Having an idea of the fuel tank capacity of your vehicle comes in handy when the time comes to go on a long trip alone or with your family. With an idea of just how much fuel your vehicle can hold and your fuel efficiency, you can easily make an estimate of how much fuel you would need to avoid being stranded on the road. As important as this value may seem, it is not always obvious, especially for car buyers at used car dealerships. In this article, we will highlight the best ways for car buyers and car keepers to find out just how big their petrol tanks are.
How big is the fuel tank on my car?
- Check the owner’s manual
- Generate a car history report with SmartCarCheck
- Empty your tank and fill it up
- Measure the tank yourself
Check the owner’s manual
The owner’s manual is one very important document that you can use to get basic information about a vehicle. With the owner’s manual, car keepers can easily gain information about vehicle parts. In this document, you should be able to easily get the answer to your question and find your vehicle’s fuel tank capacity.
To do this, simply get the owner’s manual of your vehicle and flip through the pages until you find the vehicle specifications section. In this section of the manual, you can be sure to find out just how much fuel your vehicle can hold in gallons or liters. According to Wikipedia, the average fuel tank capacity of a vehicle is between 50 and 60 liters (12 and 16 US gallons).
If you can’t find the fuel tank capacity of your vehicle in the manual, or perhaps you can’t find the owner’s manual, you have nothing to worry about as there are other easy methods you can use to get the size of your fuel tank.
Generate a car history report with SmartCarCheck
This is one of the easiest ways to determine your vehicle’s fuel tank capacity. SmartCarCheck offers a registration number check service that decodes the registration number and gains access to the records, history, and specifications of any vehicle in the UK.
The information provided after a vehicle check with SmartCarCheck includes:
- Auction Records
- Technical specifications
- Vehicle description
- Weights and dimensions
- Vehicle registration information
- Market value
- Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) details
- Alerts
- ULEZ compliance
- Vehicle history
- Previous keepers
- MOT and tax dues
- MOT history, and more
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To check the fuel capacity of a vehicle with the vehicle inquiry service provided by SmartCarCheck, simply visit the website, provide your registration number or license plate number, and search. After the check, take a good look at the section titled “Weight and Dimensions.” Here, keep an eye out for fuel capacity, and you’ll find out just how much fuel your fuel tank can hold.
This step is particularly important for car buyers at dealerships, especially if they are interested in driving for hours daily. With a registration number check, you can easily find out your vehicle’s fuel tank capacity and also gain access to other vehicle information that would help you make the best decisions and purchase the right vehicle for your needs.
Empty your tank and fill it up
This is a very risky step to take, but it is an essential part of determining your vehicle’s fuel tank capacity. So here’s what you’ll do: First, you have to make sure that your tank is completely empty. Yes, you have to run your tank below E to get accurate results. It’s risky, as you could get stranded on the way to the gas station, but it’s one way to get to know your fuel tank capacity. To avoid being stranded, you could get a fuel can on hand just in case. When filling up your tank at the gas station, be sure to pay attention to the quantity of fuel that goes into the tank. By the time your tank is full, you will have an accurate value for your fuel tank’s capacity.
Measure the tank yourself
The last method to follow to determine your fuel tank’s capacity is to actually measure the length, width, and height of the tank. After measurement, you can determine the fuel capacity by calculating its volume. All you would need is a meter rule and a calculator. Start by writing down the measured values and using the following formula:
Volume = Length x Width x Height
For example, if your tank measures 50 cm by 30 cm by 40 cm, the volume would be:
Volume = 50 x 30 x 40 = 60,000 cubic centimeters
To convert cubic centimeters to liters, divide the volume by 1,000:
Liters = Cubic Centimeters ÷ 1,000
Using the example above, the tank would have a capacity of:
Liters = 60,000 ÷ 1,000 = 60 liters
If you prefer to use gallons, you can convert liters to gallons by dividing the number of liters by 3.785:
Gallons = Liters ÷ 3.785
Using the example above, the tank would have a capacity of:
Gallons = 60 ÷ 3.785 = 15.85 gallons
The fuel capacity of a vehicle is an easy-to-get detail as long as you follow either of the methods mentioned above. For car buyers in the UK looking for how to check their vehicle’s fuel tank capacity, make sure to use the vehicle inquiry system provided by SmartCarCheck, as the car history report would also contain some information that you can use to verify the overall condition of a vehicle.
ALSO READ: How to Check When A Car Was Registered In the UK?
Frequently Asked Questions
To find out how big your fuel tank is, you can easily check the owner’s manual provided by the manufacturer, generate a car history report with SmartCarCheck, empty your tank and fill it up, or measure the tank yourself using mathematical formulas.
The size of a petrol tank can vary depending on the make and model of your vehicle. To find out the exact capacity of your petrol tank, refer to your vehicle owner’s manual or use other resources provided in this article.
