Now I really don't want to bother with calculating liters to gallons, but I have
several times filled the Syncro when the needle is below the last white line
under the red area. The metric measurements in the owners manual tells me that
the tank can hold 70 liters, I've spent over 20 minutes at the pump, just
slipping in a bit more, until the level in the filler pipe didn't sink anymore.
I got 68 liters in there, so I guess I was down at 2 liters left when I entered
the gas station. The gas station owner cam out asking if there was any problem,
he hadn't seen anyone using so much time to fill the pump, so I had to explain
the system with the thin vent line, that airs out the top half of the tank.

PerL
87 Syncro 112i

Brent Christensen wrote:

> I'm finally getting around to posting this, though it has always been a
> mystery to me...
>
> (I'm working from memory here, so forgive me if I am a bit off)  The owners
> manual for my '89 Syncro Westy indicates a fuel tank capacity of 18.5 gals,
> and a "reserve capacity" of 2.5 gals.
>
> I have *never* been able to put more than about 14.5 gals  into it (and yes,
> it does read full afterwards).  On Friday, I let the needle get deep into
> the "red" zone before I had a chance to fill up, and guess what?  15 gallons
> was all it took!
>
> So my question is, when they say "2.5 gallon reserve capacity" are they
> talking about a "hidden" 2.5 gallons that is still left even when the needle
> shows dead-empty?
>
> I am going to drive around with a 2 gallon can of gas until I run out,
> unless someone can help me unravel this mystery...
>
> Brent Christensen
> '89 GL Syncro Westy
> Santa Barbara, CA