Strange thing happened yesterday.

Set off with the low fuel light lit and with 26 miles showing on the range.

Car was cold and had been sitting for a week, after half a mile or so pulled off a roundabout to go up a short uphill stretch, probably doing 25 at the time.

Box shifted down when it came to the slope but no acceleration. Onto the flat and she slowly wound her way up to 30 and changed up again.

Tried a couple of times flooring the accelerator with minimal response.

After a run of about 6 miles or so I stopped for fuel, out about half a tank in.

Pulled away and back to normal instantly, full power, instant response.

Any thoughts?

Tired fuel pump came to mind but why on low fuel only?

She's full of V Power now and a bottle of redex so fingers x'd it's just sludge but I'm wondering what would have happened if I'd been on the motorway at the time.

I was under the impression that our fl2’s do all they can to not run the fuel tank down to completely empty including going into limp mode a little while before shutting down. You wouldn’t be able to start the engine if you did run the tank dry without bleeding the air out of the fuel lines as you have to after changing the fuel filter. There is no lift pump in the tank.

Boss Bob is right.
The FL2 will do everything in its power to protect the fuel pump from running dry (no fuel=no lubrication)

https://www.freel2.com/forum/topic30853.html?highlight=fuel+pump FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 79k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

If you do run out of fuel (faulty fuel gauge) you might find that the AA couldn't bleed the system and had to get the vehicle recovered to a dealership, and even then she needed 10 litres of fuel before she would start.

When the fuel gauges (there are two) were working she would go into sulk mode with only 20 miles range left and would shut off when the range was zero.
It is possible for one gauge to intermittently go faulty, at this point the car will shut down to protect the high pressure fuel pump - as has been said no fuel = no lubrication = scrap pump.
I used to carry a modified plug that replaced the fuel gauges with fixed resistors, while I was waiting for the time and patience to replace both the fuel gauges on mine. Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

Be aware - although I don't think it applies in your case -


Fuel Gauge wiring is a known problem. It needs attention at fuel tank end and there is a Technical Bulletin and fix for it.

TECHNICAL BULLETIN
LTB00566v6
04 JUL 2014

Get the Wiring Fixed ASAP.

https://www.freel2.com/forum/topic30934.ht...+technical

https://www.freel2.com/forum/topic31656.html?highlight=fuel+gauge

Plenty of information on forum

https://www.freel2.com/forum/search.php?se...fuel+gauge FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 79k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

I,m sorry. I do not understand why anybody should go down to the low fuel light on.
I never go below half tank an then fill right up.
Just my personal point.
I know it’s a lot to fill an empty tank but after that you are only fillin up half a tank.
Cheers Jim A
Fl2 HSE 2010 auto
Disco 2Td5 auto 2002 gone
Disci 1 300Tdi auto 1996 gone

I'm guessing you don't do much mileage??
I go through a tankfull every week in my FL and go from full to low fuel warning usually before filling up.
Nobody wants to be filling up more often than necessary.

Just done a 2000 mile round trip, Central France - Yorkshire - Lots of running around - Central France ........ Not letting the tank get below half ......😂😲😒 ....

I do 25,000 - 30,000 miles a year, fill up twice a week and rarely let the tank go below 1/4. - this was true of the FL2 and now the DS, just don't like the feeling of vulnerability that low fuel and being a long way from home gives.

I don't know about the DPF equipped FL2, but on the DS if the tank is below 1/4 she will not initiate a DPF regeneration. This will lead to a blocked DPF, I wonder if low fuel level is one of the reasons for so many DPF problems? Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

I wonder if similar low fuel strategies will be on EVs? I came along the motorway yesterday evening and saw a BMW 13 stopped on the hard shoulder with no lights on  3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Now that Andy is a very good point there,
It could be feasible that failure to regenerate the DPF owing
to a very low fuel tank. DAVE.

Aveling, at present my mileage is limited. !7 years on Disco 1 and 2 and tried to fill up when down to half tank.
My background was over 40 years in earthmoving plant hire where it was almost automatic to fill up every night to stop condensation in steel tanks. Gave many an operator a few words about not filling up.
Old habits die hard. Each to his own. Jim A
Fl2 HSE 2010 auto
Disco 2Td5 auto 2002 gone
Disci 1 300Tdi auto 1996 gone

dorsetfreelander wrote:

I wonder if similar low fuel strategies will be on EVs? I came along the motorway yesterday evening and saw a BMW 13 stopped on the hard shoulder with no lights on

Thanks for all the replies guys, really appreciate it.

Absolutely no hesitation now there's fuel in the tank, she's behaving as good as gold running at a nice 40+mpg at 65 on the motorway.

Not sure whether the VPower has made much difference, but at 1p extra a litre over Asda I'm going to continue with it for a tank or two.

And not get down to the last couple of litres again!!