Z3M Fuel Capacity & Gauge Accuracy

[Scarceas]

I'm in Arkansas. Seems the premium around here is usually 91, but maybe 40% of stations have 93 instead. It was $3.97/gallon yesterday.

Finding one with no ethanol (or is it methanol?)--that is nearly impossible. Not that it matters that much to me, but I figure if a station is willing to put a big sign out front advertising "100% gasoline, no ethanol" then they must be proud of the gas they sell and it probably isn't watered down crap.

[gmushial]

I never understood how gas gets priced. We're at about $4.30 a gallon here today for 91.

I know it's better than LONDON, but still. I'd like to see it kind of the same (lower) price across the country. We can see a 30 to 40¢ swing per gallon in a 30 to 40 mile radius.

Simply: what the market will bear.

[BimmerBreaker]

I'm in Arkansas. Seems the premium around here is usually 91, but maybe 40% of stations have 93 instead. It was $3.97/gallon yesterday.

Finding one with no ethanol (or is it methanol?)--that is nearly impossible. Not that it matters that much to me, but I figure if a station is willing to put a big sign out front advertising "100% gasoline, no ethanol" then they must be proud of the gas they sell and it probably isn't watered down crap.

Ethanol is the bad stuff. Methanol is a tasty treat to F/I guys

Gas prices are expensive, such is life. I try not to think about it too much otherwise Ill start trying to justify why I need a more economic car in my life.

[Scarceas]

Ethanol is the bad stuff. Methanol is a tasty treat to F/I guys

Ah yes, should have thought of it that way... Methanol injection is good, so you have to pay for it. Ethanol mixed in the gasoline, why that doesn't cost anything extra, so it must not be so good!

[SNR727]

Yeah - I don't care much what it costs, but it's funny if I drive north 20 minutes or so, it's about $4.00 less to fill up. But, hey. My cigarettes are 8+ bucks a pack.

gmushial - you saying if we all dressed up like hippies and beat our bongos & brought our backpacks down to oakland they'd drop the prices?

Man that would be something.

- dan

[Cremaster]

Simply: what the market will bear.

Errrr almost. The US refines more crude oil than ever before but it is not the US market that affects price right now. Companies are shipping refined product to other countries because they can make more $$$ than they can selling it in the US. Three cheers for globalization.

[Telecomtodd]

Kroger (nation-wide supermarket chain) fuel has it in all their gas stations in NC. Dunno 'bout CA. Actually, now that I am looking for 91-93, it seems most premium fuel around here (my house) is 93 octane (about $3.85/gal).

I've been using Sam's (Walmart) 93 octane since I bought the car. The Morrisville store is only a couple miles from my house, and the prices are generally 20 cents a gallon lower than surrounding stations.

SNR, I set the odometer with every fill up and religiously shoot for the magic 240 number. This tells me how good or bad my mileage is, and prevents me from going far enough to either run dry or paying through the nose for premium somewhere else.

By the way, seeing 24-26 MPG with mixed driving, and 22-24 in the new Subi with 87 octane - a toss-up in fuel costs. When I had the Jeep, it was much more lopsided in favor of the S52, even with the cost of 93 octane.

[SNR727]

Telecomm - Yeah. I used to do that with the other Z's but only because the gauge would never go up to FULL. Even topped up, the cars would only ever show 3/4. I was STOKED to finally have a gauge that would read FULL when I topped it up - Always keeping a 'loose' eyeball on the trip meter, but letting it go from time to time.

Today I did a loop from San Rafael, up over Mt. Tamalpais, down to the coast along Stinson Beach, out to Limantour Beach on Point Reyes, and then back through the redwood forest (Samuel P. Taylor) through Lagunitas, San Geronimo, Fairfax, and San Anselmo. When I pulled up in front of my house in San Rafael, the gauge was still past full. haha

I even made a map. (Well, i TRIED to make a map. The google link doesn't look anything like the map I traced out) but this was my path today.



I'll admit I was surprised to still be above FULL when I got home. 75.6 miles on the trip meter.

[Randy Forbes]

The tank shape (as was mentioned) should be all the explanation you need to understand the action of the fuel gauge.

I swear, while "lost" on the way to Homecoming 01 (after going through the Smoky Mtns...) the black car took 13.8 gallons to fill it up; we had driven more than an hour with the needle below "E" before finding a po-dunk station. I was in economy mode (and imagining banjo music...).

[Randy Forbes]

The tank shape (as was mentioned) should be all the explanation you need to understand the action of the fuel gauge.

I swear, while "lost" on the way to Homecoming 01 (after going through the Smoky Mtns...) the black car took 13.8 gallons to fill it up; we had driven more than an hour with the needle below "E" before finding a po-dunk station. I was in economy mode (and imagining banjo music...).

[MDICTED]

The tank shape (as was mentioned) should be all the explanation you need to understand the action of the fuel gauge.

I swear, while "lost" on the way to Homecoming 01 (after going through the Smoky Mtns...) the black car took 13.8 gallons to fill it up; we had driven more than an hour with the needle below "E" before finding a po-dunk station. I was in economy mode (and imagining banjo music...).

Love the Deliverance reference, a few years before my time...

Obviously that was an unforeseen occurrence, but I never like to have any car that low. I don't know what I might be sucking into my fuel lines. Not to mention my filter is most likely original.

-Parker

[SNR727]

Thanks Randy,

I was looking at the realoem illustration kyle posted the other day, and it did make plenty of sense. Just interesting that it wasn't designed with an idea of how to actually gauge what's IN the tank. You'd think the engineers would design a system that was accurate to the tenth.



I guess it's just one of those quirks that gives a car its personality.

[drmcdave]

I agree with everyone else I hit the half way point and it's about time to fill up. I'm getting 240-250 per tank and putting in and average of about 10.xx gallons at a time. I've never put 11 in that's for sure.

The gas prices do make you question what you're driving in fact I have my car for sale but I'm not sure I can follow through even with the open offer I have on the table.

Can't complain much about 24-25mpg especially when the r53 mini is averaging around 27-28.

[Luftwaffe1O1]

I agree with everyone else I hit the half way point and it's about time to fill up. I'm getting 240-250 per tank and putting in and average of about 10.xx gallons at a time. I've never put 11 in that's for sure.

The gas prices do make you question what you're driving in fact I have my car for sale but I'm not sure I can follow through even with the open offer I have on the table.

Can't complain much about 24-25mpg especially when the r53 mini is averaging around 27-28.

Hmmm city driving I get about 240-280, when its mostly highway, I think the highest I have gotten was about 330 or so miles.

[drmcdave]

I'd imagine that has something to do with the 2.3 liter vs. the 3.2

[PandaTron]

Fear not everyone... Up here in the Great White North, it costs me about $75 to fill up

Luckily I live 5 minutes away from the border

[hnshipman]

I have a 1997 BMW Z3 2.8L manufactured in 07/1997 in Greer, SC that I purchased new in 09/1997. The fuel gauge operated normally until I had the in-tank fuel pump replaced about one year ago. Since that time, I have had the same fuel gauge abnormality this form has mentioned. For example, today, the gauge read 1/2 full and held 10.3 gallons. Has anyone tried replacing the in-tank fuel gauge sending unit for this problem?

[rboehl]

I had a similar problem with a 2000 Mroadster and I found a recall letter on this. The sending unit was to be replaced only if a customer complained about it. My car was just one month out of warranty at that time and BMW agreed to replace it and it was fixed. I had that car for another 5 years with no problems.

[Vintage42]

Total capacity is around 13.25 gallons...

That's what the manual says:
Fuel tank gal. (liters) approx. 13.5 (approx. 51)
reserve gal. (liters) approx. 2.1 (approx. 8.0

[Tallyho322]

I keep track of my fuel more by mileage. I usually get about 200 miles on the top 1/2 of the tank, and 100 miles on the lower half....300 miles total.

Greg