MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGB Technical - Low Fuel Light

Has anyone fitted a Low Fuel Light to their MGB?

I have a very thirsty engine with a small Stainless tank so one would be a great help.

Regards

Dave
D M Tetlow

Why?

You know your mpg figures.

You know the capacity of your tank.

You know Lucas electrics.

Don't let the tank get below 1/3 and you've got it made.

:)
rick ingram

Hi Rick

My main problem is that the fuel consumption varies dramatically from running around town/having fun to Motorway Cruising. I can get from 100 to 300 miles from each tank.

It is easy to forget to look at the gauge.

If I fill up at 1/3 full then my trip around your Lakes and Canada will be based on Gas Stations not on the scenery.

Still I must remember I can get more gallons in my tank in the USA compared to here in the UK. ;-)

Dave
D M Tetlow

DM- A cute solve would be to dismantle the gauge and put the neg leg of a yellow 12V diode through a hole drilled in the face at the 1/3 full mark. When the needle hit the neg leg the yellow diode blinks on. Insulate the neg leg as it passes through the gauge face. While you are there wire in a blinking red diode, or one that changes blinking red yellow and blue at the "E" to get your attention no matter. VEM
vem myers

What I am hoping for is a circuit that will monitor the signal to the gauge and switch on a light at a certain level.
Surely some clever sparky has build one!!!

D M Tetlow

Here are a few links that may be of interest to you:

http://www.aerocorsair.com/id116.htm

http://www.westol.com/~beaurega/gas.htm

http://users.pandora.be/miata/english/misc/lowfuel.htm

And, a kit:

http://www.altfuel.com/low_fuel_indicators.htm
Bob Muenchausen

Oops, the kit is for propane. Sorry.
Bob Muenchausen

This has been covered a short while ago, enter this into an archive search

Low Fuel Warning LED

Tony
Tony Oliver

How small is your tank?!?!

An MGB with a 12 gallon tank averaging 22mpg should be able to hit over 250 miles per tank.

I highly recommend getting accustomed to checking ALL of your gauges on a regular basis, especially on a road trip such as the one you are about to embark upon! (I avoided a catstrophic failure in the MGC on a road trip to Vancouver in 1999 when the oil filter housing O-ring failed, depositing nearly all 8 quarts of Castrol on the main drag through Mitchell, S.D....only because I constantly watch the oil psi and water temp gauges and saw that my oil psi almost instantaneously went from 50psi to zero.)

The area you're visiting isn't really all that barren..you'll find that filling stations are plentiful, with many if not a majority of them being open 24 hours...it's not like being on State Route 50 in the Nevada desert!

:)

You will have fun...don't start worrying about the small things!

rick
rick ingram

Thanks Tony

I did a search before and got the usual 10,000 hits.
I am obviously not using it correctly!!

Rick

I agree. I must spend most of my time looking at the temp /oil pressure gauge.

I am trying to put as many aids as possible to reduce the likelihood of mishaps.

I have a V8 with a central fuel tank that holds about 9 gallons. I can get from 10 to about 25 mpg, depending if the other half is with me or not. ;-)

Regards

Dave
D M Tetlow

Dave, when you enter the search text tick the

"this phrase"

button and there is only one thread listed. Using the

"any of these words"

button will, as you have found, swamp you with thousands of irrelevant threads.

Cheers

Tony
Tony Oliver

Are you going to see a warning light if you don't look at the gauge? Some years ago I was at a hill climb by the start watching a radical Scimitar GTE blasting off the line and wondered what the big orange light on top of his dash (it was a Mini indicator lamp assembly) signified. Soon realised when I cast my eyes back to the start line to see a large pool of oil! He must have gone several hundred yards at full chat before he realised, but suffered no ill effects. On a Le Mans one year in the V8 I had a cooling system problem and was watching the temp gauge and a coolant level gauge like a hawk all the way (so much so I went through two red lights in France, fortunately with no dramas). I was nursing it a bit and just before getting home I suddenly noticed the fuel gauge was on E, having done 322 miles on tank and not run out, which was over 34mpg!
Paul Hunt 2

This thread was discussed between 20/02/2008 and 23/02/2008

MG MGB Technical index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MGB Technical BBS now