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Nope. When the needle is on \"E\" it's time to fill up.

At 'E' you may still have 5 or so litres left in the tank

ive had the needle approx 5mm left of the E, one day ill test how much you can drain out of it... one day...

E on the fuel gauge is the start of the fuel reserve.

As Mr_Q rightly pointed out, when the gauge says \"E\" then you need to add more fuel. Having a light there to tell you the same thing isn't really needed is it?

The needle was well past the E when I picked up my Clubman. I pulled into the first service station and filled up with 46 litres - which scared the heck out of me as I didn't realise the NA8 had a bigger fuel tank than the 1.6 (which only had a 45 litre tank). Anyway, I wouldn't suggest letting it get that far down - I don't really want to find out how far I can get on a couple of litres ...

Personally - I find if I keep topping it up before it gets to the E I don't have any problems.

On a similar note: I know fuel is expensive but you'd really think car dealers could splash out on a quarter tank or so when they sell a car. That's not the first car I've dríven away on fumes. In fact, one MX5 I tested actually ran out of fuel on the test drive.

Bad things happen to cars when regularly on empty.
The fuels tank walls grow surface rust through the gasoline vapours and sometimes flake to the bottom of the tank. Once mixed with pertol this forms sediment or sludge, every time you're running low, guess what goes through the fuel pipe...

Then your fuel filter gets blocked, lets some minute particles through, they clog your injectors, etc, etc...

I had an escort which when i ran it dry once (it happened quite a few times in my teens, i once got 115km out of $5 in a datsun in 1993) the fuel line blocked itself and it took 3 goes by mouth just to get the bastard cleared (i was stranded nowhere near help).

If the needle is on the top bar of the letter E - you still have some left...at least 20km's

When it reaches the middle bar of E....start praying!

Actually the needle goes way below the line and a lot further than 20km after the top of the empty line on an NB8B. Closer to 100km from memory. But having a light still wont help you get any more fuel out of the tank. Once the gauge says \"E\" then you need to add more fuel.

Mine runs out right on the E mark Unlike most Jap cars I've had which give you a safety margin. You might find they differ from car to car.

This is going to be hard to get used to coming from a diesel Golf! I don't look at the fuel gauge too often!

I was once told fuel contributes to keeping the fuel pump cool, do you know if this is fact or fiction?

saboteur wrote:This is going to be hard to get used to coming from a diesel Golf! I don't look at the fuel gauge too often!

I was once told fuel contributes to keeping the fuel pump cool, do you know if this is fact or fiction?

Yes fuel cools the pump but once you run out the pump cuts off because the engine isn't running so it isn't a problem.

in modern diesels, that's a yes sab, Isuzu informed me of this when i bought the truck, the injector pump circulates fuel from the tank through itself & back to the tank, good for extra HP, or so they told me anyway .............*waits for SP drivers to mod their fuel pumps to get an extra 5 kw on the dyno*

AJ wrote:in modern diesels, that's a yes sab, Isuzu informed me of this when i bought the truck, the injector pump circulates fuel from the tank through itself & back to the tank, good for extra HP, or so they told me anyway .............*waits for SP drivers to mod their fuel pumps to get an extra 5 kw on the dyno*

All modern vehicles circulate fuel constantly but I can't see how the dealer could backup the extra HP claim unless he's comparing it to mechanical fuel pumps

rvlovell wrote:

AJ wrote:in modern diesels, that's a yes sab, Isuzu informed me of this when i bought the truck, the injector pump circulates fuel from the tank through itself & back to the tank, good for extra HP, or so they told me anyway .............*waits for SP drivers to mod their fuel pumps to get an extra 5 kw on the dyno*

All modern vehicles circulate fuel constantly but I can't see how the dealer could backup the extra HP claim unless he's comparing it to mechanical fuel pumps

i could explain it, but i don't have the energy to debate a pedantic tonite

All modern vehicles circulate fuel constantly but I can't see how the dealer could backup the extra HP claim unless he's comparing it to mechanical fuel pumps

Actually the trend is not to return the unused fuel back to the tank. The NB8B+'s dont do it. I think it has something to do with stricter emissions laws but I'm not sure of the details.

Interesting (best Hommer impersonation)
Something for me to look up