Technical Petrol light/petrol left in miles

[tashaleigh93]

Hi there,

Just wondering if anyone can advise me with this issue.
I have recently bought my 2009 plate fiat 500 and filled it.
when the fuel went down to 70 miles on the petrol gauge on the display my petrol light came on?

 

[wellfan]

You will probably get quite a few replies. When our light comes on the car will be good for at least another 50 miles before I start to worry. Tend not to do it too often though as it means any **** in bottom of tank will likely start to get drawn into the system (or is this just an urban myth?)

 

[DBunX]

If its the light I'm thinking of, isn't that the one that comes one when it detects you have gone under 5 litres of fuel remaining? (at least that's what the manual on mine says).

 

[306maxi]

To the OP, that is how it should work.

 

[Matthgt]

This is normal i think. My gfs punto comes on when shes got 80 miles left
My hgt comes on at 60 miles depending how im driving. I have gone for 3 days on the red no worries.
There is a saying that crap in the tank goes through when ran low. My work pickup clogged the fuel filter after it was ran down on the red light and kept cutting out. BUT i know my hgt has been ran on vpower and fuel treatment has been put in so it should be clean.

 

[portland_bill]

Can you be sure that the underground tank at the fuel station is clean?

 

[Matthgt]

I can because my shell garage gets refurbished every 2 years and this last time they put new tanks in

 

[lljkk]

(Fiat 500 Lounge 2011)
Here's a related question:
My petrol gauge has 7 bars, 3 big, 1 medium, 2 thin at bottom.
The need-fuel light goes on when I'm down to just the 1 medium+2 thin bars at the bottom.
Most I have run it after light came on was 30 miles, when I still had 2 thin bars at bottom.
BUT, is it possible I would ever see just one thin bar at the bottom, can I consider that the last warning of last 10 miles or so, or does no one ever see just one thin bar, 2 thin bars is the lowest on the display?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[306maxi]

You can have no bars if you run it low enough

 

[ahmett]

(Fiat 500 Lounge 2011)
Here's a related question:
My petrol gauge has 7 bars, 3 big, 1 medium, 2 thin at bottom.
The need-fuel light goes on when I'm down to just the 1 medium+2 thin bars at the bottom.
Most I have run it after light came on was 30 miles, when I still had 2 thin bars at bottom.
BUT, is it possible I would ever see just one thin bar at the bottom, can I consider that the last warning of last 10 miles or so, or does no one ever see just one thin bar, 2 thin bars is the lowest on the display?

Thanks in advance!!

I would say you have 20 miles left at no bars.

 

[jrkitching]

You can have no bars if you run it low enough

You can have no fuel if you run it low enough

 

[306maxi]

You can have no fuel if you run it low enough

Only happened to me once so far!

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Can you be sure that the underground tank at the fuel station is clean?

Fuel is pulled from the bottom of the tank regardless of if it's fuel or on reserve, if there's crap in there its going to get sucked out regardless.

Of all fuel tanks I've removed from cars though I'm yet to ever find any crud in the tank.

 

[lljkk]

No bars?! Really!? That's fab. Fewer trips to petrol station would suit me just fine. Anyone care to disagree? Why does light come on so early then? (is this a modern fangled car feature?)

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

No bars?! Really!? That's fab. Fewer trips to petrol station would suit me just fine. Anyone care to disagree? Why does light come on so early then? (is this a modern fangled car feature?)

Define early?

Its a warning that you're fuel is getting low. Everyone would be moaning if it comes on with only 5 miles left in the tank without a large enough range to get you to a petrol station.

 

[306maxi]

No bars?! Really!? That's fab. Fewer trips to petrol station would suit me just fine. Anyone care to disagree? Why does light come on so early then? (is this a modern fangled car feature?)

it's just to warn you that you're getting lowish on fuel. There's another warning at 30 miles anyway

 

[frupi]

With all of the cars I've owned, including the Wife's 500, the tank is always filled and then run down to when the orange light comes on. Never had an issue with this fuelling routine. Our 500 gets filled from orange light to full once every 15 or 16 days.

 

[lljkk]

Does a little voice come on to say low fuel? Or something else flash on screen? Once that happened when I was on a steep hill but not actually that low on fuel (confusing!).
I promise I have looked for those things in manual, but very minimal info found.

TIA.

 

[frupi]

You'll get a very audible tone and the orange light will flash up. Yes, sometimes when you are parked on a steep hill and you've haven't got a lot of fuel in the car, the orange light might be on or come on and as soon as you've hit the flat, it will go out but I'll wager it won't be long before the orange light pops back up again.

 

[sg1066]

I have had the fuel light come on with about the same range 70-80mls in my 2010 500 pop.

I remember pushing it a lot further only once & had something like 'Low Fuel' appear on the main display.

I assume others have had 'Low fuel' displayed as well?