May sound stupid, but I've driven over 9k miles on my P5 and I still have no idea how to read the fuel guage properly (guess how much fuel is left in the tank).

If you look at it, the bold lines split the guage in 1/4 sections. But the middle sections (between 3/4 and 1/4) are larger than the other 2 sections.

So how you guys guesstimate how much gas is in your tank?

Also, my empty tank lights up at 1-2 small dashes above the E line. Is that a too early of a warning?

 

here is what I did when I first got my car....

filled it up all the way and took off.....

when the gas gage got to the first mark...I filled it up...that told me how much I had leat at that mark.....then did the same thing at the "1/2" mark....then the thrid mark.....and finally when the warning light came on....

when my warning light comes on I have two gallons left....I also have calculated my average MPG and I reset my trip meter everytime I fill up...this also gives me an idea of how many miles I have left on a tank of gass.

 

Wow, that's a very systematic way of getting accurate readings. Good job!

Well, since you've obtained the "data", could you just tell me roughly what the # of gallons left when u're at 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4 mark? Was curious if the scale is "linear" (yeah, probably just lazy to do it myself). hahaha

Thank you Sir!

 

Just reset the mileage when you fill up... look at how many miles you have trevelled at each mark. Should give you a ball park of the linearity. When I run all highway on a tank I get about 100 miles per mark, so it appears to be rather linear despite the apparent size difference of each division.

 

Yeah, same here. I seem to be right around 100 miles per each quarter tank. IE, around 100 miles at 3/4 full, 200 miles at 1/2 full and 300 miles at 1/4 full. At least that's my recollection...have only put about 3 tanks through the car so far I always fill my cars when I get to 1/4 tank, and the P5 seems to take right around 10-11 gallons at 1/4 tank showing on the gauge.

 

evidently our gauges aren't that much different....as I just put 4800 miles on in two weeks on vacation...and I observed the same thing.....100 miles per mark or Per 1/4 tank...and like I said earlier....my warning light comes on with two gallons left. NOW, that is all highway driving....if its city and mixed....its about 80 miles per division on the gage.

 

Yep, found out the same thing too! Approximately 100 miles per 1/4 section. Thanks guys, now I have more confidence in driving till the guage closer to the "E" mark

 

I get about 140 miles to the 3/4 mark and 210 to the 1/2 mark in my regular driving. Have yet to see the low fuel light come on, even though I've let it go down to the E mark and pumped in over 50 litres (out of a total 55), so there were a lot less than two gallons left. Either mine doesn't work or it's set to come on when you need to fill up NOW.

 

that could be....but seeing as how I might get in my wifes car and find the light on some day.....she lets it go ALL the way dry....and IF I get in and the light is on....I want to know if I can make it to town and back of if I need to stop and put some in.

 

So if I am understanding all of this gauge reading correctly, since the 1/2 - 3/4 and the 1/4 - 1/2 sections are larger in spacing than the Empty - 1/4 and the 3/4 - Full, but you get the same amount of milage per section, you are saying the gauge needle actually travels further per gallon of fuel burned in the two middle sections than it does in the two outer sections. With the 3 variables of #1 - 100 miles per section ( I know this is approx.) #2 the spacing of each section and #3 the speed of the needle. It seems thatsince the spacing is fixed and multiple drivers have attested to the fact that you get about 100 miles per tick, it seems that the only explaination is for the rate of travel of the needle to accelerate while in the two larger areas. I guess you could also look at it as that the needle is traveling slower in the two smaller areas. It all seems to make sense except for one thing - how do the speed of the needle change and by what means does it change? Now while you Protege Pro's figure this conundrum out for me - I'm going to take a few Advil and go get a milkshake to cool my brainpan!

 

Remember, the tank isn't full when on the full line, it goes well above, over the F. Same with the empty end. So I estimate the needle is fairly consistant...it's just that they for some reason like the needle going past the end of the scale on both ends. Who knows why...

 

I comply with nramsey... The gauge is actually very linear... The most in fact of any car I have ever owned. If you look at the gauge when it is full the distance between its location and the first quarter is about the same as the distance between 3/4 and 1/2 .. also as I have found from experience the gauge also travels well below the E mark also, about the same distance as it travels above the f mark... So all in all the gauge is linear but the markings are conservative...

 

ah-so grasshoppa!

"I see" said the blind man to the deaf man who replied "I hear ya"



MMMMMMM.....Rocky Road milkshake.....Gotta run!

 

Rocky road milkshake? Did you go to Peter's???? Mmmmm...Peter's milkshakes.....drool!

Here's what I didn't like about the fuel gauge:

Last year, when I first had my Pro, I took a long trip which was about 600 KMs or so. Well, when I arrived at my destination, the fuel gauge showed me being low, but the low fuel light wasn't on yet. So I parked on a slight incline at my destination (gf's parents' house) and we went in.

Anyway, I went to drive my car the next morning and it wouldn't start! The fuel light was NOW on! So I coasted down to the bottom of the incline onto a flat spot and tried again. Didn't go....Then I tried one more time and that time it started.

Not sure if there was a point to my story or not...oh well.

 

Gentlemen and ladies,
I've been reading the posts here for about 2 months now and have to say you are a very enthusiastic bunch. I'm still shopping around but I will probably buy a P5 in the next 2 months. To get to the point. Since I started driving too long ago, I've kept a little booklet in my cars that records when I buy gas,the amount,the mileage and cost. Over time you notice how long you can go before filling up and also if the mileage goes up or down there is the possibility that you need a tune-up or something else. At present I'm still driving my 86 Honda Accord hatchback with original clutch. Still gets very good mileage. Before that I had a Civic for 7 years. Will let you know when I get the P5. Any of you Canadians in the Ontario area want to disclose how much you paid with tax and prep? Would help in my negociations here in Montreal. Thanks for some fun and informative reading.

Peter