500km mark bang on the half-way mark. Unfortunately we all know half isn't actually 'half' but yeah you should be getting much better economy than that.

Ew, quoting myself. Feels kinda funny

Here you go ... to prove my point above ...

Now the needle will rise up a bit further than this when I start driving it but this was only 5 seconds after putting the key in.

Oh, one other thing, do you use the AC all year 'round ? AC is a fuel economy killer !!

Steve.

hahah... that just tops it all... imagine that reading on the fuel gauge.. but the trip computer saying ' 200km'

i don't normally use the AC as i have a sunroof... normally just top open with the air flow coming through the vents...either hot or cold...

but Thanks anyways for your info..

WILL have to get this checked out next service. :(

[Evo7]

my best economy thus far since its been charged is exactly 500km on a FULL tank.

i think i remember putting in 45.00L on fill-up...

what does this work out to be? *searches on google* :P

mine is roughly 11.5L/100km :P

but who cares about economy right? ;)

Evo

[iVaz]

OKAY OMG EVERYONE! I can not believe what just happened :)

I got so ****** at my damn computer that I took revenge out on the car computer, a few day's ago I filled it up, and it said something like 438? KM's in the range!

Today, I DROVE EXACTLY!!! 670 (something, maybe it was 680? or 700? but I'm sure I saw a 6 then a number higher than 50) And that's when I car failed! But since I live close to mechanics, I just asked them for a Jerry can, and I filled it with petrol, and poured it in...

I know what I did was stupid, but my damn trip meter, is even more stupider!

My AVG fuel on the stupid trip meter says 9.8L/100KM

the car has had 91 OCT, since day 1! So I donnu. :) Just an update to all.

[123R-Prozak]

Just did 400km and still got half a tank left

driving on freeway for a few hrs at 120km. Testing the new 6th celice gear on my holiday

o btw engine light came on for a min then went off soo hmm? I'll check codes when I get back home

[Full-Throttle]

A little off-topic, but here's a quick tip for when you put gas in your car: Never squeeze the 'trigger' the whole way when pumping. Due to the force of the gas entering the tank, it creates vapours which rises up out of the tank and go back into a small hole in the fuel nozzle (have a look at the end of the nozzle next time you're at the pump and you'll see what I mean). The vapours then go back underground and essentially back into the pockets of the gas station.

If you're not in a hurry and want a bit more fuel for your money, then squeeze the trigger about half way or even quarter of the way instead. It takes longer to pump but you get more fuel as a result. If you're extra tight like me, then lift the fuel hose into the air when you're finished to get every last drop

It won't produce mind-blowing savings at the pump, but a saving nonetheless :)

[Kenshin X]

If you're extra tight like me, then lift the fuel hose into the air when you're finished to get every last drop

LOL i was considering this but i only do it when not many people are around me :D

what i do i lift it up and then squeeze the trigger a bit so the force squirts out more than when u just hold it normally :D :D :D

yes i'm a major tight ***** -_- but we dont enjoy fuel at 50 - 60 cents per litre like our american buddies do we?

i reckon there has be at least 1 L in the hose from where the output is to the tank underground! :o

oh yeah and i just recorded my worst fuel efficiency last week ever... 9.6L/100km and that was over 600 km of driving...

lifting and erratic driving and heel - toe practice really does burn up the fuel :P :P :P

[123R-Prozak]

lifting and erratic driving and heel - toe practice really does burn up the fuel :P :P :P

I had a weekend trip, got 680, I would of though I'd get more but having 4 people in the car a full load of luggage and lifting it up the mountain didn't help at all !!

[Hawk]

My trip computer says range 540km to empty after filling up. My average so far is 7-7.1 L/100km (only had the Levin ZR 5 weeks). Theoretical range 770km or so. So the computer is being conservative and I can't get it to change its' mind.

A few extra tips for filling up...

Don't fill up when the fuel station is filling up! The tank is getting stirred up and that is bad. Not sure about multiple underground tanks but if I see a tanker I keep on driving just in case.

Fill up when the underground tank is going to be coolest. Early morning before the sun heats up the ground is best. Petrol contracts when it's cold so you get more for your money. Be aware though that if you fill up to the brim with cold fuel and then park in the sun (or heating up garage) you will have little room for the expansion that is going to take place. Been there and done that. It leaks out through the cap and stinks out your garage and the rest of your house. Use up fuel before you park or don't fill to the click.

[Hiro]

My trip computer says range 540km to empty after filling up. My average so far is 7-7.1 L/100km (only had the Levin ZR 5 weeks). Theoretical range 770km or so. So the computer is being conservative and I can't get it to change its' mind.

A few extra tips for filling up...

Don't fill up when the fuel station is filling up! The tank is getting stirred up and that is bad. Not sure about multiple underground tanks but if I see a tanker I keep on driving just in case.

Fill up when the underground tank is going to be coolest. Early morning before the sun heats up the ground is best. Petrol contracts when it's cold so you get more for your money. Be aware though that if you fill up to the brim with cold fuel and then park in the sun (or heating up garage) you will have little room for the expansion that is going to take place. Been there and done that. It leaks out through the cap and stinks out your garage and the rest of your house. Use up fuel before you park or don't fill to the click.

I'm always skeptical about the claims that you should fill up when it is cool, the ground is an EXCELLENT insulator and the tanks are buried several metres underground (take a look at a servo being built or ripped up, and you'll see the size and depth of the hole they have to dig) where temperatures are actually constant all year round (within a few degrees) regardless of above-ground air-temps. It is this reason that you have wine cellars in, well, cellars, because the underground temperature is constant and cool compared to the fluctuating above-ground temperature. Same thing goes for heat sinks for air-conditioners (not so much in Aus, but a lot in the US) where the heat absorbed from the room is dissipated into the cool ground during summer, and drawn from the ground and used to heat the room in winter.

As far as the tank in your car is concerned though, it is designed to take into account the expansion and cooling of the fuel with regards to temperature (unlike the ground tanks, the in-car tank is exposed to significant temperature ranges), however the time it takes to fill the car is relatively short and thus the fuel won't significantly expand until the tank is full or close to full (so you're not loosing anything at the bowser). However, modern fuel tanks are designed to cope with this expansion, which is the entire reason that fuel-tanks in cars are vented - this allows the air trapped above the expanding fuel to vent back to atmosphere (through the charcoal canister, to scrub out the petrol vapours) and to draw air in to equalise pressure when the petrol contracts (via a one-way vent in the fuel-cap). The way the fuel tank is also designed is such that there is always air above the fuel even when the tank is "full", this is called "ullage" The clicks you feel in the fuel bowser are generated by backpressure from the fuel flowing in blocking off the return venting of the ullage space. Higher-flow fuel bowsers tend to "click" earlier, and this is why if you hold the handle at a funny angle it can "click" even when you haven't filled the tank. By trickling fuel in after the clicks (or by not fully inserting the handle) you can overfill the tank, but at the same time you are circumventing the in-built safety mechanisms both in the bowser and fuel tank designed to stop fuel filling at the correct tank volume.

[123R-Prozak]

from canberra to goulburn with the fuel light on

[Kenshin X]

ok... resetted the ECU and drove like a grandpa for 7 days... over almost 500kms i used 8.2L/100km! :D the best i ever had on pure city driving... shifting at 3 to 3.5k, no lift... -_-

but after i refueled up lift like a crazy mofo LOL

[hAmZ]

with the addition of a ces cai i found it to be even better on fuel now.

probably get an easy 700km.

the other week i hit 750km before filling up. i forgot to look how much litres i filled

Edited August 22, 2010 by hAmZ