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How much fuel used when gauge on empty?

Discussion in 'VE Holden Commodore (2006 - 2013)' started by mcgd, Mar 14, 2009.

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  1. Mar 14, 2009 #1
    mcgd

    mcgd New Member

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    Hi all,

    On earlier Commodores (VT - VY), if the fuel gauge was sitting on empty, the tank would always take 60L or so to fill. I'm finding that on the VE Berlina I'm putting in 70L or so. I was wondering if my gauge is faulty - a dealer said it should be taking 62L, but at the same time tried to convince me that nothing was wrong. I'm getting 70 pretty consistently, and using around 35L when it's showing half full. Is this what other people are experiencing too, or is my gauge not calibrated properly? Does the VE have similar fuel gauge problems to the VZ?

    BTW it's disappointing that Holden seem to be admitting they've given up on making an accurate fuel gauge, by disabling the "distance to empty" when fuel is low. Anyone know if there's a way to turn this on again (and if it's worth doing if so)?
     
    mcgd, Mar 14, 2009
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  2. Mar 14, 2009 #2
    disorganise

    disorganise Member

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    I've got distance to empty on mine (SSV), though it changes to read 'low' when it gets to about 60kms remaining - I guess because fuel usage is so variable depending on throttle usage etc.

    maybe you just need to enable it? use the trip button to go to the customised menu options, click select (the left scroll wheel) to enter and have a hunt around
     
    disorganise, Mar 14, 2009
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  3. Mar 14, 2009 #3
    andyman

    andyman The Only 6sp VZ Wagon

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    do you stop the bowser on the first click or do you keep going?
     
    andyman, Mar 14, 2009
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  4. Mar 14, 2009 #4
    disorganise

    disorganise Member

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    oh, and I get around 63 litres in to mine most of the time - though I don't always wait for it to be fully empty.

    Looking back at my Christmas trip to Melbourne, the most I added was 68.9 though I can't remember how into/below the red it was, so sorry if this isn't really that helpful :(
     
    disorganise, Mar 14, 2009
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  5. Mar 14, 2009 #5
    mcgd

    mcgd New Member

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    I normally go for around 4 clicks. Makes only 1/2 litre difference or less though usually vs. just stopping at the first click.

    BTW I had a look around the options and there doesn't seem to be anything to re-enable distance to empty when fuel is low.
     
    mcgd, Mar 14, 2009
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  6. Mar 14, 2009 #6
    mcgd

    mcgd New Member

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    Thanks for that info anyway - looks like mine might be showing empty later than normal.
     
    mcgd, Mar 14, 2009
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  7. Mar 14, 2009 #7
    Johnsy

    Johnsy ★★★★★

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    My Vz was fine as is My current VE... where has Holden admitted having an inaccurate fuel gauge ?

    I have fuel low and fuel very low when i run it down...

    And yeah you would want that feature if you could.... contact your Holden dealer if your car does not do this.....
     
    Johnsy, Mar 14, 2009
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  8. Mar 14, 2009 #8
    Fekason

    Fekason Fekason

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    73L Tank?

    Hi, I normally refill before the low fuel warning light comes on, which is about 65L for me.

    The old VS II and VY II would also come on with about 8L of fuel remaining.

    However, one day I ran well past low fuel warning and. planning to go a reasonable distance straight away, filled it well past the first click. I was a bit shocked to find that I had added 75L into the 73L tank.
     
    Fekason, Mar 14, 2009
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  9. Mar 14, 2009 #9
    PhantomVE

    PhantomVE Member

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    What about when you use the engineerers mode (holding select button in while starting up.) There is a real-time fuel usage and fuel remaining in litres. Does this dissapear when getting too low.

    I also know that when driving 'low fuel' will show up twice while driving followed by "very low fuel" or something like that the third time.
     
    PhantomVE, Mar 14, 2009
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  10. Mar 14, 2009 #10
    disorganise

    disorganise Member

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    According to the manual - page 1A-21, "Range" is available in all models except LPG, so it should be there. Do note though that like I said earlier, once the range (or distance to empty) gets below 50 or 60km, it simply says 'low'.
     
    disorganise, Mar 14, 2009
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  11. Mar 15, 2009 #11
    1991_Vn2nV

    1991_Vn2nV New Member

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    It is 73L at the first click, thats how they give the tank volume now. You are not meant to fill past the first click as there is meant to be room left in the tank.
     
    1991_Vn2nV, Mar 15, 2009
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  12. Mar 16, 2009 #12
    mcgd

    mcgd New Member

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    That's nifty - I didn't know about that. Is there any way to get it back after switching to another display mode, except by turning the ignition off and on again?
     
    mcgd, Mar 16, 2009
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  13. Mar 16, 2009 #13
    mcgd

    mcgd New Member

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    You used to get distance to empty even after the low fuel warning. For me at least, on earlier models, it seemed to be pretty accurate right down to just about empty. But seems enough people complained that they ran out of fuel by relying on the distance to empty, that they just disabled the display of distance to empty when fuel got low.

    Instead, they could have made it accurate enough so that people could rely on it (as Ford did, I understand), but instead they decided to stop showing distance to empty when fuel is low. Seems to me that's saying "ok we've given up trying to give you accurate figures when the tank is nearly empty".

    According to a dealer, that's how it's made and there's no option to go back to the behaviour of earlier models (but experience suggests that many dealers don't know too much about some of these things).

    It's a minor whinge really - it's more about what it suggests about their attitude than anything.
     
    mcgd, Mar 16, 2009
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  14. Mar 17, 2009 #14
    Hunter SS

    Hunter SS Growing Old Disgracefully

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    the odd thing is on the gauge in the VE shows low fuel when you have an 1/8 of a tank left...... I drove my V6 once for 90km on the low fuel warning and it still didn't come up as "very low" can't remember what it took to fill though..... was close to 70 litres. I nearly **** when i had to pay for it.... fuel was about $1.60 back when i did that.
     
    Hunter SS, Mar 17, 2009
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  15. Mar 17, 2009 #15
    mov

    mov New Member

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    No, once you go out of Engineering Mode, the only way back is to switch off and on again.
     
    mov, Mar 17, 2009
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  16. Apr 2, 2009 #16
    Gorrell72

    Gorrell72 New Member

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    did you no if u click the left scroll bar in and turn the ingnition on it shows u heaps including how much fuel is left hope this helps
     
    Gorrell72, Apr 2, 2009
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  17. Apr 2, 2009 #17
    Gorrell72

    Gorrell72 New Member

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    when the fuel light comes on theres about 12l left in the tanks
     
    Gorrell72, Apr 2, 2009
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