July 07, 2013 08:50PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 609 : SoCal |
1984 E30 I think my low fuel light is out. Is there a way to get all of the indicator lamps in the dash to light or do I have to get to the wires on the fuel sender under the rear seat? Also, the RANGE on my on board computer is acting funny. Does anyone know if that is also tied to the fuel sender unit?
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July 08, 2013 07:16AM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 1,538 |
July 08, 2013 09:22PM
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Admin
Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 944 : Lake Havasu City, Arizona |
July 09, 2013 11:50AM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 670 |
July 09, 2013 08:37PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 1,869 : Amagansett, New York |
On my cars, 1987 325e and 1988is, neither of them show the low fuel lamp when the key is cycled. But I know they both work (I've seen them!). I'm not sure what Michiel is talking about but I'm sure Peter is right about the OBC taking readings from the sending unit. Rick |
July 10, 2013 11:47AM
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Posts: 670 |
July 14, 2013 02:14PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 1,869 : Amagansett, New York |
July 14, 2013 03:01PM
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Registered: 14 years ago
Posts: 799 : O Porto |
July 17, 2013 12:50PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 670 |
Fix your odo then ;-)
The E46 puts on the low fuel light at a DTE of 150-170 km, way to soon. Don't want to run it past DTE 50 km though, especially at summer times, those common rails heat up the fuel a lot and when there's little left in the tank... Don't want it to fail before I've got 400.000 on the clock... |
July 27, 2013 04:59PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 183 |
Also, the in-tank pump gets hot when it's not sitting in fuel. Constantly running the tank low is gonna shorten its lifespan. |
July 28, 2013 02:57PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 609 : SoCal |
July 28, 2013 10:30PM
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Admin
Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 944 : Lake Havasu City, Arizona |
July 29, 2013 01:23AM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 670 |
July 29, 2013 02:24PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
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July 30, 2013 03:28PM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 609 : SoCal |
July 30, 2013 09:18PM
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Admin
Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 944 : Lake Havasu City, Arizona |
There is a new movie out about TWA 800 that might lead to a different conclusion. Gasoline vapor is heavier than air and the tank is full of gasoline vapor that is not a flammable mixture. Jet fuel is not very volatile so the tanks are vented with fresh air to a level below the flammabilty point.
Just saying... Bob in Lake Havasu |
July 31, 2013 10:09AM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 1,538 |
Sorry; it is impossible to keep air out of the gas tank. Each time you fill up there is a fresh influx of air. Sure the fuel pushes most of it out(along with the fuel vapours) but enough is left inside for an igniteable mixture. |
July 31, 2013 09:50PM
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Admin
Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 944 : Lake Havasu City, Arizona |
Most gas pumps these days have a vapor return feature on the nozzle. The vapor from the tank is exchanged into the gas station storage tank as the car fills. Likewise when the tanker truck comes to fill the station tanks, it captures the vapor from the tank and puts it into the truck as the fuel empties into the station tank.
There is some air but the fuel air mixture in the gas tank is too rich to burn as there is not enough oxygen in it. Fuel vapor will flow downhill in a no wind condition outdoors and follow a storm drain. There have been some "interesting" incidents related to this phenomena. Bob in Lake Havasu |
August 01, 2013 08:30AM
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Registered: 15 years ago
Posts: 1,538 |
I remember those pump nozzles from my days in SoCal. Unfortunately, the nozzles we have here are not sophisticated; they just pump the fuel into the filler tube. If you are standing in the wrong place while filling up you can get a snoot full of vapour fumes We had a fuel truck accident and spill a few years ago in a suburban area where only a small amount of the contents of the truck spilled and leaked into the storm sewer system. Several neighbourhoods were evacuated. Fortunately when the explosion did happen all that occured was about a dozen manhole covers were blown a hunfred feet or more into the air; causing minor damage to whatever they landed on As for the amount of air in the gas rank; not everyone fills their tanks. Young poor students often run the tank below 1/4 full and can only afford to put a few dollars of fuel in at a time. That most certainly would leave a nice combustible mix. |