2015 d4 fuel gauge.

[optimax90]

Thinking there is a problem with the fuel guage on my new d4. If I run it down to as close to empty as possible I can only get 65 litres in it. I'm confident that it full , tried slower filling etc. Guage then reads full but seems to drop off pretty quick. Compared to my old d2 that would do 100 ks before coming off full.
Just wondering if anyone else has same problem before I take it back to dealer. Meant to have 82.5 litres useable capacity. Surely that means 82.5 litres above empty?

[rufusking]

Get used to it. I've found that when the Dist to Empty shows 0 km I have nearly 100 theoretical kilometres left. Somewhere in the workshop manual it explains the methodology behind it. Basically they don't want you to run it to empty so it cuts out for the first time when there's something like 4 litres left. You can then restart it and drive on. There is a second event after that.

"In the event that fuel is allowed to run too low, signals transmitted from the fuel level sensors initiate the fuel rundry strategy. The driver will be notified before the tank is run critically low on fuel. Although this is a simulated rundry
procedure, it provides the symptoms of the vehicle running out of fuel and the driver will perceive it as such. The engine will stop when there is approximately 4 liters (0.87 gallons) of fuel remaining in the fuel tank."

[SBD4]

The most I've put in mine is ~72 litres with 20km to empty showing on the gauge.

There have been instances of dented tanks and faulty fuel gauge senders.No harm in getting it checked.

[LRD414]

... Guage then reads full but seems to drop off pretty quick. Compared to my old d2 that would do 100 ks before coming off full...
In mine (MY14), after filling the gauge stays reading full for up to 100km before moving down.

I haven't actually taken notice of km-to-go versus refill amount yet.

Scott

[optimax90]

In mine (MY14), after filling the gauge stays reading full for up to 100km before moving down.

I haven't actually taken notice of km-to-go versus refill amount yet.

Scott
That sounds better! It's been like it from new. I would of thought 82.5 useable litres meant exactly that. Fuel below empty on the guage is not really useable? Makes for a poor range.
Thanks for the replies.

[LandyAndy]

Mine runs more like Scotts.
You could carry a 10l jerrycan and test the km to empty.Its something I want to do,problem is almost all my trips involve a 165km trip to the city.Havent really had it at home with less than half a tank to test the factory low fuel warnings.
Andrew

[Fred Nerk]

Can the distance to empty calculation be recalibrated with a diagnostic tool?

Or, even more useful, is there a display that can be set on a diagnostic tool for the litres of fuel remaining?

I miss having an actual dipstick to check oil (SD V6) and want to know accurate fuel levels too.

I reckon I would be pretty annoyed that I had to walk 10 or 20 km (and back) for fuel for a car "pretending that it was empty". Is it really that hard to bleed the fuel lines?

[LandyAndy]

When they delivered mine,they warned about the almost out of fuel "feature".Once there is air in the system it will not self bleed unless the tank is at least half full I was told.
Andrew

[Melbourne Park]

I have put 75 litres in mine ... although when that happens, I feel like calling Weights and measures - IMO fuel companies often cheat on quantities delivered. Which is theft.

But I wonder what the capacity of the Disco's tank really is?

The petrol vehicle has a larger tank - would LR have the extra cost of different tanks? Or are the tanks the same size, with the diesel tank having more reserve, and the software making you think its actually run out?

The diesel has 82.3 litres, the petrol 86.3 litres ... it seems they both have 86.3 litres, with 4 litres being held as a compulsory reserve. Pretty good engineering from the sound of it.

[Tombie]

Point of order - the vehicles have a different usable capacity - it does not specify a larger container ;)

I would hazard a guess and suggest they are the same tank and that it is done to prevent major issues from running dry.

Fuel delivery:- a Petrol will self prime with 5 litres... A Diesel that has run out needs ~40 litres to self prime:

Would seem to be common sense to ensure the driver doesn't run it out and is unable to reprime.

[Tombie]

Can the distance to empty calculation be recalibrated with a diagnostic tool?

Or, even more useful, is there a display that can be set on a diagnostic tool for the litres of fuel remaining?

I miss having an actual dipstick to check oil (SD V6) and want to know accurate fuel levels too.

I reckon I would be pretty annoyed that I had to walk 10 or 20 km (and back) for fuel for a car "pretending that it was empty". Is it really that hard to bleed the fuel lines?

DTE (Distance to empty) uses a different algorithm to l/100 calcs...
I can average 10l/100km and have 100km DTE. I then boot it (instant fuel at 27l/100 etc) for a small period and it and this will drop to 30km DTE.
Average fuel consumption still holds around 10s :cool:

On longer runs I often fill up and have a DTE of 570-580, only to have this number increase for the first hour of cruise mode highway driving..

I see no reason to miss a dipstick, the mechanical device is no more calibrated than a sensor, and it certainly can not warn you when it gets below safe limits (old oil lights meant no pressure, where as the electronic oil sensor can report low levels).

And the best line - I'd be pretty upset if I was driving my D4 around so low on fuel that I ran out ;) Every fuel gauge is an indicator - the vehicle isn't pretending to be empty - for all intents and purposes it is empty...

You would be more ****ed off standing on the side of the road.

Just as a dipstick doesn't indicate the engine is empty of oil - just below what it should be. Several vehicles will now go into limp mode and then commence shutting down if oil is dropped or pressure drops.

[theins]

Really glad to have come across this thread.
The same thing happened to me earlier this week. Warning messages coming on telling me that the distance to empty is less than 30k.
Off I go, finding the nearest filling station - don't want to run a diesel empty, and managed to get 67 liters into the tank. ..:confused::confused:

I thought the tank was due to hold 82 liters. ..

Given how smart the car is I would have expected the fuel monitor to be closer to reality...

Cheers

[LandyAndy]

Really glad to have come across this thread.
The same thing happened to me earlier this week. Warning messages coming on telling me that the distance to empty is less than 30k.
Off I go, finding the nearest filling station - don't want to run a diesel empty, and managed to get 67 liters into the tank. ..:confused::confused:

I thought the tank was due to hold 82 liters. ..

Given how smart the car is I would have expected the fuel monitor to be closer to reality...

Cheers

It is smart.
Yet to try mine but it will eventually cut output when its nearly empty Im told.
Anybody going to own up to running one out and how it goes about it????
Andrew

[SBD4]

Last week I ran mine to 25kms to go and put 75 litres in it.

[Tombie]

Put the dash on instant consumption and take off around town..

Watch the calcs it's using! 25-30l/100km instant...

If you do lots of stop go it will always estimate running out quicker...

Get it on the highway, and it stabilises and gives a far more accurate calculation.

[LandyAndy]

Put the dash on instant consumption and take off around town..

Watch the calcs it's using! 25-30l/100km instant...

If you do lots of stop go it will always estimate running out quicker...

Get it on the highway, and it stabilises and gives a far more accurate calculation.

You want to see the instant numbers on a XR6 Turbo powered Ford Territory when you stir it up;););););););)
Andrew

[Meken]

My ex f.i.l. Had a new jag xjr when they came out - instant only when to 99 ;)

[carlschmid2002]

You want to see the instant numbers on a XR6 Turbo powered Ford Territory when you stir it up;););););););)
Andrew

I know, I have an F6. My D3 doesn't have instantaneous, just distance to run and average fuel economy. The average fuel economy can be quite scary with the V8 when I have just filled up and reset the computer. I put my foot down and it is like instantaneous economy, 50l/100km.

[Tombie]

You want to see the instant numbers on a XR6 Turbo powered Ford Territory when you stir it up;););););););)

Andrew


Had a BA to play with for a couple of weeks when the XR6T came out.

Know all about that thirst [emoji41]

[LandyAndy]

Had a BA to play with for a couple of weeks when the XR6T came out.

Know all about that thirst [emoji41]

And that AWESOME grunt,they eat V8s!!!!!
Andrew

[theins]

It is smart.
Yet to try mine but it will eventually cut output when its nearly empty Im told.
Anybody going to own up to running one out and how it goes about it????
Andrew

Well, my D3 was not as smart, but I knew that when the warning light came on I had about 8 litres still in the tank.

Putting 67l in last time meant that there where about 15l left (almost 20%!) - even with the CT on the back that would allow for about 100k...

Just puts a whole lot of more guesswork into the equation, which is disappointing given the increasing sophistication of the systems...

[Melbourne Park]

Last night I ran mine down to 18km left ... and I put almost 77 litres into it.

So ... 92-77= 15 litres left. Take off 5 litres for its diesel spare fuel, and that leaves 10 litres left. At lets say around town 10/100, there should have been 80 km left that the vehicle did not know about. And who knows, there may have been.

In my wife's B class petrol, I had found its computer on a trip, said the tank was empty. I got to the next town, about 20KM later. No worries ... but on another time, it said a few K to go, and it ran out - still with some KM to go!!

With a Toyota, they say their policy was that when the fuel light comes on, you should have 100KM of range left. Also, the gauge in my Toyotas (also Lexus's) is pretty accurate, when you've learn't where the bottom of the needle is.

We need someone to run a diesel empty though ...

I wonder too, where does H2O go from the fuel in these motors? Is it all trapped in the filter system, or does it get absorbed into the tank's fuel, which would be very bad for the motor??

[Meken]

I was getting some greenie pangs when I first started looking at discos as most of my d4s trips will be with only me in it(and I'm not a big guy) - when I looked at the ave km's I'm doing per year the difference between the diesel & petrol in the d3s was only a few hundred $$$ ....

[Stuart02]

I know, I have an F6. My D3 doesn't have instantaneous, just distance to run and average fuel economy. The average fuel economy can be quite scary with the V8 when I have just filled up and reset the computer. I put my foot down and it is like instantaneous economy, 50l/100km.

It's pretty easy (and fun) to get the 3.6L TDV8 nudging 60 per 100! :)

I'm a tad surprised everyone's so bemused by the distance to 'empty' figure. Analogue fuel gauges have always shown 'empty' with a healthy reserve. It was manufacturer specific even. For example you always knew in a Mitsubishi that when the fuel light came on you had around 100 km of average driving left in the tank. Some were only 50 km. It's really 'distance to drop the kids at school and find a servo'.
And the calculated distance to empty is never going to equate to a consistent fill quantity - I find filling at roughly '50 km to empty' regularly results in variations of 10 or more litres to fill the tank. But the the TDV8 can be nominally averaging anything from 9.5 to 16 l/100km... (get the 3.0L if you're choosing, people!! :D )

[Meken]

In my 13yr old bmw 3 if weren't at a servo 5 mins after the fuel light came on you were in trouble. Never drove it below a range of 50k as you only had something like 5k - found out the hard way (with toddler in tow - not fun standing by the side of the road on a hot afternoon waiting for fuel with a hungry 18mth old)

[carlschmid2002]

I found my defender 90 to be the worst for running out of fuel just after the light came on. I run out 1km from a servo in Tarcutta one night. I bought a Rijidij rack and always carried fuel until I got Frontrunner tanks fitted. It was really thirsty on the Hume sitting on 110km/h. I was lucky to get 400km out of 60L tank. If you slowed down just a little the economy improved significantly.

[Stuart02]

In my 13yr old bmw 3 if weren't at a servo 5 mins after the fuel light came on you were in trouble. Never drove it below a range of 50k as you only had something like 5k - found out the hard way (with toddler in tow - not fun standing by the side of the road on a hot afternoon waiting for fuel with a hungry 18mth old)

13yo bmw is probably the operative phrase there! ;)

[RHS58]

In my 13yr old bmw 3 if weren't at a servo 5 mins after the fuel light came on you were in trouble. Never drove it below a range of 50k as you only had something like 5k - found out the hard way (with toddler in tow - not fun standing by the side of the road on a hot afternoon waiting for fuel with a hungry 18mth old)

My previous 1999 BMW 3 series ran fine with minus 20km to empty before I found the servo. Was a nervous 20 km though.
Don't think I'd cut it so close with the diesel D4.