Okay, so where exactly is "empty"?

I've had the car for three weeks now, and I noticed that when the fuel guage needle hits the "R" mark, it drops a lot more to the rest position when I turn the key off.

So do I have fuel left, or am I pushing it?
Thanks.

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79 300SD - $50 out of pocket purchase
03 Dodge Ram 3500 CTD
2003 VW Jetta TDI

There's about three gallons remaining when the gauge hits the last mark.

I've never put more than 17 gallons in the SD..........never got the light to come on..........even though it does work.

I found out my SD fuel gauge does not read low...on the interstate...at 3:30am...Christmas morn' '06. Ins. towed me home. Light never came on.

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83 SD

84 CD

Mileage is the reason I am asking. I was on R today and put 53 litres in (14 gallons), so that sounds about right.

I am getting around 420 miles per tank - is that normal?

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79 300SD - $50 out of pocket purchase
03 Dodge Ram 3500 CTD
2003 VW Jetta TDI

That's about 30mpg, extremely good.

I don't believe you can get an honest 420 miles out of 14 gallons with a stock '82 SD unless you drove it at a steady 60 mph for the entire distance.

I've broken 30 on the SD but it has a 2.88 diff and brand new valves. I typically get 28-29 with it.

Uhmm..yeah, I pretty much do. I live in Sylvan and teach 5 days a week in Rocky Mountain House.


Brian: Is there something wrong that I am missing to be getting this reading?

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79 300SD - $50 out of pocket purchase
03 Dodge Ram 3500 CTD
2003 VW Jetta TDI

Nope. You can get that mileage under those conditions.........no traffic......steady state.......engine revs at about 2600 rpm or so.

However, most folks who claim such mileage have errors in the odometer readings........

High, I'm assuming. Guess I could check that out, never thought to.

A little bit of figuring seeing as the odo is miles, signs are all kilometres.

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79 300SD - $50 out of pocket purchase
03 Dodge Ram 3500 CTD
2003 VW Jetta TDI

To get the best mileage, you would need to keep the engine at 2400 rpm, as much as practical, that being the peak torque, on a 617 turbo.

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83 SD

84 CD

Peak torque on a 617 turbo is about 2850 rpm. The owner's manual is incorrect.

Be careful. Your car is about 26 years old. You should rely on your knowledge of how much fuel you put in the tank and what your mpg is much more than what your fuel gauge tells you. My low fuel light has never come on, but I have sat on the side of the road waiting for a delivery of 5 gallons of diesel -- and the gauge wasn't even on R yet.

By the way - I can't tell you how much I envy your 30mpg. I average 22-23. But that's traveling over the river and through the woods to avoid the bumper to bumper highway traffic every day.

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1983 MB 300SD Turbo Diesel

Unless you've got substantial city driving in that figure (70% or more), the engine can use some attention. Either cam timing, valves, or IP timing is likely not quite to specs.

Before the SD got any attention it might drop to 23 on winter fuel.........never less. Now, it's routinely up above 28.

Definitely city driving. 45 minutes to an hour to travel 13 miles Monday through Friday. And that's it. I've had the SD for 10 months and I've put just over 4k miles on it. On the highway - which I'm not on too often -- I average 28 to 30mpg. I adjusted my valves in December and will be doing it again soon. Not too sure about cam or IP timing.

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1983 MB 300SD Turbo Diesel

If you're getting those numbers on the highway, the engine is running well. It's the city driving that's killing the fuel economy.