Author Topic: Fuel Warning Light  (Read 31872 times)

chrisjgregory

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Fuel Warning Light
« on: August 26, 2014, 07:07:40 PM »
I have a Sept 2012 Jazz 1.4 ES and I've found the Forum to be very helpful, where numerous Jazz owners are reporting that their fuel warning light comes on with 9+ litres of fuel left in the tank. I think this is an unhelpful feature as I can still do 95 miles on this amount - in other words it's coming on much too soon, 5 litres would be a better amount.

Here's my question: (1) does anyone have a Jazz whose fuel warning light comes on with 5 litres of fuel? (2) has anybody with a Jazz whose fuel warning light comes on with 9+ litres of fuel in the tank convinced Honda that this is a fault?

VicW

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Re: Fuel Warning Light
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2014, 08:16:22 PM »
Since the vast majority of forum users agree that the fuel warning light comes on with about 9 litres of fuel left the car is obviously designed that way and there is no way Honda are going to accept that it is a fault.

In my 2010 1.4 ES the fuel light comes on with about 35 miles left on the 'distance to refuel' readout. If I then refuel I get about 33 litres in i.e. there was about 9 litres left.

Vic.

guest4078

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Re: Fuel Warning Light
« Reply #2 on: August 26, 2014, 10:38:42 PM »
I get around 33-34 litres in when the low fuel warning pinger comes on. I think the hybrid tank is 40 litres so that gives me around 6-7 litres left.

JohnAlways

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Re: Fuel Warning Light
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2014, 09:01:51 AM »
If the fuel warning light didn't come on I think it could be regarded as a fault, really it's an indicator and no more. It reminds you that you have 5,6,7,8 or 9 litres of fuel left. you can then do your own calculations as to how soon you need to top up. I would sooner know I needed to think about refueling rather than run out because there was no indication. Driving in France which i often do where the fuel price between supermarkets and motorways is some 15 cents different with supermarkets often off the beaten track it allows me a level of reassurance that I have fuel to drive to a convenient supermarket and not pay motorway prices. Obviously as shown here not every warning light comes on at exactly the same time but with shallow fuel tanks and surges because of hills that's to be expected, but when you know your car you can make your own decisions.

guest3895

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Re: Fuel Warning Light
« Reply #4 on: August 27, 2014, 10:43:28 AM »
I live in a very rural area and it is a long distance from my home to a garage (probably around 40 miles during the night), so I would be happy to get early warning of low fuel. I have had my Jazz for 18 months now and I have never seen my low fuel light come on* as I keep the fuel tank level above half.

* Oops, perhaps I ought to check that the alarm is actually working!!!

John Ratsey

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Re: Fuel Warning Light
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2014, 01:33:07 PM »
I've no issues with the low fuel warning light but I don't like the way the computer calculates the miles remaining once the fuel gets low (<1/4?).

It seems that for each mile travelled it takes two off its estimate of the miles remaining until empty.
2022 HR-V Elegance, previously 2020 Jazz Crosstar

chrisc

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Re: Fuel Warning Light
« Reply #6 on: August 27, 2014, 04:22:32 PM »
I once had to drive 90km after the light came on.  When I was still about 10km from the petrol station it registered 0km left.  When I filled it up, it took 38 litres which means there were about 2 litres remaining.
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peteo48

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Re: Fuel Warning Light
« Reply #7 on: August 27, 2014, 05:21:31 PM »
I've no issues with the low fuel warning light but I don't like the way the computer calculates the miles remaining once the fuel gets low (<1/4?).

It seems that for each mile travelled it takes two off its estimate of the miles remaining until empty.

I've noticed that.

I am not really sure how much use the miles remaining feature is. From what I have read on the internet, it's a problem that affects most cars with this feature.

culzean

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Re: Fuel Warning Light
« Reply #8 on: August 27, 2014, 06:02:38 PM »
I used to have about 7 litres left in my GD when light came on,  think Civic is about the same.

It is a 'low fuel' light - and I suppose the definition of low fuel is very subjective.  If you live in a country area with not many service stations you may want more than 7 litres warning,  otherwise if you live in a town and never travel very far it may seem like you are being warned too early.  Personally I never let my tank get much below half empty anyway because a car without fuel is just an expensive ornament on your driveway (or worse still on the side of a road somewhere).
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Eddie Honda

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Re: Fuel Warning Light
« Reply #9 on: August 27, 2014, 11:54:40 PM »
Handbook for the GD1 says the warning light will come on when there is less than 7.9l (1.74 Imp Gal) in the tank.

What I do notice is after getting home and starting the next day, the needle is lower than it was when it was previous day...and I'm certain it hasn't evaporated or been stolen.

What they don't say in the handbook is 7.9l is plus or minus 2l. So at the moment the light comes on, it may have ten litres in the tank, but it may have six.

(2) has anybody with a Jazz whose fuel warning light comes on with 9+ litres of fuel in the tank convinced Honda that this is a fault?

Fat chance. I know we're talking different versions, but the issue is the same. The official line is that it is not a fault but a "function of the design tolerances".
« Last Edit: August 28, 2014, 12:02:36 AM by Eddie Honda »

peteo48

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Re: Fuel Warning Light
« Reply #10 on: August 28, 2014, 02:03:50 PM »
I used to have about 7 litres left in my GD when light came on,  think Civic is about the same.

It is a 'low fuel' light - and I suppose the definition of low fuel is very subjective.  If you live in a country area with not many service stations you may want more than 7 litres warning,  otherwise if you live in a town and never travel very far it may seem like you are being warned too early.  Personally I never let my tank get much below half empty anyway because a car without fuel is just an expensive ornament on your driveway (or worse still on the side of a road somewhere).

I broadly agree and I like to fill up at no more than one quarter left on the gauge but I noticed this countdown on a trip back from holiday last year. I got down to 70 miles to go and, 25 miles later, it was showing 17 to go!

Since then, I rarely look at it relying on the gauge.

culzean

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Re: Fuel Warning Light
« Reply #11 on: August 28, 2014, 08:46:44 PM »
What I do notice is after getting home and starting the next day, the needle is lower than it was when it was previous day...and I'm certain it hasn't evaporated or been stolen.

I have noticed this on petrol gauge of every car I have had, I think it is what engineers would call 'hysteresis' - as the needle is dropping it will take up a certain position, but if you then allow the needle to drop back to zero and apply exactly the same voltage to it, when it rises it will come to rest at a lower position. This is due to a slight mechanical drag on the mechanism that has to be overcome to move the needle either way.
« Last Edit: August 28, 2014, 08:48:16 PM by culzean »
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

guest4477

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Re: Fuel Warning Light
« Reply #12 on: August 28, 2014, 10:24:20 PM »
best thing to do when your down to half a tank fill it up,no worries no problems. :)

Rory

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Re: Fuel Warning Light
« Reply #13 on: September 14, 2014, 10:15:41 PM »
Certainly this has bemused my daughter, who has just got a Jazz.  She used to have a Mitsubishi Colt, with a 47 litre tank capacity and regularly put 40+ litres in it.

Getting the Jazz down to around a quarter full on the gauge and finding it would only take 30 litres baffled her at first, but she was pleased it cost less!!  Bless.


I think it's bonkers the way you can reset the trip (and therefore MPG) indicator when you re-fuel and it'll show a range of towards 450+ miles.  In practice the remaining fuel is starting look iffy at around 300 miles.

Ozzie

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Re: Fuel Warning Light
« Reply #14 on: September 15, 2014, 09:17:30 PM »
best thing to do when your down to half a tank fill it up,no worries no problems. :)
Blimey its bad enough filling up every day, be blowed if I'm doing it twice a day !  ;) ;)

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