Fuel Warning light

Taffyrhys · Post by **Taffyrhys** » 01 Oct 2011, 09:19

I have a 1.9td xantia R Reg and was wondering how much fuel is left in the tank once the fuel warning light comes on. Cheers for the help.

Post by **Peter.N.** » 01 Oct 2011, 10:12

I would think its a least a gallon. If you really want to know carry a gallon of fuel with you and let it run out. On the XM 2.1 manual its about 100 miles worth.

Peter

XantiaDaveEire · Post by **XantiaDaveEire** » 01 Oct 2011, 11:21

7 litres if i remember correctly

andy5 · Post by **andy5** » 01 Oct 2011, 11:22

On my V reg HDI it's about a couple of gallons left.

However, when you start off the gauge takes a few minutes to come up to its true position, and this affects the light as well. And the light doesn't flicker at all and won't go out once it's come on. But then you could stop after 15 minutes, and then have no light on restarting only a couple of minutes later.

Thus for a regular 43 mile trip I can sometimes do it 3 times from the first time I see the light one morning, and the most I've done is 160 miles. On a continuous trip though I'd reckon about half that, and less if towing.

Xantidote · Post by **Xantidote** » 01 Oct 2011, 11:40

The handbook for my 1.9TD says "approximately 8 litres", though I've always worked on the basis of about 5 litres. Can't tell you for sure as never run it low if I can avoid it - not run out of fuel yet, and don't wish to.

atr · Post by **atr** » 01 Oct 2011, 16:26

In the booklet that comes with the vehicle - 2.0 lit SX - it's also noted that once the light is on, about 8 lit. left. not sure it worth to try it, specially on a diesel.

Post by **Peter.N.** » 01 Oct 2011, 16:57

...except the diesel will go a lot further

rory_perrett · Post by **rory_perrett** » 01 Oct 2011, 18:26

Not too sure. On my 2.1td if I filled up as soon as the light came on I would get 58 litres in which if you accept that it is a 65 litre tank that means 7 litres left.
However on my Hdi I get about 63 litres in suggesting only 2 litres left BUT recently the light came on on the HDi and I then drove another 80 miles before I filled up (80 miles is circa 6.5 litres of diesel) and got an eye watering 70 litres in.

Post by **Peter.N.** » 01 Oct 2011, 18:37

On both the 2.1 XM and the 406 Hdi I get more fuel in that the tank is supposed to hold! I have done 100 miles in the XM after the light came on - sitting on the edge of the seat

Peter

Post by **myglaren** » 01 Oct 2011, 19:55

The most I ever got in was 72 Litres in a 65 Litre tank.

andy5 · Post by **andy5** » 01 Oct 2011, 19:58

rory_perrett wrote:Not too sure. On my 2.1td if I filled up as soon as the light came on I would get 58 litres in which if you accept that it is a 65 litre tank that means 7 litres left.
However on my Hdi I get about 63 litres in suggesting only 2 litres left BUT recently the light came on on the HDi and I then drove another 80 miles before I filled up (80 miles is circa 6.5 litres of diesel) and got an eye watering 70 litres in.

You might even be able to go a bit further.

My Xantia HDI has accepted as much as 75.6 litres, and it's not rare for me to put in a bit over 70.

It does seem to be more than most cars though, as the bloke at the supermarket booth was a bit surprised the other day that it was almost £100.

Post by **c.morewood** » 01 Oct 2011, 21:27

The only way to check for sure is to run it dry!! Have a 5 lit can in the boot of course.
I used to run the Xantia max 100 miles into the after the light came on fully and no more but I recently replaced the lift pump in my Xantia Hdi and ran it dry to find out if the fuel level sensor had changed position.
I was astounded to find that I got 250 miles after the fuel light First came on.
Snce then I have been experimenting with only filling the tank about 1/4 full on each fill to see how that affects the fuel consumption.. after 6500 miles I think I have got the consumption about 62 mpg from 52 mpg last year (I'll know for definate when it gets its first brim full fill since May, later this week)
and now I'm regularly running 150 miles after the light first comes on.

addo · Post by **addo** » 02 Oct 2011, 02:07

I can get 60-100 miles (urban vs freeway) once the light has come on (presuming it first lights when travelling smoothly on a fairly level road).

Halfway through that distance, parking nose uphill is at your peril! Done the silly thing twice.

The best bladerunning I have done, was pulling into the service station in my increasingly stuttering 605 after idling along in the motorway breakdown lane looking for the next fuel stop); it cut out in the bowser queue.

Post by **c.morewood** » 02 Oct 2011, 08:57

I can get 60-100 miles (urban vs freeway) once the light has come on (presuming it first lights when travelling smoothly on a fairly level road).

Halfway through that distance, parking nose uphill is at your peril! Done the silly thing twice.

No such thing as a freeway.. or level road aound here!!
But I agree, your heart is in your mouth when going uphill with the light fully on.

And of course I'm talking about the Hdi

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 02 Oct 2011, 10:09

The problem is that Xantia fuel gauges can be very fickle, when its full My S2 Estate contains 65 litres, mine says 3/4 full and doesn't register fully until I start to drive, then it seems to go down by a quarter of a tank on a run very quickly and then back up again to nearly full within an hour of setting off.

total range is about 500 miles on a full tank. (mind you I run on Veg oil at the moment) til it gets really cold anyway.

I'd hedge my bets on five litres after the light comes on just to be safe bank on roughly 45-50 miles urban and 55-60 miles on a run for safe margins.
either that or run it down til the light comes on, put a can of diesel in the boot, reset the trip counter and keep running it til it stops simples.

regards Nigel.