Fuel Tank

[guest12345]

What you paid 135c for BP fuel? they are free in the ocean!

[hoi polloi]

The practice of diluting fuel with toluene was more prevalent then because the taxation of toluene was a lot less than that for petrol... Once the Gov't got wind of the problem they merely taxed toluene similarly to petrol and the financial incentive to use it disappeared...

As far as fuel tanks go - I always thought that the capacities stated were always "usable" capacities and so excluded the bit in the bottom than can't be sucked out... Hence a 55L Golf tank is actually slightly more than 55L internal volume... Also add to the fact that this does not include the filler pipe itself...

- Anthony.

[Idle]

As far as fuel tanks go - I always thought that the capacities stated were always "usable" capacities and so excluded the bit in the bottom than can't be sucked out... Hence a 55L Golf tank is actually slightly more than 55L internal volume... Also add to the fact that this does not include the filler pipe itself...
- Anthony.

Correct — apart from anything else, fuel comes from the bowser cold and expands as it warms up so allowance has to be made for that.

The filler pipe on most tanks (including my Mk6 TDI — just looked) doesn't go into the top, but usually into one end and a bit down from the top so that air is trapped above the fuel.

When going on a long trip with cheaper fuel at each end I've actually made use of this by raising the car (not the VW, although there's no reason it wouldn't work with it) on the filler side. My 1989 Cressida would accept almost an extra 10 litres this way and it never caused any trouble — always did it just before setting out, though, so there'd not be a problem from expansion causing an overflow while the car was standing.

So it's quite possible to cram more than the specified 55 litres into a Golf tank if the fuel station's forecourt area slopes the right way — this is probably why the more recently built stations have the standing area carefully levelled.

[hoi polloi]

Correct — apart from anything else, fuel comes from the bowser cold and expands as it warms up so allowance has to be made for that.

Good call, I didn't think about the need for expansion room in the tank but it's obvious when you think of it...

Regards,
- Anthony.

[darkfriend]

What you paid 135c for BP fuel? they are free in the ocean!

The problem with the BP fuel is that it's diluted with sea water (not toluene)... maybe the government will tax that next

[cameronp]

The problem with the BP fuel is that it's diluted with sea water (not toluene)... maybe the government will tax that next

Didn't you know? 40% of all the sea water you find belongs to Kevin!

[Brian]

Have never been able to get more than 52 litres in the TSI. That was when the computer showed 10km to empty and Id done 780Km on the tank. (Mind you Id done those 780ks at an average speed of 104km/hr - western Qld)
The servo driveway was high on the filler side also and nose downhill, so I don't think I could have got more in.
I think the computer readout is very subjective, however the fuel gauge needle was in the red for the last 20ks of that trip!! Very nervous.

[elephino]

Remember that the computer readout of distance left is a prediction based upon your recent driving so will be different even if the same amount of fuel is left.

[Brian916]

Looking at a fuel receipt I have after filling the GTi before a 200km trip.... car was on 1/4 tank so I filled it. And kept filling till it would take no more - this is safe to do IF you are going to drive 50 - 100km immediately. And it was VERY cold too... 1.5 according to the temp guage.

So, with 1/4 of a tank on the guage, and 200km theoretical range, I managed to put 56l in the tank. I guess the filler neck and expansion space are huge on the Golf. Assuming the guage is nearly correct, I had about 12l left, so with the 56 I put in, that's 68l I can have for a long trip. Should give nearly 1000km easy, maybe more depending on terrain.

No, I would not recomend people do this if they are driving to/from work only as it will damage the emission systems and other sensors on the car. In fact, I will probably never do this again due to the danger of not being able to travel the distance needed in one go to recreate the expansion space..

Oh yeah, the 50l capacity is from the brochure - I think the fuel flap says different?

[Corey_R]

The Golf petrol tank is 55L on all models except the R which is 60L. Seems hard to believe that you could put 68L into a 55L tank, even accounting for the filler neck etc...