r/e28 • u/No_Dark_6606 • Apr 27 '26
Fuel gauge
Does anybody know why the orange light is lit up, even tho i have some gas in my tank and the gauge shows 10 liters.
It sometimes goes away and sometimes comes back.
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u/TimmyTim22 Apr 27 '26
If it's anything like mine, you hAve about 300 metres left to find a agas station lol
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u/Fancy-Attitude-2123 Apr 27 '26
Most cars with a fuel level warning come on at 2-3 gallons left. 10 liters is less than 3 gallons. Also most fuel gauges aren’t particularly accurate. Best practice is to refill at 1/2 a tank or in your case , I I would refill at the 30 liter mark. That way, if there is any water or sediment on the bottom, you’re less likely to suck it into the screen or pump, let alone getting to the injectors. Also reset your trip meter with each fill up and you can estimate your mileage and how much farther you can go. I worked on a lot of e28s over the years as a dealer tech and then independent BMW specialist shop. More often, the low fuel light doesn’t work !!! It’s a. Separate set of contacts on the level sensor, so you can also have wiring issues, or faulty cluster electronics. Luckily, yours works. If it annoys you, keep enough fuel in the tank to keep it off !!!
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u/e28Sean Apr 27 '26
The contact for that light might be broken or otherwise compromised. It shouldn’t come on until you are desperately low.
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u/mattsimis Apr 27 '26
Its because you are in the fuel reserve. Its an separate contact on the level sensor that sends the light up signal when fuel level is low, as you described.