Losing this game is not fun for sure.


I do not think the range meter is completely accurate based on what I presume it reads (fuel trim of some kind) and how it reads it (front 02 sensors), but it is probably fairly close. Proving it wrong when you are low on fuel is a venture in above mentioned bingo.

Doesn't the X5 have a built in reserve, or is that included in the range calculation?

sound like you got a bad floater, its not reading your gas level correctly.

I believe it hits reserve after being on "0" for about 20 miles, it displays ---, and then you can still go about another 20 miles w/o it stuttering

Fuel level sender
 

Sounds like you need a new fuel level sender. There are two under the back seat and I suspect one measures the fuel level for the gauge in the instrument cluster and the other is high accuracy for the computer that calculates the distance to empty. I haven't removed the ones in my X, but in other Bimmers the senders use two thin wires and a float to measure fuel level. If the float can't make a clean connection to the wires because of dirt or oxidation, the computer will continually misinterpret the amount of fuel you have left in your tank. I have the same problem with my "distance to empty" calculation on my 300zx turbo as well and I know the fuel level sender is the problem.

Regardless, the engine doesn't stop if the distance to empty reads zero (at least not on my X or my Z), so keep on driving until you can or want to fix the sender.

By the way, I did have both senders changed under warranty in my X around 100,000 kms. The problem I had was that the gauge in my instrument cluster would never show more than 3/4 full even when I crammed 90 liters of fuel in the tank. I think the wires towards the top of the sender must have been dirty so that when the float went to the top, the gauge couldn't "see" that it was there.

On a slightly related note, Top Gear (a motoring program in the UK) did a test to see if it was possible to drive from Edinburgh to London on a single tank of fuel. Now, as a noob I may be about to make a ghastly etiquette gaffe, but the car they used was an Audi A8 and not an X5...I'm not sure if I'm allowed to mention an Audi on a BMW forum!

The point is that the car's computer was registering the tank as empty (after the reserve), and the range was zero...and yet it still kept running...and running...and running. If you'd like to take 20 minutes or so out of your day, you can watch the 'experiment' here:

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7AKJAu3D30
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67JGU...related&search=

I know it's a diesel motor as opposed to petrol, but it's pretty interesting nevertheless.

Alex

PS apologies if this has been posted before...

Most here know what Top Gear is. My "fuel light bingo" is one of Clarkson's favorite games. He also ran down a Jag XJ past the red zone in the fuel gauge and the camera showed "Range: 0 miles".