How accurate is the ICS on fuel.

Hi guys

Just wanted to know if your fuel gauge in the Alfa 166 is abit inconsistent. First of all you fill the car up with petrol and very quickly it drops to half a tank, then it slowes down quite alot and when the lights turns on it droppes even faster. I find this quite funny sometimes (exept thinking about buying petrol at the price it's on these days).

Now i've only had the car about 3 months and i've started to use the trip meters, how many miles i've got in the tank, more. Now my question is how accurate is that milage. I average about 15L every 100km so that's not that bad for this car i think that's 8 years old.

I've had it down to 20km left and then i didn't want to play to much with danger, ofcourse by that time the nedle was quite dead and low.

i think its just the way the tank is designed.

It could be that it is narrow at the top. In the middle it will hold maximum capacity (L) at at the bottom it is narrow again. Not sure on this! Basically im thinking that the tank isnt a perfect cube.

Think of it like a pint. The top goes down fast, takes a little longer to drink the middle section, and quick at the bottom - also time to fill up!


or do i just sound like a nob who doesnt know what im on about!

Hi

You might be right, but that then begs the question how accurate is the ICS on the calculations. Ofcourse it will change if your floring it but i'm just wondering if anybody has driven it to the "max"

I've driven with the needle resting at absolute zero just a few times. No mishap yet! The trip reading may be a bit optimistic - I use it as a entertaining guide rather than taking the information as gospel. Once it claimed I'd managed 40mpg on a run back from Wales, with the air con on.

Mine's run our while showing 12 miles left and I think the guage is more accuarate than the ICS - the ICS seems to get less accurate as the tank get closer to empty. I agree with Superguiness, its for entertainment as much as accuracy.

It dares you to be foolhardy...
My fuel guage suddenly taken to showing empty when I know it damn well 1/4 full - intermittant problem though.

A quick note on this.
I ran my 166 2.4 JTD till the ICS went "--:--" it did this when it had 15 km left at that specific consumption.
At this point I had already shut down the air conditioner. The reason was that i wanted to get back to Luxembourg hence avoiding fueling in France, and it worked.

I got my cheap fuel, but at the end got two scracthes on the car while paying the at payment building.

Ive had my 3.0 read 0 miles on the ICS a few times, you can get about 20 miles on the reserve while it reads 0.
I have also ran out of petrol twice in 3 years. Once I was nursing it home as I'd forgotten my wallet I did a my normal 60 mile commute which I normally get 21mpg. I nursed it through the traffic and made 28mpg but still ran out 1/2 mile from home.
Then i realised I normally keep a can in the boot. so filled up drove home and contemplated what a **** I'd been to
a) forget my wallet
b) run low on petrol
c) forget I had a can in the boot until I was sitting at the side of the road with the car cut out.

The first time I ran out I just forgot to fill up and wondered why the car had stopped.duh

by the way it gives no warning, no coughs or splutters, it just stops. This means no PAS brakes or power steering so if you are doing 85 down the motorway be prepared.

Don't risk it, it's hard to handle without brakes and steering.

Originally Posted by Funkmiester

Ive had my 3.0 read 0 miles on the ICS a few times, you can get about 20 miles on the reserve while it reads 0.
I have also ran out of petrol twice in 3 years.

The first time I ran out I just forgot to fill up and wondered why the car had stopped.duh

by the way it gives no warning, no coughs or splutters, it just stops. This means no PAS brakes or power steering so if you are doing 85 down the motorway be prepared.

Don't risk it, it's hard to handle without brakes and steering.

I also ran out twice before I got a grip

Each time needed 10l of petrol before it would start - so 1 can is not enough (and 2 cans may not be legal to carry in the boot [need a cage ]).

Again, no coughs, splutter or warning - if you ignore the yellow light & the needle pointing to empty

hmmm - i better be a bit more careful as i've run the car until the needle was firmly on the stop....took 60 squid to fill her so must have been pretty dry!

The other half took the 2.0 TS out for the first time this morning with 34 showing on trip. After 5 mile drive to work the engine stopped leaving her car park! I guessed it was fuel (again!). ICS still showing 13 and needle not all the way down though orange warning light has been on (doesn't seem to flicker, just on or off) for 50+ miles/ Have been told that there is some kind of low level cut off to stop "dirt" being sucked in but I thought that was just one of my Dad's old war stories! Anyway, 5L got her going again (hope I don't get another call later though!).
James

I would never run a tank dry if at all possible because of the crap at the bottom of the tank syndrome. The fuel filter will catch most evil things but I'm sure there's always fine sediment hanging about inside an old fuel tank.

Am getting indicated 25 mpg average after 2,000km with the car. Now that my tyres are properly inflated to 2.7 bar and not E-Tyre's 2.4 I hope to squeeze out a bit more

25 is quite good for the 3.0 i would have thought - especially with the slushbox

A good half of that was driving down to the south of France, which is where I am at the mo'. Empty roads and long runs really help the mpg, I find

ooo - you lucky begger....watching the snow and sleet driving against our window and listening to the wind howling in the rigging of the boats in the harbour makes me long for sunnier days....

I ran out of petrol yesterday on the M1. The ICS said I had 18 miles left and I knew I had 9 miles left to get home. But it wasn't telling me the truth Still the AA got there in 10 minutes which was excellent service.

this must vary from car to car: my ICS claims I have no mileage left before the needle hits the bottom. I've driven to work and back (6 miles ish) showing 0 a couple of times and never run out yet.

Originally Posted by Gibbo

I ran out of petrol yesterday on the M1. The ICS said I had 18 miles left and I knew I had 9 miles left to get home. But it wasn't telling me the truth Still the AA got there in 10 minutes which was excellent service.

At your age you should know better

I don't trust either the trip or the gauge, just take them as a guide. When the light comes on I fill up as soon as I can.

I'm averaging 23 mpg on my trip computer, but on a drive back from Aberystywth before Christmas I averaged 28 mpg. This was on twisty B roads, with a lead foot and high revs ????????