Technical 2 things off my to do list .....

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Technical 2 things off my to do list .....

306maxi

STOP! Hammer time!
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Today I ran out of fuel and also made it to 500 miles on a tank.

502 miles from 42.57 litres which is 53.6 mpg (56.7 indicated) :) If it wasn't snowy today I would have made it to the petrol station which wasn't much further. Very very silly thing to do in hindsight but at least that's my curiosity satisfied and I know just how big the tank is and no one was harmed.

It ran out of fuel about 15-20 miles after the 30 miles you have when the range goes blank which means there's a decent safety margin :)

I'm slightly surprised that it's somewhat of a fuelly record as some diseasel members are getting 60+ mpg and could probably go to 600 miles on a good run.
 
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The Panda 1.2 i had as a courtesy car ran out at exactly the same point, 15-20 miles after the 30mile range changed to ----'s.

Only trouble was i was on the M4, was mortified, all these people going past thinking a Panda had broken down when it was infact all my fault.

I didn't expect it to run out so soon tbh, because on the Stilo, when the range disappears at 30miles, it will go further than 30miles and still hasn't stopped. I guess the tank sizes have abit to do with it.

Just to point out, i didn't purposely try to push it with no fuel - the light came on just after i'd passed a petrol station & bearing in mind the range, i worked out i'd have enough to get me to the next petrol station wiithout turning round & going back. Unfortunately in the Panda when it says 'i want food' it means it abit more seriously than when the Stilo says it.

Lesson learnt :( Brilliant little engine though, indicated over 51 mpg, and it was £110/yr to tax so mustve been the non-eco version.
 
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502 miles from 42.57 litres which is 53.6 mpg

The fuel tank capacity of a 500 is 35 litres. If you put 42.57 litres into the car then you have likely overfilled it.

The manufacturer's recommended filling procedure as stated in the vehicle handbook:

REFILLING:

To ensure full fuel tank refilling, perform two topping up after the first stop of the nozzle. Do not top up further; this may cause anomalies in the fuel supply system.

(the bad grammar is FIAT's, not mine)

The fuel system is not designed to operate correctly if you brim the tank by putting in the maximum amount of fuel which is physically possible. The extra 7 1/2 litres you put in will fill tubes, pipes & other spaces intended to contain air & fuel vapour and this can compromise the integrity of your fuel system.
 
The fuel tank capacity of a 500 is 35 litres. If you put 42.57 litres into the car then you have likely overfilled it.

The manufacturer's recommended filling procedure as stated in the vehicle handbook:

REFILLING:

To ensure full fuel tank refilling, perform two topping up after the first stop of the nozzle. Do not top up further; this may cause anomalies in the fuel supply system.

(the bad grammar is FIAT's, not mine)

The fuel system is not designed to operate correctly if you brim the tank by putting in the maximum amount of fuel which is physically possible. The extra 7 1/2 litres you put in will fill tubes, pipes & other spaces intended to contain air & fuel vapour and this can compromise the integrity of your fuel system.
*sigh*

https://www.fiatforum.com/500/212153-1-3-mj-whats-your-best-fuel-range-2.html?p=2270148

The maths say there's no problem with it. I've not had any problems, so.

Anyhoo when I run the tank low I can about 36 or 37 litres before the first click.

It just isn't an issue as long as you're not living somewhere hot like Greece and driving to the petrol station, brimming it and then parking it up on a 40 degree day.
 
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with the Panda the bottom of the red zone is as far as you dare go ;)

I managed 461 out of Squirrile, she took 35.6 litres and was indicating 63.2 - not bad for a 2005 non Eco beastie :D

well done on the 502 Dan (y)


Trev
 
The maths say there's no problem with it. I've not had any problems, so.

Things ain't quite that simple. Think about what happens to the LP side of the fuel system if there isn't sufficient vapour space to buffer the pressure differential when the fuel pump starts. The fuel system isn't completely airtight & parts of it simply aren't intended to be flooded with fuel.

FIAT designed the fuel system to operate with around 5 litres of vapour space as a minimum and if you brim the tank you are disregarding the manufacturer's specific advice given in the owner's handbook.

I accept you may not as yet have experienced any problems but one day the holes in the swiss cheese may line up and if you combine a fuel leak with a source of ignition the result is entirely predictable.
 
Today I ran out of fuel .

7176nelson-haha.gif


Although seriously hope it wasn't in the snow miles from a petrol station. :)
 
Things ain't quite that simple. Think about what happens to the LP side of the fuel system if there isn't sufficient vapour space to buffer the pressure differential when the fuel pump starts. The fuel system isn't completely airtight & parts of it simply aren't intended to be flooded with fuel.

Not to be funny, but you're contradicting yourself here. First you say that there needs to be space to deal with the pressure change when the fuel gets taken out of the tank and then you say that the tank isn't sealed? So which is it?

Considering there's never been a vacuum when I've opened the filler cap it's safe to say that the tank isn't sealed. I have had cars where the fuel tank does appear to be sealed because you do get a vacuum when you undo the cap.
 
So let's get this right......

A while ago you talked about brimming the tank as "I like to waste as little time in petrol stations as possible" (or words to that effect), but you probably wasted more time making the walk of shame to the petrol station after running out.

I really wonder about your sanity somtimes Maxi.
 
So let's get this right......

A while ago you talked about brimming the tank as "I like to waste as little time in petrol stations as possible" (or words to that effect), but you probably wasted more time making the walk of shame to the petrol station after running out.

I really wonder about your sanity somtimes Maxi.
Well I didn't run out of fuel on purpose Mark. I thought I was going to make it there.
 
Kudos to you Dan for your determination, however, if I had been in your position I think I would have at least carried a can of fuel in the boot for the last stage. (y)
I definitely should have...... running out of fuel when it's snowy like it was is just stupid stupid stupid.
 
I definitely should have...... running out of fuel when it's snowy like it was is just stupid stupid stupid.

The time to push your luck is summer when the mpg is higher :D

Still we all learn from our mistakes :D

when you going diseasal powered then Dan, then we will see you get sky high figures (y)


Trev
 
The time to push your luck is summer when the mpg is higher :D

Still we all learn from our mistakes :D

when you going diseasal powered then Dan, then we will see you get sky high figures (y)


Trev

Well I'm not getting a diesel 500 that's for sure. I quite fancy a Bravo as a 3rd car, I'd probably go for a diesel or a t-jet :)
 
Nice to finally confirm just how big the tank is! :)

I was pretty close to running dry when i got 41 litres in then! How did you get the car to the petrol station? Push, or did you walk with a Gerry can?

Bought a 5 litre can and walked back. I've been close to running out twice before as well but only a couple of hundred ml.
 
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