19 replies to this topic

[Hannioli]

Righty ho, I've always been led to believe that there are two sizes of fuel tanks for minis, the 5.5 gallon one and the 7 gallon one and have always thought that mine (being for a 1992 mini) had a 7 gallon fuel tank.

Then when I was chatting to my dad about petrol prices yesterday, we somehow came on to the topic that his Fabia has a 7 gallon tank and it costs him over £40 to fill it up fully nowadays. When he said his was a 7 gallon and it costs him that much it started to get me confused...mine is supposedly a 7 gallon tank and yet at most I can only get about £25 worth of petrol in to the tank!

Now this got me thinking and I ended up bugging Pie with it and now he's thinking too!! (dangerous I know!)

Whenever I fill up, even if I've been driving on the red for several miles, the most I can put into my tank before it starts to spew out all over the forecourt is around 22-23litres of petrol.

7 gallons = 31.822 litres

there's no way that taking in to account that my fuel guage may be a few litres out that there could still be almost 10 litres of petrol sitting in my tank!!

But 5.5 gallons = 25.003 litres

which seems to work if my fuel guage is a little out!

So, I thought my tank might be a 5.5gallon then...but then I spoke to Pie about it and he thought his was a 7 gallon too and of the people I know with post 1980 minis, they too when they fill up tend to fit around 20litres of fuel in to their tanks, which should be 7 gallons as well.

All in all...I'm confused, Pie is confused, I probably confused a few of you when you read this too and some people are most likely just plain confused but it has nothing to do with this post

Can anyone explain this! Am I just being dumb?!


[edit] I just checked online and my dad was being a fool! Apparently the Fabia tank holds 9.9gallons

Edited by Hannioli, 14 May 2008 - 11:21 AM.

[Ethel]

you're being dumb

[wolfys_mini]

maybe because the tank is never fully empty you'll never fit the full 33 litres in (its 7.5 gallons not 7, i think)

do they count the filler neck in their calculations?

[Pie]

Am I just being dumb?!

No because if you were dumb, you wouldnt be able to speak, like Harp Marx;

[Hannioli]

you're being dumb

Thanks Ethel, so helpful!

Ok Wolfy...but that would mean that we would still have around 10 litres of petrol in our tanks when the guage says it's empty!!

[wolfys_mini]

the gauge isnt a good way of knowing how much petrol you have left, its just an indication, it is a strange one, mine is the same, but i dont care



run the car out of petrol, carry 33 litres around with you, then see if you can fit it in there....

[Ethel]

you're being dumb

the sizes are 5.5 and 7.5 gallons

Once you've seen both tanks fitted the difference is quite obvious as the big tank sticks much further in to the boot. Look at the strap that holds the tank in. On the lil tanks it goes over the top with the tensioning bolt behind your rear light cluster. The big tank's strap goes across the side near the 'leccy connections for the fuel gauge sender. Fuel gauges aren't that accurate.

[Hannioli]

Fair enough, 10 litres out does seem a bit too far out to me but oh well

Neil's got an old fuel tank sitting in the back garden of one of his friend's, if I get bored on saturday and have time after getting the minis ready for l2b, I might see how much water I can fit into it!

[wolfys_mini]

if its bugging you that much then yeah try it

[Hannioli]

It was bugging me, now I'm just tempted to see how long my mini will run on the red for before the petrol actually runs out

[wolfys_mini]

carry some petrol in a can and try it

[Rob Himself]

Fabia only got a 30/35l tank?! Quite small!

[Hannioli]

I edited my first post, my dad was being a silly old man. Apparently the fabia has a 9.9gallon tank, which is about 45 litres

[BoyracerAU]

This might answer your question. I've read that the large tank has a 7.5gallon capacity but because of it's shape and where the nozzle is situated, you will never get 7.5gallons in there.

[Natalie]

It costs me about £18 to fill it up when the guage is showing nearly empty (when I bought her last year it was £15 )
That's all I need to know if I start trying to work stuff out like mpg and stuff I think my brain might implode.