Refill tank before it's three fourths empty

AIRPOWER · 06-29-2015, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bradleyland

ROFL

AIRPOWER · 06-29-2015, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yw

Spoke to a BMW SA who indicated that there is no exact hard and fast rule as to when to refill the gas tank other than what's been generalized in the vehicle's manual. However, he refills the tank around the remaining 1/4 level out of personal habit and because, at some point below the 1/4 tank level, the temp. for the residual gas starts to climb more rapidly as its liquid volume diminishes, thereby altering its performance characteristics as well as its ability to cool. Rather than trying to figure out where that threshold point is, he just refills at the 1/4 tank mark.

Im sure SAs get questions like this all the time.

Here is my question - If it can cause damage if your tank goes below 1/4, then why doesn't BMW make the gas gauge go up up 5/4?

That way, you can use a full tank of gas and still be safe.

Black Prinz · 06-29-2015, 10:22 AM

I suspect that this is a myth.

I think the car will run out of gas(coolant) well before the heat generated from such lack of coolant could cause any damage to the pump.

Anecdotal evidence - I have a long commute and get the opportunity to test this fairly often.

bradleyland · 06-29-2015, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AIRPOWER

Im sure SAs get questions like this all the time.

Here is my question - If it can cause damage if your tank goes below 1/4, then why doesn't BMW make the gas gauge go up up 5/4?

That way, you can use a full tank of gas and still be safe.

lol

Yes, but you see, these go to eleven. Such a great film.

bradleyland · 06-29-2015, 12:21 PM

A couple of things to keep this in perspective:

1) Yes, your fuel pump should remained submerged in fuel in order to stay cool.

2) It requires far less than 1/4 tank these days. The quarter tank requirement comes from the early days of in-tank fuel pumps, and even before manufacturers started using polymer fuel tanks that can more easily accommodate a fuel pump sump that keeps the pump submerged at lower levels.

3) Everybody be cool, this is a robbery.

EJT86 · 06-29-2015, 12:55 PM

You guys are all joking right? You should always refrigerate your gas in a large freezer and use that to fill up

Efthreeoh · 06-30-2015, 05:14 AM

I run my car well below a quarter tank all the time, my average fill up is 13 gallons, but I have hundreds of fill ups at 14+ and 15+ gallons. 286,000 on the original fuel pump...

06-29-2015, 10:22 AM	#69
Black Prinz Private First Class 43 Rep 170 Posts Drives: 545i-128i-X3x35i-M2C Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Poconos, PA iTrader: (1)	I suspect that this is a myth. I think the car will run out of gas(coolant) well before the heat generated from such lack of coolant could cause any damage to the pump. Anecdotal evidence - I have a long commute and get the opportunity to test this fairly often. __________________ The Black Prinz \| 09E82N51 \| BMW 3-Stage Intake Manifold \| BILSTEIN B12 Pro-System+ \| ///M Control Arms \| ///M Bushing kit \| ///M Strut Brace \| DINAN Camber Plates & Rear Shock Mounts \| ECS Performance Trailing Arms \| aFe Magnum Force Intake System [Dynamic Air Scoops+Stage 2 CAI] \| BMW Performance Exhaust \| BMW Performance Brakes \| GOODRIDGE G-Stop SS \| DEPO V2 \| Style 220M reps \|
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06-29-2015, 12:21 PM	#71
bradleyland TIM YOYO 1504 Rep 3,283 Posts Drives: 2013 M3 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Vero Beach, FL iTrader: (0) Garage List 2019 BMW R1250GS [0.00] 2013 BMW X3 xDrive28i [0.00]	A couple of things to keep this in perspective: 1) Yes, your fuel pump should remained submerged in fuel in order to stay cool. 2) It requires far less than 1/4 tank these days. The quarter tank requirement comes from the early days of in-tank fuel pumps, and even before manufacturers started using polymer fuel tanks that can more easily accommodate a fuel pump sump that keeps the pump submerged at lower levels. 3) Everybody be cool, this is a robbery. __________________ His: *2019 R1250GS* - Black Hers: 2013 X3 28i - N20 Mineral Silver / Sand Beige / Premium, Tech Past: 2013 ///M3 - Interlagos Blue Black M-DCT Past: 2010 135i - TiAg Coral Red 6MT ///M-Sport**
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06-29-2015, 12:55 PM	#72
EJT86 Brigadier General 2383 Rep 3,726 Posts Drives: 2018 M2 Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Boston, MA iTrader: (0) Garage List [0.00] 2018 BMW M2 [0.00]	You guys are all joking right? You should always refrigerate your gas in a large freezer and use that to fill up
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06-30-2015, 05:14 AM	#73
Efthreeoh General 17165 Rep 18,678 Posts Drives: The E90 + Z4 Coupe & Z3 R'ster Join Date: May 2012 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	I run my car well below a quarter tank all the time, my average fill up is 13 gallons, but I have hundreds of fill ups at 14+ and 15+ gallons. 286,000 on the original fuel pump... __________________ A manual transmission can be set to "comfort", "sport", and "track" modes simply by the technique and speed at which you shift it; it doesn't need "modes", modes are for manumatics that try to behave like a real 3-pedal manual transmission. If you can money-shift it, it's a manual transmission. "Yeah, but NO ONE puts an automatic trans shift knob on a manual transmission."
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