Running on Fumes - How low have you gone?!
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From: Seattle, WA
2008 GL 550
Running on Fumes - How low have you gone?!
I knew I was running low because the light had been on for a while, and I always kind of take a twisted pleasure in getting it as close to empty as possible despite knowing this is not good for the car.... Anyway, I was very surprised to see how close I actually got when I refueled - 26.523 gallons! So I thought I'ld start a thread to ask - How low have you gone without needing to call AAA ;-) ?
Related - the manual states that the car has a 26.4 gal including a 3.4 gal reserve. Does anyone know how the reserve works? Does this just mean that the warning light comes on with 3 gallons left? Or is there an actual capacity of 29.8 gal? I'm thinking the former...
Related - the manual states that the car has a 26.4 gal including a 3.4 gal reserve. Does anyone know how the reserve works? Does this just mean that the warning light comes on with 3 gallons left? Or is there an actual capacity of 29.8 gal? I'm thinking the former...
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S, TP
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From: NW corner of CONUS
2008 GL 320 CDI, 2004 VW V10 Touareg TDI
I routinely put in nearly 30 gallons. Depends on the availability of a station with a good diesel price. I also usually get more than 800 miles on a tank (unless the wife has been doing a lot of driving around town). Oh by the way I ALWAYS fill to the brim. Takes a little longer to wait for the foam to subside but I have the most accurate fuel mileage that way.
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I know when it comes to GAS tanks, topping off does nothing more than dump fuel in to the carbon filter, which can eventually cause it to malfunction and need replacement. But how different is the diesel system?
PS It's illegal in Oregon to top off your tank. Weird, huh?
Last edited by StevethePilot; Feb 26, 2010 at 10:20 AM. Reason: Add a PS
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I'm curious, because I've been repeatedly told that it's not useful to continue trying to fill the tank after the automatic shutoff. You wait how long for how much foam to subside?
I know when it comes to GAS tanks, topping off does nothing more than dump fuel in to the carbon filter, which can eventually cause it to malfunction and need replacement. But how different is the diesel system?
PS It's illegal in Oregon to top off your tank. Weird, huh?
I know when it comes to GAS tanks, topping off does nothing more than dump fuel in to the carbon filter, which can eventually cause it to malfunction and need replacement. But how different is the diesel system?
PS It's illegal in Oregon to top off your tank. Weird, huh?
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I've also heard that if you're filling at one of those places with the spring-loaded seal (vapor extractor), excess fuel - which does cause the filler to shut off - goes back in to their tank.
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From: NW corner of CONUS
2008 GL 320 CDI, 2004 VW V10 Touareg TDI
We're talking diesel here. There are no vapor extractor systems necessary or installed because of the much lower vapor pressure of the diesel fuel. I've NEVER seen one on a diesel filler nozzle.
The fuel goes into the tank/filler tube all of which are liquid tight. None escapes. There is no vapor control and reburn system such as on a gasser - see above. Therefore no carbon cannister to inadvertently fill with fuel and mess up the mixture control systems.
The foam takes as much as 10 min to subside on a Mercedes GL mostly because of the fuel tank. The tank has three air chambers at the top (where else would they be) and each one is connected to the top of the filler pipe with an air tube. As the foam subsides, air is vented through the tube to the top of the filler and you can put more fuel in.
After the nozzle 'trips' I usually hold the filler nozzle back to where I can see the fuel flowing and VERY slowly fill and watch the foam and or liquid fuel in the filler tube. When you start to see liquid and not much foam, you are very close to full.
Regarding the requirement to NOT fill a tank past the first trip-off. I believe that that applies ONLY to gasoline pumps (for the reasons explained above). I do know that it is illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon but it is NOT illegal to pump your own diesel. I do all the time and I fill as described above every time.
The fuel goes into the tank/filler tube all of which are liquid tight. None escapes. There is no vapor control and reburn system such as on a gasser - see above. Therefore no carbon cannister to inadvertently fill with fuel and mess up the mixture control systems.
The foam takes as much as 10 min to subside on a Mercedes GL mostly because of the fuel tank. The tank has three air chambers at the top (where else would they be) and each one is connected to the top of the filler pipe with an air tube. As the foam subsides, air is vented through the tube to the top of the filler and you can put more fuel in.
After the nozzle 'trips' I usually hold the filler nozzle back to where I can see the fuel flowing and VERY slowly fill and watch the foam and or liquid fuel in the filler tube. When you start to see liquid and not much foam, you are very close to full.
Regarding the requirement to NOT fill a tank past the first trip-off. I believe that that applies ONLY to gasoline pumps (for the reasons explained above). I do know that it is illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon but it is NOT illegal to pump your own diesel. I do all the time and I fill as described above every time.
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Regarding the requirement to NOT fill a tank past the first trip-off. I believe that that applies ONLY to gasoline pumps (for the reasons explained above). I do know that it is illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon but it is NOT illegal to pump your own diesel. I do all the time and I fill as described above every time.
Then again, my buddy from the U.K. was totally amazed at the drive-through liquor store a couple of miles from my house. I told him that when I first moved to Arizona in 1980 (an not for very long after that), it was totally legal to drink while driving (though driving drunk was still a small ticket - we now have some of the harshest DUI/DWI laws in the country).
