S3 Miles to empty????!!!!!

[S3-Chris]

OMG....

Hi Folks..... Driving to work yesterday, checked my miles to empty.... its says 120miles.

I dont usually let this go below 70-80.... so on way home from work its at 70, so im thinking top on en route home.

Next thing car dies! miles to empty is at 45.... fuel gauge is just over quarter a tank.... phoned my mate, sat in the freezing cold for over an hour waiting for him as i was in the middle opf no where! He towed me for about 20 mins to the local petrol station, he was convinced it was a fuel issue.... I wasnt!

Stuck 20quid of juice in it, fired her up and she went sweet as a nut! He reckons its the fuel sender signal thingy.... Anyone else experienced this? or got any suggestions?

I've started using optimax over the last few weeks so not sure if that has knocked out any average readings etc! Puzzled & Pi$$ed off!!! LOL

 

[sportquattro]

It will almost certainly be the sender, can't see how changing to Shell would make the fuel gauge read 1/4 tank when empty. I'd start with a new sender as thats hopefully an easy fix. My S3 will go 350 - 400 mile on a tank before the range reads zero miles, and the gauge says empty too, it will actually go a fair few miles further which is handy if I cant find a Shell station. God luck hope it's just a sender issue

 

[MIKE GTR]

Its prob because you never let it get low lol

 

[S3-Chris]

how much is a sender thingy?
is it a difficult job to do?

 

[Lemon S3]

My S3 will go 350 - 400 mile on a tank

Christ, you must drive like an old woman everywhere!

 

[sportquattro]

Christ, you must drive like an old woman everywhere!

LOL nah not at all, it's mainly long journeys 80-85 on the motorway, rest assured she get used in anger whenever possible

 

[S3-Chris]

previously to this problem id get 270 miles to just about a full tank

 

[Welly]

It will almost certainly be the sender, can't see how changing to Shell would make the fuel gauge read 1/4 tank when empty. I'd start with a new sender as thats hopefully an easy fix. My S3 will go 350 - 400 mile on a tank before the range reads zero miles, and the gauge says empty too, it will actually go a fair few miles further which is handy if I cant find a Shell station. God luck hope it's just a sender issue

I'd kill for 350 - 400 miles to a tank!!

 

[Lemon S3]

LOL nah not at all, it's mainly long journeys 80-85 on the motorway, rest assured she get used in anger whenever possible

Lol good boy! :icon_thumright:

 

[Lemon S3]

I'd kill for 350 - 400 miles to a tank!!

The most I ever got was 380 but I was probably the slowest person on the road, had old grannys in their micra's tailgating and overtaking me.

 

[sportquattro]

The most I ever got was 380 but I was probably the slowest person on the road, had old grannys in their micra's tailgating and overtaking me.

Methinks something must be wrong then, as in all seriousness, the worst I have ever had from a tank is 300 and that involved a very high speed 200 mile dash halfway acros the country at night, if i drive sensibly on a long run it will average 35mpg and in a typical week of mixed driving im getting 29-33mpg

 

[Welly]

The most I ever got was 380 but I was probably the slowest person on the road, had old grannys in their micra's tailgating and overtaking me.

Ha ha ha, thats made me smile, thanks dude

 

[Nilz]

It will more than likely be the fuel sender, it cost about £40 from the dealers.

Its a bit of an ar$e to change, but its a pretty straightforward job, you do have to get into the fuel tank to replace, so no naked flames!!!

Oh and for the off topic convo going on in here, i user V power and normally get about 350-400 off a full tank on a regular basis, most of my miles are done on the motorway though.

 

[Prawn]

blimey that's bad luck!

I pretty much never fill mine up until my DIS shows 20 or less, and I've once driven 17 miles to find a station after it had ticked over to 0 miles remaining.....

 

[Lemon S3]

blimey that's bad luck!

I pretty much never fill mine up until my DIS shows 20 or less, and I've once driven 17 miles to find a station after it had ticked over to 0 miles remaining.....

Yeh I often wait for it to get to 0-10 miles left before I put any petrol in, can go quite far when on 0 as well. I think its because there is a 2litre reserve.

 

[S3-Chris]

i just dont like running that low as all the sh!t at the bottom of the tank goes through the engine!

 

[MIKE GTR]

Yeh I often wait for it to get to 0-10 miles left before I put any petrol in, can go quite far when on 0 as well. I think its because there is a 2litre reserve.

And the display works in 5 mile intervales, so when it flicks from 5 to 0 its not necessarily zero, its just less than 5