What causes the low fuel light

[midnight8]

to turn on. Mine came on for the first time tonight and I thought I was going to be able to put more gas in than before but it was not. Is it not the actual fuel level that turns on the light? Is it maybe the range number or something like that?

[Yurinid Yat]

What causes the low fuel light to come on?

Um ............... low fuel?

[Darth]

LOL. Like Yurinid said. Are you asking if it comes on a a preset quantifiable level, like 1/8 of a tank for America (1/10,000 decahecameters or something for Europeans) or at a preset fuel range limit, like when you have 50 miles left? Regardless, both should be about the same, but I don't know how the car calculates the message to appear.

Not sure if I understood your question correctly. If you are thinking you would have gotten more fuel from the tank remember, to fit the batteries in the tank was modified and is thus smaller by a few gallons (quadralitres or whatever) than the average fuel tank.

Again, your question is kind of hard to understand. If this didn't answer it, please repost it a little more clearly and somebody will probably have the answer you are looking for.

[johnnychimpo711]

I think the question means...what triggers the fuel light to come on...meaning: Is the fuel light activated by the actual fuel remaining.

My guess is yes. The range should be calculated based on how much fuel you have left, how you are driving..etc.

How much of a difference have you noticed when you go to refuel? Normally mine comes on when there's two tics left on my fuel gauge. I haven't quantified the actual remaining gallons, I'd assume 1 US GAL or so.

[lexicon]

I think the OP meant what criteria causes the fuel light to come on; amount of fuel in the tank, calculated range etc. and why is it not consistant.
It supposedly comes on when there is 1.8US / 1.5UK gallons remaining.
I noticed that mine often (but not always) coincides with the gauge dropping to 2 marks.
The problem is that it is very difficult to accurately measure the amount of fuel in the tank when the car is moving, so you won't get consistancy - it is little more than a "best guess".

[johnnychimpo711]

Originally Posted by lexicon

I think the OP meant what criteria causes the fuel light to come on; amount of fuel in the tank, calculated range etc. and why is it not consistant.
It supposedly comes on when there is 1.8US / 1.5UK gallons remaining.
I noticed that mine often (but not always) coincides with the gauge dropping to 2 marks.
The problem is that it is very difficult to accurately measure the amount of fuel in the tank when the car is moving, so you won't get consistancy - it is little more than a "best guess".

Yours sounds so much better researched lol

[lexicon]

Originally Posted by johnnychimpo711

Yours sounds so much better researched lol

Sometimes I spout any old rubbish and make it sound plausible

Looks like we were thinking the same thing at about the same time though, so we could be right.

[GoHuskies]

Mine light always comes on once the range meter hits 40 estimated miles left. I've been watching the range on the past couple tanks. I'm guessing this would be different in the they use that crazy metric system and imperial measurements.

[Ol'Man Driver]

Originally Posted by GoHuskies

...that crazy metric system....

... which is used around the world, except in Myanmar, Liberia and - USA.
Wiki: The United States is the only industrialised country in the world that does not use the International System of Units as its predominant system of measurement.

[johnnychimpo711]

Originally Posted by Ol'Man Driver

... which is used around the world, except in Myanmar, Liberia and - USA.
Wiki: The United States is the only industrialised country in the world that does not use the International System of Units as its predominant system of measurement.

We don't use it because ...that would make too much sense! lol