I thought it was interesting that I could travel almost 200 miles with only three of the fuel gauge lights not luminated. But when I received the "low fuel" chime, and the fuel gauge turned red with 2 segments still luminated, I thought this is really off.

When I filled the tank, The car took 12.5 gallons and there were 2 segements plus the gas pump icon luminated.

Anyone else have a gauge as wacked out as mine? can it be adjusted?

 

I don't know how many gallons are left when there are three lights left. If you were doing really well like 40 mpg at that time you must have had 5 gallons of gas in the tank with 3 lights on. (5gal x 40 mile/gal = 200 miles.)

 

I wanted to test my guage the first time I got gas. I was down to 5 miles left and I had to get 13.4 gallons which I thought was over the max. I dunno if that helps you at all.

 

Thats where I think the car is screwed up. 2 lights left plus the gas pump, equals 1 gallon? That seems screwed up.

 

What was displayed on the gas gauge when you had 5 miles left?

 

Yours isn't screwed up. There have been many threads on here about just how big the tank is, etc. Seems that the best guess is 14.something, or even 15 gallons. Just about everyone (myself included) puts more gas in the take at every fill than the manual says fits in the tank in the first place.
It also seems that the fuel gague isn't linear. To be fair, thats the way it is on most nonamerican cars: as the gauge gets lower, the reporting is more granular.

 

The gas pump and 1 light. The obc said 5 miles left.

 

I dont think the pump counts, just the ten lit marks. The pump is there just to tell you "This are your gasses". ;-)
Three thoughts about MINI fuel gauging. Just opinions, really, not subject to careful scientific review.

One: MINI gauge tells you what incremental level you are at. "Full" says you have 13.2 ga divided into 10 increments. Take out 1 ga and your still at 10 marks. Drop .3 more, and now you have 9 marks. Drive until you have used 13.1 ga and you will still be at 1 mark.
At least that is my theory.

Two: The OBC calculates based on driving for the last few miles. It adapts pretty quick. You can be rolling down an interstate at a comfortable 65 mph in 6th gear. The OBC says you can do this for another 100 miles before you run out of gas. Your exit comes up and you drop down onto crowded city streets. Every block is another red light and you are banging gears up and down. The OBC says you can do this for another 60 miles before you have to stop.
Your OBC is a member of OPEC and is exporting gas to other cars at red lights. They don't tell you this stuff in the brochures!

Three: Never run out of gas in a high compression, direct injection engine. The stresses created with the on/off/on/off as each piston hits or misses is tough on the crank. Real tough. Plus it makes the muffler bearings rattle.

If I only had a nutshell to keep this stuff in......

 

Your theory matches what I thought as well, but knowing there were two lights still lit when I pumped in 12.5 gallons, lead me to think otherwise.

 

Ditto here.