This has happened to me four times already in just two months of ownership. I'm driving along and my eyes wander to the fuel gauge only to see the red (low fuel) warning light glowing! Luckily every time I noticed it I had about 25-30 miles showing on the on-board computer's "range" estimate, but it does scare me that I someday may not notice that tiny little light coming on at all...

I'm probably at fault for not instinctively checking all the gauges from time to time, but I think that if the warning light itself had been in the tachometer pod instead of the speedo pod, it would have solved the problem...anyone else ever experience this?

_________________
2003 BRG/W MINI Cooper S

 

I guess IDEALLY the fuel warning light would be on the tach, but... What about trying to discipline yourself to check the fuel needle every time you start the car? If you rely that heavily on the light to save you, you'll definitely run out of gas sooner or later. Not to mention the potential damage to your engine from running on almost empty so often.

 

GJR, I' with you on this one...having nearly run the car out of gas just this way several times. Others who have driven my car have done the same. Fortunately, I've found that I have quite a lot of gas left once the red light comes on and have driven over 30 miles on such an occasion. Still, I'd guess that "when the light comes on" is not an exact science given the variability of MINI electrics

 

>>This has happened to me four times already in just two months of ownership. I'm driving along and my eyes wander to the fuel gauge only to see the red (low fuel) warning light glowing! Luckily every time I noticed it I had about 25-30 miles showing on the on-board computer's "range" estimate, but it does scare me that I someday may not notice that tiny little light coming on at all...
>>
>>


I wouldn't count on the on-board computer, I've known people with BMWs (same computer) who have run out of gas with the computer showing 30 or 40 miles. The on board computer is not that accurate. Remember the gas is moving in the tank so the reading usually changes when you go up or down hill and also based on your driving habits, if you accelerate hard you will use more gas, etc.

I too forgot to look at the gas gauge on the speedo when I first got my MCS, now I make sure I always check it regularly.

Good Luck

RaceCarDriver

 

you mean there is no chime or warning sound?!?!?! wtf?

 

Well somebody's not looking at their speed often enough.....ehhhhhhhhh?

 

>>I know, I know, now I'm going to get flamed by those fanatics ...

This isn't meant to flame, but
What are you Thinking?! ... my car has a guage with a needle that moves (sometimes rapidly) right in the middle of the dash - and when the gas gets low, there is a Red Light that comes on! ... amazing new-fangled device ...
Or do you have the optinal under-seat guage package so you can't see it ?

Sorry for the sarcasm, and I know i'm conditioned (all my old minis and minors had a centrally-mounted speedo and the fuel guage was packaged with it, so that's where i've always had to look) but - especially after running low four times - it seems that it would be something that one would know to check for without extra reminders ...

 

Amen brother 8ball ... amen! Use your eyes man!



Good Luck!

Geoff

 

There is no excuss for running out of gas.....how spoiled are we now with lights and bells and whistles to tell us about problems and warnings. Just think back 10 years or more when none of this stuff was around yet in cars of this catagory. What did you do then?? I know....you pushed the car and told your dates dad you ran out of gas.

 

This is a perfect example of an owner of the new MCS to find the "little" knit picky problems with the car. Remember, it's man-made, and not every engineer thinks alike. There will ALWAYS be shortfalls with anything engineered by humans.
I'm sorry, I don't want to sound ignorant, but I've been driving my MCS for a year now, and find NO problems. I understand this is a forum with many discussions, but come on... the car is AWESOME!

 

How about a recording of a womens voice to tell you that you are about to run out of gas?

 

<cranky old man voice>

Why, back in my day, we didn't have lights to tell us when we were runnin' outta gas. We had a needle and we filled up when it was pointing at "E" and WE LIKED IT!

You kids today with your tachometers and your oil pressure and your engine temperature gauges. You're spoiled! I tell ya!

 

GOTTA LOVE IT!!!!!!!

>><cranky old man voice>
>>
>>Why, back in my day, we didn't have lights to tell us when we were runnin' outta gas. We had a needle and we filled up when it was pointing at "E" and WE LIKED IT!
>>
>>You kids today with your tachometers and your oil pressure and your engine temperature gauges. You're spoiled! I tell ya!

 

.. frickin' young whipper-snappers ... just try to give 'em a little advice ...

 

>>This is a perfect example of an owner of the new MCS to find the "little" knit picky problems with the car.

Problem? What problem?
Just two things to remember.
If the BIG needle (speedo) is way over to the right, you'll be stopped soon.
If the little needle (gas) is way over to the left, you'll stop soon.

You've got an odometer, a gas guage needle, and and OBC, any one of which will tell you when you need to get gas. Surely ONE of the three catches your eye now and again. In addition to that, there's a RED light that goes on.
Driving is an active experience - look at the cars, look at the guages.
Alternatively, have my wife as a passenger - though it's not British, there's always a woman's voice saying "don't we need to stop for gas soon?"

 

I hear you can buy a mod that will directly link your fuel gauge to your underpants- so the next time the gauge goes below half, 200 V will fry you nether regions ...

 

Dude,

One of the tenants of Motoring is paying attention to your sourroundings.

The Speedo / Water Temp / Fuel level / Idiot lights Gauge is part of that very ideal.

Repeat after me:

I will glance at my gauges every so often...

I will glance at my gauges every so often...

I will glance at my gauges every so often...

I will glance at my gauges every so often...

 

My 2004 MCS can be programmed to "ding" when the "almost out of gas" light blinks on. Is this feature new to this model year?

 

Don't buy a motorcycle.

 

>>I hear you can buy a mod that will directly link your fuel gauge to your underpants- so the next time the gauge goes below half, 200 V will fry you nether regions ...

 

I had a friend who had a hoopty with a nonfunctioning gas guage--permanently read 'full'. In addition, there was no tripometer to reset whenever you filled up. And, of course, no idiot light.

She had to pay attention to the odo, and whenever 200miles rolled around, she knew she had about 30 or so miles to find a gas station. She never once ran out of fuel...

 

^ I used to have to do that in my last two cars (a Nissan and a BMW). I was hoping that I could avoid this with the wizzbang electronics available in 21st century cars. Guess not.

 

I had a Mini that always read backwards: the "F" meant "fill-er-up" and the "E" was "enough" ... i checked all the wiring and changed the sender in the tank and the guage had the correct Smiths part number on it, but nothing could change it back to 'normal' ... so i adapted and lived with it ...

The bottom line is that there are some things you can't change and need to adapt to - if the cup holders are too small or the guage doesn't nag you enough, and you can't deal with it, get a different car.

 

I know it's bad practice and bad for the car but I just thought I would let you know that I drove my mini with the needle to the left of the E light and the miles remaining at zero for about 2 miles yesterday, thats what I get for letting someone borrow my baby. Perhaps I should start hiding the keys...

Alexp

 

When my wife first complained about the warning light for fuel, I told her "An idiot couldn't miss it." Two weeks later she proved me wrong. She called I carried the can. Somehow it ended up being my fualt. No suprise there.

Motor on. Or maybe walk on as the case might be.