# Petrol Guage !!



## Radical1 (Feb 8, 2011)

Driving to work this morning and the car was showing 32 miles until empty, 2 minutes later it then suddenly showed "---" i.e. empty so I had to divert straight to a petrol station. Is it really empty or did I have approx 30 miles left - can someone tell me ? 
Pretty crap digital counter, other cars I have had count down to the last 5 miles before showing empty.....
Thanks


----------



## Arcam (Jun 30, 2009)

Radical1 said:


> Driving to work this morning and the car was showing 32 miles until empty, 2 minutes later it then suddenly showed "---" i.e. empty so I had to divert straight to a petrol station. Is it really empty or did I have approx 30 miles left - can someone tell me ?
> Pretty crap digital counter, other cars I have had count down to the last 5 miles before showing empty.....
> Thanks


On both of my R35s the fuel gauge worked brilliantly, I can't accurately remember how low the "distant to go" went down to but I think it was lower than this, has you just booted it a bit as that will make it drop like a stone. I found the old gauge needle was very accurate and have run it down to into the red zone when very near home before without an issue.


----------



## Saunders (Mar 1, 2011)

The Petrol guage is a little random. However when I am running low my digital guage on the RPM counter displays a warning and flashes whilst counting down the miles to go before empty, this is very accurate. I also have the Fuel Range turned on within the MFD. My average is around 170 to 200 miles a tank during normal usage. I can stretch this to 240 on long motorway runs. 

Hope that helps.


----------



## Radical1 (Feb 8, 2011)

Yeah the warning light comes on (exclamation mark on the speedo) and the digital counter flashes when it is down to the lasat 40 miles, but then when it drops below 30 miles it shows as empty. So there is no digital count down from 30 to zero, it's either 30 or empty - is that correct ? I shouldn't be such a tight arse I guess and fill up well before !!


----------



## londongtr (Dec 8, 2009)

the sensor can be affected by the angle of the car - when i had mine i parked on a slope, it was always very slightly different when parked to when it was on the flat


----------



## christer (Jul 16, 2010)

Mine has also gone from 30 miles to ---- in a brief period. 

The way to spot gauge how much you really had left is to see how much fuel it took to brim the tank and then subtract the fuel tank capacity from it. I don't remember in my case what it said....


----------



## Radical1 (Feb 8, 2011)

I guess my question is - Has Nissan factored in a safety margin by showing the car is empty when really it has 30 miles left ? Has anyone EVER seen the digital counter show twenty-something miles, I presume not unless mine is knackered ? Presuming that this is Nissan's way of stopping you from running out of petrol, has anyone run the car for 20-30 miles with the digital counter showing "---", i.e empty ?


----------



## Arcam (Jun 30, 2009)

Radical1 said:


> I guess my question is - Has Nissan factored in a safety margin by showing the car is empty when really it has 30 miles left ? Has anyone EVER seen the digital counter show twenty-something miles, I presume not unless mine is knackered ? Presuming that this is Nissan's way of stopping you from running out of petrol, has anyone run the car for 20-30 miles with the digital counter showing "---", i.e empty ?


Yes and have just relied on the gauge, ran for approx 15 miles once the --- comes up, was a bit of an ass clencher thought :nervous:


----------



## Radical1 (Feb 8, 2011)

cheers Arcam, my guage is actually below the bottom line when it shows 30 miles but at least I know there is a bit left in future - the guage is crap and the worst thing about the car, the increments are so wide, needs to be divided into "eighths" to be of any use -don't know why they bother with it.


----------



## Arcam (Jun 30, 2009)

Radical1 said:


> cheers Arcam, my guage is actually below the bottom line when it shows 30 miles but at least I know there is a bit left in future - the guage is crap and the worst thing about the car, the increments are so wide, needs to be divided into "eighths" to be of any use -don't know why they bother with it.


What about the gauge in the MFD, I think from memory that works in 1/8th.


----------



## Radical1 (Feb 8, 2011)

yeah but that also looks empty even though it says 30 miles on the digital readout. The digital readout in the middle of the MFD petrol guage follows the trip computer display, i.e. shows as empty once you go below 30 miles.


----------



## Arcam (Jun 30, 2009)

Radical1 said:


> yeah but that also looks empty even though it says 30 miles on the digital readout. The digital readout in the middle of the MFD petrol guage follows the trip computer display, i.e. shows as empty once you go below 30 miles.


Fair enough, I have run mine down really low on various track days and had to go off site for fuel with the --- showing, but fingers crossed not run out yet


----------



## bluediamond (Sep 6, 2010)

*Its not great at this*

I am a little suprised that anyone thinks the guage is particularly accurate or the digital countdowns. Reading my manual suggests the tank holds 74 litres and that being the case I reckon that when the digital display goes blank ( The moment it goes under 30 miles !! ) there is a maximum of 64 litres you can squeeze in. So thats 10 litres left (Over 2 gallons ) which at gentle speeds could be 40 - 50 miles.

Trouble is once you have established that the temptation to play petrol station roulette is strong. Especially if all you come across when so close to empty is not Shell or Tescos!!
Recently discovered that the M4 between Slough and Bath has only BP stations, 3 in a b...y row.

Got 71 litres in that time, gulp,


----------



## enshiu (Aug 20, 2010)

the fuel level sensor can't feel this level of fuel <5L.


----------



## Chris956 (Apr 11, 2010)

I find the gauge very pessamistic. I have driven 20 miles after seeing the flashing "---" . I drove it in a mixture of conditions and still remember thinking when I filled up that I still had loads left. The gauge at this point was just past the red on the way to Empty. No worries haha :runaway:


----------



## Radical1 (Feb 8, 2011)

Cheers Chris, i guess the only way of knowing for sure is to do the same again and then fill it up as soon as you get the "---" and then see how close to 74 litres you got on the re-fill. They must factor in a reserve.


----------



## Chris956 (Apr 11, 2010)

Dont forget the extra you can cram in the filler neck and associated pipework which gives you a touch more leeway (sp)


----------



## enshiu (Aug 20, 2010)

buy a reserve tank 5L to prevent stalling :runaway::clap: Mine works in Km so if range is below 15km then : --- km


----------



## Saunders (Mar 1, 2011)

Or stop being such a tight @rse and fill up sooner :thumbsup: Joking aside at these petrol prices I am not surprised people go that little extra


----------



## Radical1 (Feb 8, 2011)

I agree with you Saunders, I am a little addicted to running on empty to see how much I can get out of a tank, perhaps I should buy a diesel Nissan instead !! Getting 20mpg at the moment and that includes a serious blast across Wales 2 weeks ago, (destroying my mates 500bhp mapped 996 turbo in the process). The look on his face as he overtook a car in front and then I overtook them both with his foot still planted will live with me for a long long time !!


----------



## Jaw_F430 (Apr 14, 2009)

Had this and when I filled up I think the tank capacity minus the amount put in suggested there was 7 litres left in the tank


----------



## wolfandgang (Jul 15, 2009)

I heard there is no more reading below 30 mls so our american friends don't sue Nissan for any trouble having run out of gas - sounded entirely possible.


----------



## bluediamond (Sep 6, 2010)

Jaw_F430 said:


> Had this and when I filled up I think the tank capacity minus the amount put in suggested there was 7 litres left in the tank


Reckon nearer 10 litres when the display disappears


----------



## sumo69 (Mar 31, 2008)

bluediamond said:


> Reckon nearer 10 litres when the display disappears


I share that view having seen the "---" a few times and then being surprised how "little" it takes to refill.

D


----------



## Jaw_F430 (Apr 14, 2009)

bluediamond said:


> Reckon nearer 10 litres when the display disappears


I must of drove a little longer before filling up then:thumbsup:


----------



## Elliott_GTR (Dec 13, 2009)

Chris956 said:


> I find the gauge very pessamistic. I have driven 20 miles after seeing the flashing "---" . I drove it in a mixture of conditions and still remember thinking when I filled up that I still had loads left. The gauge at this point was just past the red on the way to Empty. No worries haha :runaway:


I have done the same... at least 25 miles once it went to "--".

And my digital mileage thing doesn't work accurately anymore as I have changed the injectors, its more optimistic than it should be...


----------

