Petrol Tank size

[kevinswan007]

Ford Focus 1.6 2007 is supposed to have a 55 litre tank, am I right?

I have driven in reserve for over 50km, then stopped and filled up, yet I have yet never put in more than 46 litres.
Is there a way of checking the size, or safely testing the capacity of a fuel tank?

 

[Fazda]

Petrol tank sizes appear to be a grey area. My Jettas supposedly had 55 litre tanks, and yet I could add over 60 litres if I filled up with the needle just at the top of the red.

This is why it is critical to simply fill up around the half way mark if you can...if you start believing manufacturers figures in the hope that you won't run out of gas is asking for trouble.

Another funny one was my 1993 Conquest RSi, where by removing the filter on the breather under the bonnet you increased your tank size by 20 litres, as Toyota had designed in an air baffle of sorts that restricted it to about 48 litres. A petrol attendant showed me the trick in the middle of the Karoo, and suddenly I had a range of around 800 km on my tank!

 

[hyperian]

Petrol tank sizes appear to be a grey area. My Jettas supposedly had 55 litre tanks, and yet I could add over 60 litres if I filled up with the needle just at the top of the red.

I think my Jetta has a 55l tank, but 5 is reserve. You can overfill them because the fuel lines take filling too.

 

[rorz0r]

Focus 1.6 2007 does have a 55l tank. When you hit 0 then you have about 5l "reserve". Think there's something funny with yours. When I hit 0'ish and fill up I put in 49.something'ish.