Loss of fuel from the towed vehicle

[rogher]

Has anyone found that they appear to lose fuel from a car while towed on an A-frame?

 

On at least three occasions, I've noticed a drop (of about 14 litres over 160 miles) on the fuel guage of my towed car - Peugeot Partner (diesel).

I can't believe it's happening. There's no smell or sign of leakage on arrival but the guage seems to drop in proportion to the run. Next time (which may not be for a while) I'll brim the tank before leaving and see how much I can put in on arrival to prove that the loss is not imagined.

 

Has anyone else heard of or experienced this before?

 

Just to confirm, the car is in neutral, so the engine does not turn.

 

Any clues would be greatly appreciated.

If it's true that I'm losing fuel, any suggestions how to stop it?

 

Roger

[johnsandywhite]

B-) We have done 1500 miles towing our Kia Picanto from Spain. Sandy has been driving it around for the last 5 weeks.The Tank is still half full from filling up in Spain.

[malc d]

rogher - 2010-07-21 9:21 PM

 

Has anyone found that they appear to lose fuel from a car while towed on an A-frame?

 

On at least three occasions, I've noticed a drop (of about 14 litres over 160 miles) on the fuel guage of my towed car - Peugeot Partner (diesel).

I can't believe it's happening. There's no smell or sign of leakage on arrival but the guage seems to drop in proportion to the run. Next time (which may not be for a while) I'll brim the tank before leaving and see how much I can put in on arrival to prove that the loss is not imagined.

 

Has anyone else heard of or experienced this before?

 

Just to confirm, the car is in neutral, so the engine does not turn.

 

Any clues would be greatly appreciated.

If it's true that I'm losing fuel, any suggestions how to stop it?

 

Roger

 

 

Testing by topping up the tank could be a good idea because it may just be a faulty fuel gauge.

 

(I assume that you would get a different reading when the front of the car is raised or lowered anyway - that used to be the case, but maybe gauges are more sophisticated these days ? )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[enodreven]

Hi,

 

Sounds very strange, has it got a lockable fuel cap, and have you left it for any length of time as the only thing I can think of is someone has syphoned it, as I assume it doesn't lose any fuel if you just leave it parked outside your house or when parked on site etc.

 

The loss you show equates to about 51 MPG which is somewhere near what I would of expected from your car if you were driving it ? that's either some substantial leak, a miscalculation or some bugger has nicked it,

 

Be very interested in what you find the problem was in the end

[RogP]

Have you actually 'lost' the fuel or are you looking at the cars computer data.

 

We towed my wifes Yaris last week for the first time and the Average values changed. Although the engine wasn't running the mileage was being racked up and therefore the on board computer reflected the mileage travelled.

Also the car has a digital guage so if yours is the same is it possible that the car 'thinks' its travelled X miles so it must have used X gallons of fuel and therefore artifically its changed the perceived amount of fuel in the tank (hope that makes sense?)

 

Certainly try the brimming of the tank as that should be a more accurate measure (obviously taking into account any distance you take filling and refilling either side of the towed journey)

 

[enodreven]

Hi,

 

Very good point, where do you turn your ignition key too,

 

On our Fiat Panda we have to make sure we back the key off as when we first turn the key to unlock the steering it goes directly to the position where the dash is energised (not sure if that's the correct description) all the lights are on and the speedo is showing the mileage etc. we then carefully turn the key back until it clicks into position that keeps the steering unlocked but turns all of the dash display off, it then doesn't record any mileage when towed, how do other people deal with the situation, we can't seem to get the key position any other way.

 

 

 

RogP - 2010-07-22 11:12 AM

 

Have you actually 'lost' the fuel or are you looking at the cars computer data.

 

We towed my wifes Yaris last week for the first time and the Average values changed. Although the engine wasn't running the mileage was being racked up and therefore the on board computer reflected the mileage travelled.

Also the car has a digital guage so if yours is the same is it possible that the car 'thinks' its travelled X miles so it must have used X gallons of fuel and therefore artifically its changed the perceived amount of fuel in the tank (hope that makes sense?)

 

Certainly try the brimming of the tank as that should be a more accurate measure (obviously taking into account any distance you take filling and refilling either side of the towed journey)

[w1ntersun]

Hi re RogP,

 

We too have a Yaris but it does not clock the milage up unless you fully turn the ignition on. If you disconnect the battery then no way will it clock the milage.

 

Richard

[RogP]

braunston - with regards the ignition the yaris has an electronic push start ignition so there's no key barrel although we still have to have the steering active which means pressing the start button (but not the clutch pedal) and leaving the fob in the car whilst towing.

 

W1ntersun - my wife insists it did although admittedly I never checked it first and who am I to argue with SWMBO?!!!!. The Toyota dealer also advised it would when I checked how to A-Frame with them regards the electronic ignition. I'll double check next month when we go away again.

 

I cant be doing with disconnecting the battery and for the amount of miles the car will do both when being towed and used by my wife I dont really have an issue if it does add miles. The wife only does about 2000 max a year at most and having been questioned by dealers why previous cars were so low mileages seems too low miles raises as many eyebrows as does high

 

[Mike B.]

We tow a Citroen C1 on an A frame which is the same car as a Peugeot 107 and a Toyota Aygo. We turn the key 1 click to turn the steering lock off and the ignition does not come on at this point-not even the clock which does come on at 1 click before ignition.

We have never had any fuel loss at all in many miles of towing and the car does not register the miles. The only thing that does not run true is the amount of miles per tyre as it can need new ones when the speedo records only low mileage on the clock.

Can't think of any reason you would lose fuel unless you have a 'breather pipe' on the tank and somehow the EMS is getting confused and pumping fuel out of the overflow. However, if you have no diesel smell or marks on the floor it would rule this out too.

Sorry but can't offer any other suggestion to help

Mike

[rogher]

(Sorry to be absent for so long after posting)

I set the ingintion 'one click' forward = just enough to avoid locking the steering. I think the dash lights up but the mileage does not increase.

I'm pretty sure it's the fuel guage that's confused, somehow, but will need to check that there definitely is no fuel loss when I'm towing again.

I'd be interested to know how these modern fuel guages work.

Shame that no-one else has experienced the same thing.

Roger