Ran out of fuel - when tank 1/2-full!?

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Re: Ran out of fuel - when tank 1/2-full!?

Post by van ordinaire »

Hell Razor5543 wrote: 16 Oct 2018, 22:12 There are microbes that live in diesel. Somewhere on this forum are photographs of fuel pickups that are clogged with what looks like brown seaweed. I wonder if you have this problem.


Yup, we've explored that possibility too, but the filter was blocked by some quite hard deposit, almost like paint. I suppose such a microbe growth could have developed in the last 9 months/3,000 miles & suddenly manifested itself BUT - if the filter was blocked, it wouldn't run, rather than cutting out after around 230 miles, i.e. when I judge the tank to be 1/2 full, given that the pick-up is at the bottom of the tank.

That said, quite prepared to run the appropriate additive/cleaner through the system - if someone can put me onto one.
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Re: Ran out of fuel - when tank 1/2-full!?

Post by Peter.N. »

The great advantage was that they were all true 6 seaters. The handbrake on the A40 van was under the dash and the Minx on the floor, or in my hand above the floor when the rust bit. The van also had a stator tube through the middle of the steering column so the indicator switch at the centre of the wheel stayed still - just like some of the modern ones they have just invented. :-D

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Re: Ran out of fuel - when tank 1/2-full!?

Post by white exec »

The amount of effort discussing what might be amiss in the tank has now exceeded the effort which could be required to actually fix it.
Just thought I'd let you know. :?
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Re: Ran out of fuel - when tank 1/2-full!?

Post by Gibbo2286 »

You're not wrong Chris. :-D

I still think the problem's in the tank nowhere else fits the symptoms.
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'99 Cadillac Seville STS
'96 Cadillac Eldorado ETC
& numerous what might be described as abandoned projects!
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Re: Ran out of fuel - when tank 1/2-full!?

Post by van ordinaire »

Actually the job doesn't require a great deal of effort, but a lot of time, frustration & discomfort - & for what? I've been through the whole pantomime (well, black farce really) found nothing wrong, put it all back together & it was fine - for 3,000 miles!

Anyway, tonight it ran out on the way back from Lidl's (I got home too late to get to my local one before the tills closed, which is only yards from a Sainsbury's filling station) & as I was tipping the "can" the thought occurred to me that, due to the proportions of the tank, 5 litres wouldn't actually raise the level very much. Driving back, with that thought in my head*, I began to wonder if perhaps the problem wasn't apparently running out when 1/2-full but it really was empty - but, for some reason, I wasn't able to more than 1/2 fill the tank.

* At this point in the narrative I got a request to recover a diesel 1-series BMW (with suspected pump failure) - & I thought I had problems! Anyway, one successful tow job later, the ol' C15's won a few more friends & admirers. :)
Citroens:-
'81 2CV Club :cry:
'05 C15 :!:
'97 Xantia Exclusive estate [-o<
others:-
Jeep XJ Cherokees x 3 :?
'96 Cadillac Eldorado
'99 Cadillac STS :|
& the numerous "abandoned projects" #-o
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