Diesel Fuel

Texas · Veteran Member

Diesel Fuel

KFT · Guru

G'day Texas,

I have a similar problem with my Navara. I need to trickle the last 3 or 4 litres to get it full.

you could try that and see how you go

frank

woolman · Guru

My guess it is the same as mine was. The breather on the fuel tank had a downward bend causing an air lock. I had to go dribble dibble to get the last 40 litres in until I realigned the breather pipe. all I needed to do was bend the bracket holding the breather pipe.

good luck

Neil

Peter1059 · Senior Member

Try Rocking the vehicle, I have a Merc - Winnebago and I rock it and you can hear the breather do it's job than add more but at a slower rate.

-- Edited by Peter1059 on Friday 6th of November 2015 06:18:29 PM

cultana · Senior Member

If you pump the diesel in fast it will froth up. This will flood the breather pipe and also the inlet causing a 'filled' indication.
Rock the vehicle, if possible, and give it a bit of a wait as it all settles then continue filling slowly.
Unless you have a good wide straight inlet pipe to the tank dont use the truck high flow pumps. They make it worse.

If you are unsure how bad this can get try filling a 20l jerry can under high flow.

ST391GQ · Senior Member

Peter1059 wrote:
Try Rocking the vehicle, I have a Merc - Winnebago and I rock it and you can hear the breather do it's job than add more but at a slower rate.

-- Edited by Peter1059 on Friday 6th of November 2015 06:18:29 PM

I do this to my Patrol. It has a long range tank fitted and the nozzle cuts off as the tank filler fills up with foam. A good body rock and the gurgle...and then I can squeeze another 12-14 litres in slowly...which is another 100 K,s.....so worth it IMO.

Cheers Keith

PeterD · Guru

You have not given much info. What is your rig? Does it have more than one tank that fills through the same filler? Are you using high flow pumps or low flow? Does it happen on both styles of pump.

I have an additional 65 l tank above the original tank I have to take things slowly when the main tank is about full. If I use a high flow pump I can not allow it to fill at its fastest rate if I want a full tank.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

It's possibly just the gauge .. May also have changed filler position so fuel tank breathing maybe not up to spec ? Being lower etc ..
Foaming as said can do it too.. Your not being ripped off your still paying the right amount of fuel..
I have read ? I think BP where they advertise they have anti foaming fuel?
In any case I find filling the last few litres takes some time ..
It's just the vehicle is different to what your used to.. As long as it shows when your getting M/T .. Lol

fyi in my motor home.. Under 3/4 tank the generator and diesel heater doesn't pick up..

Its apparently a safety feature ?

-- Edited by Aus-Kiwi on Saturday 7th of November 2015 12:55:42 PM

Izabarack · Guru

it is unlikely that the type of fuel is the problem. More likely to be the filler arrangement or the gauge/sender combination. I suggest you try burping the tank during a fill (rock the vehicle and see some activity in the filler neck) and persisting until you can actually see the level of fuel in the filler neck. Check the gauge at that point. If the tank is so full that you can see the fuel level in the filler neck, then the gauge/sender needs attention if it is reading less than full. Tank breather routing is a common cause of the symptoms you describe.

Iza

Santa · Guru

I've also found some diesel hand pieces to be extremely sensitive, will click off at the least sign of back pressure, changing the position/depth of the nozzle in the filler pipe can help.

The Transit fills pretty well most of the time, now and again you find the odd pump that's a real pain. smile

JCT · Veteran Member

My Fiat manual says to use the pump until it automatically cuts off, wait a second or two and restart the fuel pump until it cuts off again, do the same once again and the tank should be full.

I have travelled nearly 60k km and using the recommended method above have always found the tank, according to the fuel gauge, to be full.

Just my observation, can't comment on other vehicles.

Colin

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

My old Fuso bus / motor home has excellent fuel filling ..
Straight into a 120mm opening directly into tank...

Delta18 · Guru

I would say it is more likely the gauge is at fault.

If you know how to re-start a diesel engine that has run out of fuel, fill it as best you can then drive it until it runs out of fuel. Make sure you have a (20L) drum of spare fuel. Turn off the motor at 1st hiccup.

Read your odometer from full to empty and you will know how far you can go on a tankfull.

Take note of when your gauge points to E (empty) and see how many kms you can go past that point. Or from when the Low Fuel light comes on if your car is fitted with one.

Go to the nearest fuel station and refuel, take note how many Litres it takes. Calculate back the fuel from the drum and you will then know how much the tank holds and how far you can expect to travel on a tankful.

Cheers Neil

Izabarack · Guru

Delta18 wrote:
...... then drive it until it runs out of fuel.

Take care if you choose to do this. Most modern diesel engines use the flow of fuel through the fuel pump to cool the pump. My vehicles, for example, return something like 3/4 of the fuel drawn from the tank, back to the tank using the fuel tank somewhat as a radiator. Try feeling the temperature of the fuel tank after a long drive to confirm the cooling method is used on your vehicle.

Overheating damage to a fuel pump can be very expensive.

Iza

sandsmere · Guru

I don't have any of the above problems with the Land Cruiser, or any of the 4 LCs I had before.

In fact I've never heard of it happening.

I'd be taking it back to the dealer and telling them to fix it !

Delta18 · Guru

Izabarack wrote:
Delta18 wrote:
...... then drive it until it runs out of fuel.
Take care if you choose to do this. Most modern diesel engines use the flow of fuel through the fuel pump to cool the pump. My vehicles, for example, return something like 3/4 of the fuel drawn from the tank, back to the tank using the fuel tank somewhat as a radiator. Try feeling the temperature of the fuel tank after a long drive to confirm the cooling method is used on your vehicle.
Overheating damage to a fuel pump can be very expensive.

Iza

This is part of the reason I said "turn motor off at 1st hiccup".

Izabarack · Guru

I think some might benefit from a bit of Googling. One site I just accessed also reminded people that if the motor stops due to lack of fuel, brakes and power steering don't work too well. Pretty dangerous at 100KPH on a freeway but still not good trying to find somewhere to pull up on the side of the road with poor braking and heavy steering while coasting.

Iza

Izabarack · Guru

Delta18 wrote:
This is part of the reason I said "turn motor off at 1st hiccup".

Take care if you do this, also. Very easy to turn the key too far and lock the steering while trying to find somewhere to pull off the road.

Iza

Delta18 · Guru

Izabarack wrote:
Delta18 wrote:
This is part of the reason I said "turn motor off at 1st hiccup".
Take care if you do this, also. Very easy to turn the key too far and lock the steering while trying to find somewhere to pull off the road.

Iza

Whatever. Every vehicle I have owned since the introduction of Steering Locks has had 'accidental lock' prevention. Either a button needs to be pressed while turning the key or the key needs to be positively depressed HARD to go to the lock position.

Santa · Guru

This is rapidly turning into one of them threads. biggrin

sandsmere · Guru

Santa wrote:
This is rapidly turning into one of them threads.

Yep !! yawn

Delta18 · Guru

Yep, offer a reasonable suggestion and get hammered. Why do I bother?

Baz421 · Guru

Izabarack wrote:
I think some might benefit from a bit of Googling. One site I just accessed also reminded people that if the motor stops due to lack of fuel, brakes and power steering don't work too well. Pretty dangerous at 100KPH on a freeway but still not good trying to find somewhere to pull up on the side of the road with poor braking and heavy steering while coasting.

Iza

Not necessarily so Iza.

If you leave the vehicle in gear while coasting you still drive the power steering pump and the vacuum pump for brakes (for many diesels).

Maybe a bit more googling will tell you which vehicle has which.

Baz421 · Guru

Delta18 wrote:
Yep, offer a reasonable suggestion and get hammered. Why do I bother?

Yep I did that with a thread I started 18 months ago about ?????????? generators. LOL

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Notice Tex hasn't responded? Hope this helps .. Texas ...

PeterD · Guru

Aus-Kiwi wrote:
Notice Tex hasn't responded? Hope this helps .. Texas ...

Not only has he not answered questions, he has not signed onto the forum since he posted his question. Why are any of us bothering? If he does show signs of activity I have some further info for him.

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

confuse actually Tex logged on at 7.09pm last night hmm

Cheers - John

PeterD · Guru

Delta18 wrote:
Yep, offer a reasonable suggestion and get hammered. Why do I bother?

There are times I wonder the same thing. You do not last too long on forums if your skin is too thin. However if you take note of the personalities you will a number of spoilers who haunt the forum with imprecise facts.

One site I just accessed also reminded people that if the motor stops due to lack of fuel, brakes and power steering don't work too well. Pretty dangerous at 100KPH on a freeway

The clue in that statement that things will not go completely astray is "don't work too well." Brakes and steering are not totally reliant on power. They are just power assisted. Power assisted brakes have two or three power assisted pedal applications after a motor failure (try it a couple of times whilst travelling slowly, just switch the ignition off.) I suspect that the original poster of that info is not a very experienced driver, how much experience has he had without that power assistance. I have been towed some distance without power and whilst I severely noticed the lack of assistance I was able to cope OK. Many unexpectedly loose power whilst travelling. I did prior to my towing experience. I don't think vehicles would be allowed on the road if they are not controllable after a motor failure.

Overheating damage to a fuel pump can be very expensive.

That's why you don't leave the ignition on for too long when you have an empty tank. If an empty fuel pump expired all that quickly you would probably have instructions as to how to prime your pump before applying battery power to them.

Delta 18, just remember the old adage "insults from insects are regarded as complements by human beings." biggrin

-- Edited by PeterD on Monday 9th of November 2015 08:28:20 AM

PeterD · Guru

rockylizard wrote:
actually Tex logged on at 7.09pm last night

Sorry I did not check this morning, I had been keeping an eye on his activities. I often do when an OP is not responding.

Texas · Veteran Member

The reason I have not replied at this stage was because I was waiting until I have to fill up again, which will probably be either today or tomorrow. I appreciate all the advice and will try the suggestions put forward. By the way, not everyone sits in front of their computer every day looking at and replying to member's post's.