I've gone about 340 miles on a tank. I was too chicken to see how much farther I could go. I don't have one of those fancy onboard computer things to tell me the miles until empty, so its all guesswork with me.

 

I don't know if the reason is to protect the engine from sediment or the catalytic converter. However, I used to have a 1998 Honda Civic EX automatic that held maybe 13 gallons, and maybe 3 gallons were always left in the tank so that you could never fill up more than about 10 gallons. The dealer said they kept the 3 gallons in the bottom of the tank to protect the engine but did not say why. I always thought it was to keep sediment from getting in the engine, but don't know for sure. That meant that you could not get but about 250 miles per tankful on that car at 25 mpg (which was what I got on a good day, less on a bad day). I hated that they took that choice away from me.

 

i don't have the computer option, but i did full up once 13.2 gallons at the local costco. at least that's what the receipt read. and it cost me near $29!

 

Just filled up my 05 MCSC with 13.34 gal. still showing a range of 18mi. Am I being screwed by my gas station or is the tank bigger than advertised?

 

I think we had a thread on this tank size issue recently. One good scenario one member brought up is maybe you fully filled the filler house to the tank. Not just the 13gallon tank.

What I ask is did you let the pump stop the pumping? Or did you top it off? I know from my experience I have never gotten more then 12gallons in my with about 20miles left on the range (and I like to top it off when the gas is cheap).

 

Here in NJ it's not exactly full service, but your're not permitted to pump your own gas. I guess the attendant did top it off but I still had 18mi left! Maybe a call to weights and measures is in order.

 

I've always been surprised at how conservative the computer's estimates are for fuel range. I've dipped below 0 many times, and never had a problem. One time i had my computer go from showing 0 miles to 7 miles after about 2 miles of driving

My old car (A 2000 Saab) once ran out of gas while showing "25 miles to empty". That really pissed me off. I was in the middle of the desert and had to hitchhike to Mojave

 

The most I have gone is around 410 miles (Full tank) in the wife's MC CVT. The most I have managed in a MCS is around 300-310 miles a tank. I suspect my new '05 MCS will be around the same ball park. Car is still in break in period and the fuel consumption is around 21-23MPG in city.

 

Sounds like it's hardwired into the ECU/OBC, kill your engine after 10 mi., to avoid replacing a catalytic converter/fuel pump. Pumps without regular working volume overheat and crap out nicely..cf your xenon washer pump. Think vacuum cleaner with an intake partially blocked. That's how they're cooled.

At least it won't be like a P-3's air multiplier "if intake blocked, component may overheat and thermiform (read = melt like candle wax in a flame).."

Then spit chunks at high RPM..fun fun fun.

Let's respect our rides.

Cheers,
Matthew Z.

 

My girlfriend's computer says 310 miles after filling up. Mine only shows 258. WTF? Both are S. I'm hoping mine gets better after I get the engine broken in. We both get about the same amount of miles that the computer predicts.

 

I don't care anymore.

 

well my tank must be really big. after using ever last drop(wont do that again) it took 14.26 gallons in it. and i paid $38 at 2.69 a gallon. and using only shell vpower,mobil and cheveron i get about 310miles per fill.

 

In the middle of last years hurricanes down here its common knowledge to fill up all your vehicles incase you get hit. Well i was busy putting up shutters on my new house and forgot that i had no gas in the MINI. Well i started my search for gas with 7 miles on the left till empty display.

After 30 minutes of driving around to about 10 gas stations with "no gas" posted everywhere i finally found one that actually still ONLY had 93 left. For 2 miles before i found that station i had "------" on the display. I was ready to call my GF to tell her i had run out of gas for sure, but luckily my good ol MCS got me all the way to the pump. I think i filled her up to 13.4 that day

 

Yesterday my fill up was 14.5 gallons on my '05mcs. The trip odometer read 350 miles. That's about 24mpg, which I suppose is typical for a newbie with 1k miles. I'm observing break in rules (HONEST!) My baby has yet to exceed 4500...although I can't wait !!!

The miles-left-to-go number is virtual. If it says, for instance, 50 miles left but then you start driving at higher revs, leave rubber, etc, you're not going to go 50 more miles, and the computer may not reflect that before you run out of gas.

Here in NJ, there is a difference of 10 to 20, sometimes 30 cents per gallon for 93, depending on where you are, like at a freeway exit (think gouged) or down in gasoline alley: 3 or 4 stations competing for your business, and maybe not big name brand.

During my travels yesterday, the range here in Northerern NJ was $2.19 to $2.51.

Hugh

 

IIRC the computer uses the most recent MPG to calculate the range. Looks like you drive a bit more aggressively than the gf. Then again, I must drive like a weenie, 'cause it usually tells me I have over 400!

 

That makes sense then. Before I had my Mini we would trade hers every other week. So when I would fill it up it would say 310 miles because I got stuck with the empty tank after her driving. She never pays attention to the computer so I have no idea what it said after I had it for a week

 

I got 425 miles out of this last tank driving from my house to Bandera. And my range still showed about 10 mi left. Cruise @ 70 for 300 of those miles really helped MPG! Another thing to note, the range is calculated off your average consumption I think. Since that says I was getting 28mpg avg consumption, but the instant consumption was pretty steady around 35+ for the whole trip.

 

I've noticed it will adjust to driving style pretty much instantly. So if it says you have 50 miles left while driving 70 on the freeway and then you get off the freeway and start doing a track day it will pretty much update. If you start getting on it it'll start dropping rather quickly.

I never got a chance to go on a full roadtrip in my 04' to see what its cruising range would come out to but the most i ever got out of a tank was about 310 and that was pushing it to almost 1-2 miles left on the range.

 

My last tank was 416 miles and I put in 11.9 gallons.

 

The tank IS larger than advertised, I noticed that right away. I put in 14 gallons over the weekend, and had gone 5 past --- for the first time. Usually I'm 5-10 left at my fillup point, and it's usually 13.4 - 13.8. I pump till it shuts off - I have found that tere is no 'top off' for this tank/neck. On my GTP for example, I can get another gallon in it by slowly filling till the neck is full and the tank has settled. I tried this several times on the MINI, and it's just plain full the first time. I don't even give it a 2nd squeeze after it shuts off now, there's no point.

 

At 6800 miles, I've never gotten more than 220-230 miles to a tank on my '05 MCS.

 

You will probably not damage your engine or calalytic converter by running your MINI low on fuel. If the mixture gets too lean the service engine light will come on. If the injectors do not have fuel to inject the engine will not run, period, and no damage should occur. What may be damaged is your fuel pump. The fuel pump is inside the fuel tank and is cooled by being immersed in fuel. If you consistently run low on fuel the pump will run too hot and may eventually be damaged. It would take more than just occasionally runnning low to damage it, but it could eventually happen.

 

I frequently get really low on the tank ... I hate having to deal with filling up.

However! The best thing about it is when you have someone in the car with you and you pretend to stall the car (which is easy to do in a manual). Freaks them out!!!

 

I remember going 10 miles beyoned ---- several times. However, as I was attempting to repeat the feat I was on a progressive uphill (only about 3 or 4 past ) and the RPMs just dropped and the car was .

I put some STP fuel cleaner in the car on the next fill up just to be safe.

 

Just put 13.682 gallons in my 05 MCS. I was down to 9 on the trip computer. I will get 400 miles on the tank because of all the highway.