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Running out of Diesel...first time ever.

warrenpfo

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2010
Messages
2,895
Well I can finally say that I have run out of diesel.

I had done 440 miles the reserve light had only come on 10 miles ago and I had 2 miles to go to pick up the wife and fill up with diesel when I put my foot down after rounding the traffic circle and nothing....:)

All I can say is I have never been so embarrassed as to having to mount the curb and come to a stop in my big new cruiser. Luckily the petrol station and wife where only a short walk away so I called her up said buy a jerry can of diesel and get walking. I met her half way and carried the shopping and diesel back to the car where I poured it in primed her and off we went to fill up.

Is it just me or does 10 maybe 15 miles from a reserve tank seem right and could my gauge need altering if possible?
 
If the gauge in the 100 is anything like the 80, I think it is just a guesstimate as to how much is in the tank.

In Morocco earlier this year we were on a long down hill stretch, the gauge started dropping at an alarming rate... so bad that I thought I had holed the tank somewhere further up the road.

Once we were back on the level the gauge went back up to just above the quarter mark again.

Sounds to me like your 'rounding the traffic circle' caused the fuel in the tank to shift away from the pickup.
 
I've done at least 20 miles with the red light full on, and I've been led to believe there is 20 lts left in the tank on reserve so that should cover you for a good few miles.
Chas
 
On my previous cruiser, I actually drained the tank through the tap under the tank, then slowly added fuel until the light went out. It took 11 litres IIRC. I had to take the tank off anyway so I thought I would get a real measure of what was in there. I did something similar with the new 80. About 2 galls in there. I'd say that 15 miles was a bit mean!

I did push my old LWB (95 in Sea Mist or beige as everyone called it) once and got to 512 miles until I finally pulled over in Croydon. I reckon there was still a litre or so in there. Regularly used to get 28 mpg out of that auto.


Chris
 
iirc its 15 litres reserve.
My experience is that the pick-up is at the rear of the tank. Easiest to run out at, or after, a downhill.
Careful with letting the engine rotate without diesel. The fuel is also the lubrication for the IP. It will be ruined after much less than a minute running dry, maybe even less than 1/2 a minute. Always use the primer after filling up after running dry.
 
I primed hard then turned her over and then primed again. I hope not to make the same mistake again now that I know her limitations.
 
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Good thing is that after stopping after a circle or a downhill, it could be possible to hand-prime until pressurized, and move on to the nearest pump, (or at least to better parking).
 
I have done at least 60 miles on the reserve once in my 80, although I was driving at a constant 50mph on a very straight road somewhere in Russia. Filled up afterwards with 94 litres!
 
I ran out back in 2005 on a steepish hill, bit of a hassle mind, but it started remarkably quickly with a bit of priming when I stuck in 5 litres.
The police had put a sign up around l'beast... as some good samaritan had rang them - to be faced by a boy in blue was not good, especially when I laid into the poor guy, he was only doing his job, I wish the samaritan had gone somewhere else that day.... but the BinBlue was okay about it; when I explained how stressed I was to be faced by ma Beast with a copper and some tape and a blue and white sign. He even excorted me to the nearest petrol station in case 5 litres wasn't sufficient. One of my better encounters with our local bobbies...
Never ran out since, I reckon I'd used about 15 litres before it finally ran out, but don't actually know how much there is in reserve. I remember once in Algeria I got very low and filled up with just under 100 litres.
Renate
 
Sorry to bring this up again but the same thing happened to me again today :evil:

I started the car in the car park at work knowing it was close to the fuel light coming on. Got out the gate down the road and the light came on. I though must get to a station to fill up as we all know what has happened before. I drove down the hill and stopped at a crossing turned right round a left hand corner and she cut out on me :evil:

Thank goodness I live 3 miles from work and this time I thought lets prime her and see what happens....she fired up so I limped to the station only a mile away and filled up with a total of ONLY 80L. I thought the tank held 96 but may be wrong.

What’s going on? Could this be linked to what I think may be water in my fuel filter which I will drain tomorrow.
 
Is it possible that you have a pinhole (or bigger) leak in the fuel pick-up pipe in the tank? As the level drops, the hole is exposed and air is sucked into the line causing the symptoms you describe :idea:
I would have thought your truck was a bit new for this but I don't know that there's an age limit :mrgreen: If some contaminated fuel has been run through it, then I guess it's possible that water presence has promoted rust and corrosion on the pick-up that leads to pin-hole leaks. This is a known symptom on LCs.

You should not be running out of fuel or suffering from fuel starvation with 16l in the tank. I guess it's also possible that you have an airlock when filling up so when you added 80l it was not full. Although that would not explain the low fuel warning light only just coming on.

I think it's worth either waiting til the tank is nearer empty, or if you have a big diesel container, draining it and pulling out the fuel pick-up pipe and inspecting it and also giving the tank a decent flush with clean diesel when empty.

Cheers,
 
Cheers Andrew

I plan on checking the filter tomorrow and then on empting the tank I think you can get into it from inside the car under the seats through a round cover held on with a few bolts.

Will let you know how it goes.
 
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