What happens when my car is about to run out of diesel?

griffin100

Sounds like a stupid question but.........

Was driving home tonight and car was really low on diesel. All of a sudden I lost power and the car wouldn't go faster than 50kph and struggled on hills.. The message 'urgent engine attenion required' came up. I got to a garage put in fuel and it started up again no problem and I did the next 40 miles home ok. Car is a Volvo s60 d5. My question is do volvos go into a limp mode when fuel is almost gone? I had been having trouble with the electrics causing stalling at speed but I thought I had that fixed and had done over 1,000 miles since I got the car back, I hope it's not a repeat of that problem. Any help appreciated.

Matt Simis

If the pump was no longer picking up fuel then it would start struggle in a manner that might look like limp mode. I know the Audi's are meant to have mode where it progressively shuts off cylinders in such a scenario.

Note how long it too for this to happen and you will have a better idea of just how much leeway you have in the Red warning zone.

griffin100

griffin100 wrote: »

Sounds like a stupid question but.........

Was driving home tonight and car was really low on diesel. All of a sudden I lost power and the car wouldn't go faster than 50kph and struggled on hills.. The message 'urgent engine attenion required' came up. I got to a garage put in fuel and it started up again no problem and I did the next 40 miles home ok. Car is a Volvo s60 d5. My question is do volvos go into a limp mode when fuel is almost gone? I had been having trouble with the electrics causing stalling at speed but I thought I had that fixed and had done over 1,000 miles since I got the car back, I hope it's not a repeat of that problem. Any help appreciated.

Judging by how paranoid my OH is when tank gets to 1/4 or less, I'd say yes they do (also a volvo)

FreudianSlippers

My car (Scirocco TDI) is a huge drama queen about diesel. It reminds me to refuel at 1/5 tank and so I usually just ignore it.

There have been times where I'm at 0km then I start to panic, but I've made it pretty far on 0km.

My Porsche 996 on the other hand which is petrol just sputters out and dies (and drinks petrol like I drink vodka :P)

griffin100

Thanks all,. Spoke to a Volvo main dealer this morning and he confirmed that yep, I was simply running out of diesel:rolleyes: He advised never letting the tank get less than 1/4 full in order to keep the injectors and other bits happy.

keithclancy

griffin100 wrote: »

Thanks all,. Spoke to a Volvo main dealer this morning and he confirmed that yep, I was simply running out of diesel:rolleyes: He advised never letting the tank get less than 1/4 full in order to keep the injectors and other bits happy.

Talking out his arse more like.

If you run out of Diesel it simply wont start again, even if you refill the tank because the fuel line will be airlocked.

Volvos done have a builtin pump to bleed the line, you need a vacuum pump to do it.

keithclancy

keithclancy wrote: »

Talking out his arse more like.

If you run out of Diesel it simply wont start again, even if you refill the tank because the fuel line will be airlocked. .

How does that in any way contradict what the fella said?