So I am driving blissfully along with 412 miles on the trip odo, the low fuel light on and only 1 red carrot showing, and the OBC saying I have 30 miles till empty. I see a station with a really good price (3.79 for premium) and I pull in. When the automatic shut-off popped, I had put in 13.372 gallons. Considering the manual says capacity is 13.1 or 13.2 I wounder if I could have really gone another 30 miles or if I filled up at the right time.

 

MINI fuel gauges are notoriously inaccurate, especially on the low end....hope you carry a gas can with you if you're gonna make a habit of this.

Mine, when the first red light comes on, I'm filling it up. Most of the time I don't even wait for that. Some of that gas went in your filler tube, you might not have had the range you thought you did.....

 

I had the same thing happen. Low on fuel, stopped and filled up, and the car took 13.9 gals. If the capacity is 13.1 where did the fuel go? Ask dealer and their answer was expansion space. They did not seem to sure. If the owner can get 13.9 then it should called 13.9 gal tank. Just my $.02 worth.

 

Yeah, it makes you wonder what the true capacity is, although I do not intend to find out by running it dry. Normally I never get into the reserve, it just happened this time as I was looking for a lower price.

 

If you top it off to the max the difference could be the gas in the filler tubes. The tank it self is probably 13.2 gals.

 

I'm sure it's based on what the legal department recommended they advertise - 13.2 is most likely the actual size of the physical tank itself. Maybe there is enough room in the filler tube for another half-gallon or so, but that's not technically part of the actual tank itself.

Maybe there should be a "reserve switch" like on old Volkswagens... :D

 

Running out of gas can't be good for a MINI. I always avoid getting that low.

 

Why is bad more bad in a MINI?

 

The fuel pump is cooled by the gas. The more gas in the tank, the better the cooling and vice versa. So it is a good idea to keep gas in the tank and not generally run it low.

 

Yep running the tank low for extended periods causes the fuel pump to run hot. Do it enough and you will burn up the pump. It's a good idea to try and get gas as soon as possible when the first red light comes on.

 

I did not know that.
I have always heard that impurities in the tank can go into your fuel lines if you let the gas get very low but never knew about the fuel pump.
Thanks!

 

I have heard that all my life...but I would think that if you ever go around any corners the fuel in the tank would slosh around and get mixed up enough so that the impurities would not be able to settle to the bottom for long. But what do I know