Technical Vanishing petrol!

[gavingil]

We've noticed something with the panda. Filled up last night (£31) and did a few miles, the guage moved from full to almost near the first marker (if that makes sense). This morning we were leaving my inlaws up to the airport (at 4am!) and I noticed that the needle had moved to the second marker, but it was nowhere near it last night!

Has anyone else noticed this? Is it just a quirk??

Also noticed the radio randomly turns itself on when you start the car, even if you had it switched off

 

[Polypedates]

I've noticed that the fuel guage drops from full very quickly but then starts to slow as you use more of the petrol.

Probably something to do with the shape of the tank I guess?

 

[ScoobyChris]

Has anyone else noticed this? Is it just a quirk??

Not noticed this myself, but it doesn't take many miles to move to the first marker in my 100hp! The only thing I can think of (aside from a fuel leak or someone stealing your petrol) is that at 4am it will be noticeably colder and the fuel may have contracted. However, I'm guessing that a marker is at least 2 litres and I can't see it contracting that much!!!

Be interesting to see if it happens again and whether you get the usual number of miles across the tank.

Chris

 

[gavingil]

I only drive it at the weekend, my fiancee drives it all week and shes noticed this too.

We'll keep an eye on it but sort of miles should we expect from a full tank? The panda only has about 200 miles on the clock so far!

 

[EmmaM88]

Mine used to drop pretty much after fuelling then after doing a few miles it sensed what was in there and settled back to the top.

As for the radio mine used to do that too dunno why must be a fiat thing. The best one is when I would put it on mute when pulling over the side of the road, turn off the engine, then turn it back on and the radio would blare out again without taking mute off again, very amusing.

 

[udtrev]

My 1.2 does around 400 mile on a tank, but then again I am usually on the motorways rather than rural/urban driving.

If you are pootling round town or bashing the country lanes then it will go faster.

To get the gest MPG you have to hard braking / accelerating and drive smoothly, on the motorway I have found taking my foot off and on the accelerator can add a few more MPG at cruising speed.


Trev

 

[EmmaM88]

I do a mixture of country lanes and town driving, I get around 43.5MPG and between 250-300 miles per tank get slightly less in winter as I don't do a lot of mileage.

 

[100hpJames]

my previous cinq used to drop over night, used to think it was a fiat thing, you' fill it up, drive it home from the petrol station, look at the gauge, think you did very well to use hardly any fuel, then the next morning it kicks you in the ***** lol

 

[hp_source]

do you park on a slope?

the fuel level sensor will be affected by the angle a car is at, under normal driving it evens out, but if its initial reading when the key is turned measures lower than being on the level the needle would move to indicate this.

 

[Jimrod]

Nah, I know what he means - the first bar on my gauge is usually gone in 5 or 6 miles of normal driving... Then it slows down. Must be a pointy petrol tank I reckon

Getting about 33-34mpg so far in mix of town and dual carriageway (approx 4-5 miles town, 10 miles dual carriageway each way) to work every day after 500 miles on the clock. Occasional quick blasts but nothing major so hoping that goes up to at least 37-38 when it's fully "run-in"

 

[izzy eckerslike]

because the 1.2 tank takes only 7 gallons as apposed to 14 or more on bigger cars I think it's this that makes it appear to go down faster, my camper van only does 28mpg but it's tank takes 17 gallons & driving it around gives me the
illusion that it's more economical than my Panda which of course is nowhere near.

 

[gavingil]

It is parked on a bit of a slope but its sloping sideways if you know what I mean

It probably is a combination of the size of the tank and shape - I'm probably too used to driving my megane dci, fuel guage hardly seems to move at all

We've only had the panda a week and already we're thinking in a year or 2 we'll see about upgrading to a fancier model and perhaps a diesel as well

 

[trackdayqueen]

because the 1.2 tank takes only 7 gallons as apposed to 14 or more on bigger cars I think it's this that makes it appear to go down faster, my camper van only does 28mpg but it's tank takes 17 gallons & driving it around gives me the
illusion that it's more economical than my Panda which of course is nowhere near.

All panda tanks excepting the 4x4 are 35 litres ie 7.7gallons.

It is a small tank. Not an issue in the MJ with a range of nearly 400 miles, but I find that i'm doing well to get 250 in the 100hp.

Mind you I ran it down to the second to last segment in the red, ie one away from an indicated empty, then filled it and could only fit 30 litres in, so there is still a fair bit left by the looks of it.

Does the light on the gauge start flashing at a certain point? I know obviously you get the 'low fuel warning' display and beep on the dash. Just wondered if it starts going mad if you take it beyond the second to last notch on the gauge.

Tbh i'd rather use most of the petrol before having to refill as it simply means you can go for longer between fill ups.