Reserve fuel tank capacity

[damo66]

Well, I have just reconnected the battery. The engine warning light is gone and, on the driveway at least, the miss fire is gone.
Gonna go round the block in a few mins to make sure, but at this point I'm a lot happier than I was earlier!!..

This forum has been tremendous help on a couple of occasions - keep it up and thanks to all for the help!

[Capvermell]

Well, I have just reconnected the battery. The engine warning light is gone and, on the driveway at least, the miss fire is gone.
Gonna go round the block in a few mins to make sure, but at this point I'm a lot happier than I was earlier!!..

I'm keeping my fingers crossed but be warned that the engine management light has a very nasty habity indeed of reilluminating about five to ten miles after it was cleared by a battery disconnection reset.  On the other hand if the misfire has also gone that sounds more hopeful.  Perhaps the engine management computer got confused about fuel starvation and then could not reset itself.

[Capvermell]

Momentum is produced by Greenergy. Shell make this own. Definitely different fuels, they smell very different too.

I presume they are the people who also sell fuel on their own forecourts under the AppleGreen brand?  There is one not far away from me in Crawley.

Regarding 99 Octane Shell and Tesco 99 octane Momentum have you reached any conclusion so far on which gives the best fuel economy?  Long term running of Momentum 99 suggessts 5 to 10% better fuel economy than regular Shell Fuelsave 95 Octane.  As Shell 99 V-Power costs 8p per litre more than Shell Fuelsave 95 and on my one full tank I seemed to get no better fuel consumption than Shell Fuelsave 95 I have been very loathed to repeat the experience.  Whereas Tesco 99 seems to give clearly superior fuel consumption and only costs 5p per litre more I am much more inclined to go on using it (as I actually seem to save money by using it).

Regarding the superior fuel consumption of Momentum 99 I notice no actual difference in power when driving but I am a very heavy footed driver off the line at the lights or when accelerating etc and I suspect it is here that the superior Octane characteristics of Momentum 99 achieve their greater level of fuel consumption.

[damo66]

I'm gonna give the momentum99 a go for a few weeks.... A few pence more but we'll see if is worth it

[Capvermell]

Just a a quick further point of information on Page 88 of the Owners Manual for the 2002 UK Pre Facelift car under Fuel Guage it has the following to say in the final two paragraphs:-

"If the fuel tank is completely empty, the malfunction indicator light comes on.  Fill the fuel tank immediately.

The indicator lamp goes off after driving several times.  If the indicator lamp does not go off, contact your Toyota dealer as soon as possible"

However my own practical experience is that the engine malfunction lamp does not come on following a fuel run out as stated in the manual and that after filling with fuel and restarting it on my car the engine malfunction light is not illuminated.

[ChrisGB]

I thought Applegreen where an Irish subsidiary of Petrogas? Greenergy are biofuel blenders. No connection between them as far as I know.

I rarely track the fuel consumption of the MR2. I have noticed that since turbocharging and mapping for super unleaded, the car is more economical on a motorway cruise than it was stock, a lot more. The car is used for fun though, so I rarely fill the tank, preferring to put in roughly what I intend to use. Fuel goes off over time so given its occasional use, bunging 20 or 30 quid in at a time and using it that day keeps it fresh.

[Capvermell]

I thought Applegreen where an Irish subsidiary of Petrogas? Greenergy are biofuel blenders. No connection between them as far as I know.

I expect you are right.  Can't find much on the web at all about who makes Momentum for Tesco.  Far more opinions seem to be expressed on whether or not it is any good for performance and/or MPG uplift.

I don't think Tesco seem to want us to know who their supplier is.   For ordinary 95 octane fuel I assume Tesco buys from a variety of different sources according to who is cheapest.   Momentum 99 seems to come from one single source following one single specification.  In Greece BP currently sells 100 Octane Ultimate fuel (see  m http://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/a ... reece.html m ) but seems to think that they can get away with calling an only 97 Octane rated fuel Ultimate in the UK.  I am surprised somebody hasn't yet filed a successful case with the Advertising Standards Authority regarding BP's misuse of the dictionary definition of the word Ultimate in the UK.

[redarrow]

Next time you ever get that low on fuel
Slap some redex in to clean the engine out

 when a light comes on a mr2 not good news try
Not to go on journeys with out correct amount
Of petroll

lack of fuel can couase a huge bill.

Good luck all the best redarrow/ john

Ps. Always cheak your oil leval takes minutes
And saves a car from being scraped .

[Capvermell]

lack of fuel can cause a huge bill.

In some big complicated V8 or V12 engine cars this may be true.  In the MR2 Roadster it clearly is not.

I have run out several times every couple of years or so during my ownership of the car and the car always restarts as though nothing has happened.   Damage is only usually done to the Cat if people keep on endlessly cranking the starter motor rather than accepting that there is now no fuel left in the tank.

The fact the car has a decent fuel filtering system and that I have only ever put decent quality fuel in it probably helps.

[dori dori]

so when the light comes on there is roughly 7 litres left in reserve?

I've not pushed it that far in but have done 35miles into it before I quit playing petrol light roulette

[Capvermell]

so when the light comes on there is roughly 7 litres left in reserve?

I've not pushed it that far in but have done 35miles into it before I quit playing petrol light roulette

I would say its close to 7 litres to run out from when the low fuel light comes on as I reckon you usually have at least 40 to 45 miles left to complete run out from when it first lights up and I usually don't get more than 29mpg in my normal driving mix.  From the warning light first coming on to the fuel needle registering as low as it will go on its travel is probably about 4 litres and after the needle hits rock bottom there are still about another 3 consumable litres left before you run out.  Although the tank capacity is quoted as 49 litres at a complete run out the most you can actually get in is 46.5 litres.  So that last 2.5 litres cannot be consumed due to the shape of the bottom of the tank and the position of the fuel outlet pipe.

[dori dori]

so when the light comes on there is roughly 7 litres left in reserve?

I've not pushed it that far in but have done 35miles into it before I quit playing petrol light roulette

I would say its close to 7 litres to run out from when the low fuel light comes on as I reckon you usually have at least 40 to 45 miles left to complete run out from when it first lights up and I usually don't get more than 29mpg in my normal driving mix.  From the warning light first coming on to the fuel needle registering as low as it will go on its travel is probably about 4 litres and after the needle hits rock bottom there are still about another 3 consumable litres left before you run out.  Although the tank capacity is quoted as 49 litres at a complete run out the most you can actually get in is 46.5 litres.  So that last 2.5 litres cannot be consumed due to the shape of the bottom of the tank and the position of the fuel outlet pipe.

That sounds ok most of my driving is dual carriage way and bypass so constant speed not much town driving at all so to be safe its going to be around what you say depending on how you drive that last 6/7 litres. I think keeping to about 35 miles is probably safe enough usually know where the petrol stations are if I am on the red to go to

[dori dori]

well light came on only drove 12miles into it this time before tanking up.

£56 it cost @ 137.9 and got me 40.61 litres did fill up with v power nitro this time just to see how it goes instead of chucking injector cleaner in a tank of normal stuff, normal shell stuff was still 133.9 few quid difference I think tops.

Either way if this tank last more than 350miles or around it I will be chuffed

[dori dori]

well I wasn't far off managed 342 miles worked it to roughly 37/8 mpg

[James and his MR2]

After 40 Litres and 280 miles my fuel light comes on.. and its supposed to have a 48 litre tank??

These cars seem to have a HUGE reserve tank

[normanh]

Mine came on Tuesday when I was down to 9 litres, thought I had a lot less in the tank than that.

Norman

[Capvermell]

After 40 Litres and 280 miles my fuel light comes on.. and its supposed to have a 48 litre tank??

These cars seem to have a HUGE reserve tank

Unfortunately the actual capacity of the tank is between 46.2 and 46.5 litres based on several experiences I have had with fuel run outs or very near to run outs over 11 years and then filling up at the pump.   The last 1.5 litres either does not exist or alternatively sits in parts of the fuel tank where it doesn't run down the outlet filter/pipe as they must be lower than the outlet point.

Also I would be curious to know how you think you had definitely used 40 litres when the fuel light came on?  Do the post facelift cars have a trip computer as well as a different radio/cassette, front spotlights, six speed gearbox, painted air scoops and larger wheels and tyres?  The one thing that definitely didn't change between the pre and post facelift models was the size of the fuel tank.

Manufacturer stated tank capacities are unreliable.  My MGF VVC's handbook said it had a 50 litre tank but I actually put in 56 litres of fuel on one occasion without having run out.  I don't think that was a dodgy pump measuring system as I know I was a mile or two from running out and put 53 litres in the car when I was normally low at other garages on several other occasions.

[James and his MR2]

After 40 Litres and 280 miles my fuel light comes on.. and its supposed to have a 48 litre tank??

These cars seem to have a HUGE reserve tank

Also I would be curious to know how you think you had definitely used 40 litres when the fuel light came on?

Fill the tank, drive/commute till you get the warning light and hope your next to a petrol garage  s:) s:)  Fill up and the litres of petrol you put in is near enough how much you have used

[roger]

Hate to be a party pooper, but I just can't understand all this earnest discussion? Though I suppose gaining information could be a valid reason, for interest only!

Just to correct OP, though he has probably gathered this by now, there is no reserve tank, just a low fuel indicator, and probably just as efficient as a low oil one.

The odd time it has come on, I pop into the next available garage, and if I don't like the petrol or the price restrict my purchase to around £5 until better opportunities arrive.

Under normal conditions I fill up at about 1/4, then I don't have to run around in a sweat, peeing in my pants, and maybe looking to avoid a fine on the motorway   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

[MisterK]

Having been driving for 40 years, mostly every day, I have never run out of petrol!  Why?  Simple - I don't run the tank down to fumes.  I always fill up until the filler clicks off and then fill up again when I get to around quarter tank left - the most cost effective way of buying petrol in my opinion as you're not wasting fuel on unneccessary trips to the petrol station.  In the 9 years I've had the MR2 I've seen the low fuel light come on perhaps 10 times in total.  I then know that I have about a gallon or 35 miles in which to get some juice.  Obviously, I won't fill up if local prices are extortionate whilst on a run, but put enough in to get home or to a location where prices are cheaper.  As already mentioned - no reserve tank, just a warning light to remind you to fill up. Unless you'r stuck in the wilds of Scotland then this should be easily achieveable.