Fuel gauge packed up!

[simonsaunders]

2016 Cupra 290.

Run the tank close to empty, as always, 5 miles range left. Brimmed the tank, paid for fuel, started the car and *bing* low fuel warning remains. Clearly something has gone wrong and the car is not registering the full tank.

Yes, fuel definitely went in the car and not on the floor!

Anyone else experienced this and found a workaround. Driven 100 miles so far, had the car off and on again and thrown it around a bit. Will run a speed bump at pace tomorrow to see if that helps.

Before I do a 60 minute round trip to the dealer, twice, anyone got a quick fix from experience?

 

[chrisRibiza]

There's def a thread on here from a few months ago about the same problem but I can't remember the outcome.

If you search you'll find it.

 

[R4CK5]

Blimey you like to cut it fine with 5 miles each time dont you? All that's going to be doing is sucking the **** out if the bottom of the tank and running it through your engine? Can't be good in the long term.

Surely a speed bump at pace isnt the best idea either?

 

[Sonofzelda]

I recall that refilling the tank unjammed the sensor float. I had a similar problem with my toilet cistern but a speed bump didn't fix that either!

 

[KXL]

I had that experience with my previous 2.0TDI DSG, but I put only £5-7 worth of supermarket fuel, enough to get me to a Shell/Esso/BP perhaps, the paltry 3-4 liters didn't make a difference to the sensor.

GPS asked me, would you like to find the nearest fuel station (I'm in one! atm).

It didn't happen again though, but later when I found an Esso, filled it with £25, it was fine. Maybe it was rejecting supermarket fuel, who knows...

The lowest I dared go down to ever, was when the red dot on the gauge was flashing...I'm not sure..what that would be, 10-20 miles left, hence my wander into supermarket fuel territory.

 

[Sonofzelda]

Yeah mine is just the same! It coughs politely when I pull into Lidls and purrs contentedly when I head for Waitrose.

 

[simonsaunders]

Blimey you like to cut it fine with 5 miles each time dont you? All that's going to be doing is sucking the **** out if the bottom of the tank and running it through your engine? Can't be good in the long term.

Surely a speed bump at pace isnt the best idea either?

Fuel range, that's just standard. If you know how far your destination is and where the petrol stations are, why waste more of your life filling petrol?

Not in the slightest bit worried about crap in the tank, there is a fuel filter and in 2017 where do we think all this shite is coming from.

Speed bump at pace doesn't mean hit it at 50mph, just a bit quicker than I normally would.

 

[simonsaunders]

There's def a thread on here from a few months ago about the same problem but I can't remember the outcome.

If you search you'll find it.

I did a search, but didn't find anything. As there is something to be found, I'll look deeper!

Thank you!

 

[R4CK5]

Fuel range, that's just standard. If you know how far your destination is and where the petrol stations are, why waste more of your life filling petrol?

Not in the slightest bit worried about crap in the tank, there is a fuel filter and in 2017 where do we think all this shite is coming from.

Speed bump at pace doesn't mean hit it at 50mph, just a bit quicker than I normally would.

Strictly speaking we spend the same amount of time, I'm just doing it a fair few miles earlier but you dragging it out only me and you're at the pump longer as you have to out more fuel in it than I do. swings and roundabouts really but I try to keep my engine as clean as I can as some.of that stuff is bound to get through or at least clog up your filter and restrict fuel flow and therefore restrict both economy and power. Minimal I know but every little bit counts!!!

 

[simonsaunders]

Covered a few hundred miles since it packed up. Stuck in a load of juice and the gauge woke up again.

Had it booked in with SEAT, now cancelled to evaluate whether this was a once off fault or something that will be more intermittent. No point in taking it in when working! Service desk confirmed that this was not a common thing.

 

[simonsaunders]

Strictly speaking we spend the same amount of time, I'm just doing it a fair few miles earlier but you dragging it out only me and you're at the pump longer as you have to out more fuel in it than I do. swings and roundabouts really but I try to keep my engine as clean as I can as some.of that stuff is bound to get through or at least clog up your filter and restrict fuel flow and therefore restrict both economy and power. Minimal I know but every little bit counts!!!

By the time that you've driven a little out of your way, queued up, filled up, queued to pay and then got on the road again, probably at rush hour where the later you leave the more backed up it is, I probably save... a whole 10 minutes over about 500 litres of fuel

I hate filling up and normally travel to the same places, and I'm not fussed about whatever may be lurking at the bottom of the tank, so happy to run it really low.

Got in to that habit on sportsbikes. When a tank only does 120 miles, and the whole point of being on the thing is to save time, you really drain the tank each time.