Actual Fuel Capacity

[Steptoe Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steptoe]

Does anyone have any experience with the ACTUAL fuel capacity of the 120 D4D diesel tanks. I ask because today I had the fuel warning light come on, then drove about 10km and filled up and managed to get 180.8 litres in. The last 10 litres or so did go in very slowly and when I say fill up I mean full untill the Diesel is sitting in the filler neck. I have filled up from the Fuel warning light before and only ever managed to get 165 - 170 litres in. From my understanding once the fuel warning light comes on you usually have about 15 litres left, if this is the case that means my Prado is currently holding 195 litres!!! Should I be concerned that perhaps the service station pump did not put in as much fuel as it said (and I paid for), or do the fuel lines etc really hold 15 litres?

Apologies if this has been discussed before, but I have searched and cant find any info.

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

It is 180 1x87 n 1x93

[Matty80 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Matty80]

Its take a guess and say that the pump is over compensating...

Cos the prado only holds 180, the fuel lines wont hold much, and realistically if they were empty - you would not have been moving.

[Noobie Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Noobie]

Piggy made me

[MDS69 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close MDS69]

Is diesel affected by ambient temp like unleaded. So depending on the weather you can fit more in because the density of the fuel will be different at different temps.
Also when you ask about how much the fuel lines hold I take it your talking about the filler pipe as the lines from the tank to the motor will only have fuel pass through them when the fuel pump is powered. Looking at the filler pipe I reckon it would hold 2L max.

[Steptoe Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steptoe]

Thanks for the replys. I have now suggested to the BP servo where I filled up that their pump may be wrong and I must say I got a very frosty reception. They just said that all their pumps are regularly tested and the pump is accurate. Is there a governing body that I can take this to? If the pumps are regularly tested should they have some sort of test certificate? Has anyone ever faced this situation themselves, and if so what was the outcome?

Sorry for all of the questions but this sort of stuff really anoys me and I don't want to charge in with a head full of steam and get no result. I know that in this case it means I have been over charged around $22.00 which isn't the end of the world, however most cars don't hold as much as the Prado so the amount of error would be less and therefore the owners probably wouldnt notice they are a few litres short. Multiply a few litres by every car that fills up from that pump and your talking $$$$$ It is also the only BP servo in my area that sells the BP Ultimate Diesel so now I either have to drive further to fill up, or fill up with regular diesel.

[Noobie Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Noobie]

Piggy made me

[LeighW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LeighW]

There will be a bureau in your state who are responsible for checking the accurracy of fuel bowers.

If you believe you have been short changed contact them.

Cheers

LeighW

[KAKADAZ Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close KAKADAZ]

Sounds DODGEY....

[Guest Close Guest]

There should be a weights and measures agency/bureau attached to the office of fair trading, or office of consumer and business affairs, or ACCC. I just can't seem to google one for QLD.

[Steptoe Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steptoe]

I have just spoken with someone at Toyota who told me that there is a collection bowl in the bottom of the fuel tanks and that it is around 10l in capacity, which is on top of the fuel tank capacity. Apparently when the tanks are full this bowl will slowly fill even without the engine running. This could account for the extra fuel however I have my doubts, if this was the case then surely this topic would have been raised lots of times in the past. The only think I can think of that might give some credability to Toyota's claims is that when I was filling up, the bowser did cut out at 168L first time with the diesel visible in the filler neck, however the diesel level then slowly drops and I could get more in, the same as happens every time I fill up only this time I got an extra 12L in before the diesel just sat in the filler neck and didn't drop. I always assumed that the fuel level slowly dropping from the filler neck was because of the foaming of the diesel and the air slowly releasing out of the breather, but perhaps I was wrong and mr Toyota is correct, maybe the level drops because the collection bowl is filling, I doubt it though!!

[Guest Close Guest]

Someone on here reported that he filled up, went for a short drive (~10km) and refilled and got more fuel in than what he though would have been used in the short drive. So the next time I'm driving to Sydney, I'll be filling up the night before and then again before the drive, so I don't have to fill up in between.

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

Your Egyptian petrol station owner is probably thinning the fuel with toluene.

[peril Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close peril]

Your Egyptian petrol station owner is probably thinning the fuel with toluene.

And I had a 4runner diesel engine stuffed buy one of these types of practices, so it does happen. I now use Shell Fuel at every fill for the past 5 years and my injectors went over 200,000 and no sign of issues to date, updated to a new 120 series Prado last week. Of course I do use Caltex and BP if I have too, but no cheepie stations for my Prado's

The fact it costs me a little more is vindicated by the good run I had out of my last Prado.

[waltec Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close waltec]

Hi All

When was your fuel gauge last calibrated??? I'd say never! I think it should be called a fuel guide, people seem to put too much emphisis on their gauge, it is only and indication of level (height) of fuel in the tank, doen't measure litres, and doesn't take into account tank shape. I'd certainly trust a fuel pump that by law is check and calibraited regularly, over a mass produced and and never calibrated gauge. The sender (actually 2 senders) in the prado work on a simple float connected to a potentiometer, certainly not a precission instrument. The level in the tank it also affected by how level the car is. Also servos compare pump delivery amounts against tank dips, so they would be aware of a pump problem fairly quickly.

Matt