Erratic Fuel Guage

[mrbluesky]

Does anyone else agree when I say the 6 light fuel guage on the C3 is a strange thing to say the least? Firstly, although I always top up the tank until the pump clicks off, I rarely get more than 20 or so miles before the first light goes out. Does this suggest that I am unable to fill tank to the brim, or is it just the way the light works. The second thing is, even if I wait until the low fuel warning light and buzzer comes on whilst on the last light, when I go to fill up I can rarely get more than around 7 gallons in, even though it is a 10 gallon tank. Maybe this answers my first question, that I am not getting to fill the tank to full sufficiently.

 

It appears the lights aren't literal representations of the state of the tank, i.e. each light does not represent 1/6 of the tank. Rather it uses the computer to work out the amount of miles that the car is currently achieving and displays the quantity of lights according to that.

 

I'd be most interested to hear from others as to what their experiences are on the subject.

 

Many thanks,

[jazzster]

My lights all light up when full, first one can go out anything between 20 and 80 miles, mostly forty miles, since the last recall think it was XWK I have only filled my tank twice, both times the last light has not come on or only come on briefly, I have never let the tank go so low as a buzzer comes on just the light and only ever got 8 gallons in, personally I don't trust the gauge a little at all, same with the fuel computer it is always about 2-3 mpg out, I can not help anymore because I will only have the car until the 1st because I have given up on the sensodrive gearbox.

[wozza]

My C4 is similar except i think there is 12 bars on the fuel guage.

 

But its bloody useless comp says i have 30- miles left then tells me i have nothing when i give it a bit off the line.

[MikeRotherham]

My C3 (its a Stop & Start version) seems pretty consistent. The first 3 bars go out after increments of 60 miles each, unless I've been a bit heavier on the gas pedal, then its a bit less than that.

If I'm on a longer run doing continuous cruising, its generally more. The 4th seems to take longer to go out. I've never let it drop below 2 bars so don't know about them.

I've got the car booked in for the XWK upgrade, as I've had the car 7 months and its been faultless, I'm a bit concerned that the upgrade may change this.

[jazzster]

Could be just coincidence that it has not been working the same since XWK update, as I said I only filled it up with twice since, the miles left in Tank is has always been all over the place, to be far I have had other cars where the petrol gauge has not been very accurate.

 

Only reason I'm getting a different car is the sensodrive gearbox, I'm not the only person that finds junctions annoying and dangerous with this gearbox, after reading all over the net, there does not seem anyway of getting rid of the problem, I know lots of people love the gearbox but after 11 months I can not get used to the gearbox so see no point in carrying on with it, it's costing me a arm and a leg to change my car with the deprecation on the C3 but I hope it is all worth it, Wednesday I should find out.

[Oliver]

MRBLUESKY

 

All these discrepancies are common.

Fuel tanks on modern cars ar usually blow moulded plastic and are designed to form to available space within the bodywork so shape changes can be more severe than with the older steel tanks.

As a result the area of the top surface of fuel varies down the tank as the fuel is being used so the level can drop differently for similar volumes of fuel being burnt.

With regards to the full to empty warning differences, if the level sender unit is set too high within the tank this would give you these incorrect signalling points - not much movement required to knock off the first bar, and the last bar and warning signal being triggered too soon.

 

Hope this makes sense,

 

Oliver

[hertsnminds]

I always filled my Pluriel to the 3rd or 4th fuel pump cut off, this meant I got much more from the first bar indication and between 50 and 60 miles from each bar.

 

However there are ways to confuse the indicator. The most noticable is to park the car on a slope so that the passenger side is lower than the drivers side. Leave the car parked for a couple of hours and when you return you will have about 2 bars more fuel than when you left. I have done this in the C4 as well with the same result.

 

As for the scale of the indicator some of the readings are determined by driving conditions. If driving in town you will be getting fewer MPG and the indicators go out faster, so you can get bars at different ends of the scale to stay on for longer or shorter amounts of miles.

 

As for the empty indication I think Citroen err on the side of caution so you have no excuse to say it is their fault you ran out of fuel (which is a fineable offence).

 

Ian

Black 55 VTR+

[Igloo_Vindaloo]

I fill my C3 to the 1st pump cutoff. I usually get about 40 litres in.

 

I get approx 115 miles before the 1st light goes out. This one varies most.

Then 105 miles between each of the next 4 lights on the fuel gauge.

The last light goes out much sooner (~45 miles)

But I don't know how much fuel is left in, as I haven't run it dry (and don't intend to!)

 

That's an average of 581 miles/tank, which actually averages 65mpg. :D

[uridor]

I get 1 mile before the first light go off.

All the other lights seem to "behave" normal.

 

I guess I'm the most unusual case in here.

[smokescreen]

Hi there. My experience has been to fill the tank brim full each time and the first light bar goes out at 120 miles. Thereafter, about 80 miles to each light bar until the bleep when down the last bar usually needing 40 litres to replenish the tank to brim full. On a couple of occasions when stopping he filling at the first click, it only takes 40 miles before the first light bar goes out.

 

Trip computer accurate normally to within 2-3 mpg.

 

Regards

 

Smokescreen

 

1.4 HDi SX Sensodrive