Retrofitting 80 L fuel tank?

[Corradobrit]

Seems many of us who ordered 199/204 T6.1's with 4Mo, towbar and a few other options are hitting weight restrictions. VW are forcing changes to be made although my dealer said buyer can't select which option to remove. I wanted the 80l fuel tank but was told "Computer said , no". Has anyone retrofitted their T6/6.1 with the 80l version? Was the labour cost prohibitive?

 

[kurienp]

Seems many of us who ordered 199/204 T6.1's with 4Mo, towbar and a few other options are hitting weight restrictions. VW are forcing changes to be made although my dealer said buyer can't select which option to remove. I wanted the 80l fuel tank but was told "Computer said , no". Has anyone retrofitted their T6/6.1 with the 80l version? Was the labour cost prohibitive?

@Corradobrit , from what I know, it is not a retro-fit item. Some say that the extra space has been taken over by the AdBlue tank. Many people have tried but been unable to get hold of a 80L tank. One option is - get the standard tank and carry extra diesel in a 10L good quality jerrycan ... but that solution does not reduce the fuel stops that you will need to make.

I am sure someone will be along to add more info to this thread.

 

[Californication69]

@Corradobrit , from what I know, it is not a retro-fit item. Some say that the extra space has been taken over by the AdBlue tank. Many people have tried but been unable to get hold of a 80L tank. One option is - get the standard tank and carry extra diesel in a 10L good quality jerrycan ... but that solution does not reduce the fuel stops that you will need to make.

I am sure someone will be along to add more info to this thread.

Good idea !

 

[andyinluton]

@Corradobrit , from what I know, it is not a retro-fit item. Some say that the extra space has been taken over by the AdBlue tank.

Wonder where the adblue tank goes then if you do get a 80l tank.

 

[Perfectos]

I had to have a floor rail replacement, which meant VW removing the fuel tank (warranty)
I asked VW dealer if they could provide and fit an 80L replacement tank (paid for) Whilst the standard tank was remove?
Answer: NO, no explanation just a simple No It’s not possible!
I doubt the add blue tank is an issue as those with an 80L tank as standard still retain the add blue tank !

I believe it should be possible and probably quite straight forward , but for some reason dealers do not want to get involved.

I decided to live with it rather than research further.

 

[kurienp]

Wonder where the adblue tank goes then if you do get a 80l tank.

True, there has to be an 80L tank. I think VW has made it very confusing with multiple part numbers listed against the tank online. Both seem to be 60 ... but L and P as suffix.



The only reason people have not tried is that VW have made it very confusing on part numbers?

OK, found the part number for the 80L - in case anyone is interested in trying a retrofit

 

[Sunstoner]

Oh thats thee 1 option i wish I had too. #onedaymaybe

 

[Perfectos]

I presume you would need carry out some coding for the 80L tank to be recognised!

Over 600Euro for the tank not including labour. Guess I won't be fitting the 80l option.

Has anyone been told they're overweight and managed to retain the 80l tank option?

I’m a bit over weight!

 

[andyinluton]

OK, found the part number for the 80L - in case anyone is interested in trying a retrofit

View attachment 73401

Can you tell if a different fuel gauge sender is required?

Having filled up for the 2nd time this week I am noticing the smaller tank.
Although theoretically its gone from 80-60 litres I tend not to let it drop below about 15 litres this gives a range of only 300 miles between fill ups rather than the 420 with the bigger tank.

 

[soulstyledevon]

I feel your pain.
My old van had the 80l tank, the newer van has the 70l.
I was told by the dealer, retro-fitting the 80l tank wasn’t possible...?

Its really annoying.
Long runs I used to be good for 550+ miles before re-filling. The small tank is 450 on a good run.

If you don’t have the van yet, I would insist on the 80l tank being fitted over other options, such as tow-bar or something else that could be retro-fitted.

 

[Kernowboy]

All seems a bit random. I’m apparently not affected with 80l tank, towbar etc.on 4Mo order. On another thread someone had to remove the 80l tank and mud flaps of all things. If a combination of options does take you over whatever the limit is you should at least be able choose what to remove. Bizarre.

 

[andyinluton]

Unless its what they can remove easiest / haven't put on yet / haven't got in stock.

 

[Vagophile]

This might be slightly off topic, but what's the big attraction of an 80 litre tank?
Using + soulstyledevon's figures, for a 70 litre tank, you will cover 450 miles in 5hrs.40 min. at 80 m.p.h. or in 6hrs.25 min. at 70 m.p.h. No one is going to tell me that they are going to do that non stop.
A break every 2hrs is recommended, so why not stop for fuel? I appreciate that it might be considered more expensive on motorways, but there is plenty of info on low price fuel near them.

 

[BerndRos]

This might be slightly off topic, but what's the big attraction of an 80 litre tank?
Using + soulstyledevon's figures, for a 70 litre tank, you will cover 450 miles in 5hrs.40 min. at 80 m.p.h. or in 6hrs.25 min. at 80 m.p.h. No one is going to tell me that they are going to do that non stop.
A break every 2hrs is recommended, so why not stop for fuel? I appreciate that it might be considered more expensive on motorways, but there is plenty of info on low price fuel near them.

I once drove from Istanbul to Athens non stop......stopped at an Aldi in Athens to get a pizza...found a side street to park in, popped the roof, heated the Pizza using the fry pan trick....then crashed.

 

[andyinluton]

This might be slightly off topic, but what's the big attraction of an 80 litre tank?
Using + soulstyledevon's figures, for a 70 litre tank, you will cover 450 miles in 5hrs.40 min. at 80 m.p.h. or in 6hrs.25 min. at 80 m.p.h. No one is going to tell me that they are going to do that non stop.
A break every 2hrs is recommended, so why not stop for fuel? I appreciate that it might be considered more expensive on motorways, but there is plenty of info on low price fuel near them.

For me when using it for work its the difference between filling up at the weekends only or having to do a midweek top up as well.

On our trips to Spain, old tank would do it with one stop new tank its two.
If you've ever queued for fuel on an August weekend on a peage in France, its not something you would do by choice.
If you are covering 1200km. in a day the last thing you want to be doing is queuing for anything. If I'm stopped I want to be walking around or eating. The best motorway rest areas tend to be the ones that don't sell fuel.
If we were stopping every 2 hours it would take days to get there. Add in diversions for cheaper fuel off the motorway & it would be weeks!!

 

[Kernowboy]

This might be slightly off topic, but what's the big attraction of an 80 litre tank?
Using + soulstyledevon's figures, for a 70 litre tank, you will cover 450 miles in 5hrs.40 min. at 80 m.p.h. or in 6hrs.25 min. at 70 m.p.h. No one is going to tell me that they are going to do that non stop.
A break every 2hrs is recommended, so why not stop for fuel? I appreciate that it might be considered more expensive on motorways, but there is plenty of info on low price fuel near them.

it wouldn’t be a big issue for me if I had to drop it, but I would rather have the choice between the tank and other options; I did when I ordered, why shouldn’t I if things change?
I commute 230 miles each way for work, on a weekly basis; the extra 10l means I don’t have to stop late at night to fill up; a round trip can be achieved on a tank full. So handy, but not critical. We all have our own requirements for what we buy.

 

[soulstyledevon]

This might be slightly off topic, but what's the big attraction of an 80 litre tank?
Using + soulstyledevon's figures, for a 70 litre tank, you will cover 450 miles in 5hrs.40 min. at 80 m.p.h. or in 6hrs.25 min. at 70 m.p.h. No one is going to tell me that they are going to do that non stop.
A break every 2hrs is recommended, so why not stop for fuel? I appreciate that it might be considered more expensive on motorways, but there is plenty of info on low price fuel near them.

Those are averages too.
On a Euro trip, I got close to 600 miles on a full tank with the 80l
I’ve just double checked my road lite app. I’ve had as low as 324 miles to a tank on the 70l.

When I do distance driving, I aim to stop briefly every 3 hrs. Which, with the bigger tank is a refill every other stop.
I drive a lot to the coast. With an 80l tank I can drive there and back and all the stuff in-between before refilling. With the smaller tank, it’s a splash on the way home...

If anyone figures a way to fit the bigger tank, I would be very interested to hear about your result...

 

[Sunstoner]

This might be slightly off topic, but what's the big attraction of an 80 litre tank?
Using + soulstyledevon's figures, for a 70 litre tank, you will cover 450 miles in 5hrs.40 min. at 80 m.p.h. or in 6hrs.25 min. at 70 m.p.h. No one is going to tell me that they are going to do that non stop.
A break every 2hrs is recommended, so why not stop for fuel? I appreciate that it might be considered more expensive on motorways, but there is plenty of info on low price fuel near them.

Its certainly not a deal breaker just a convenience option that many wish they had, like me esp if your cali is a daily driver.

I tootle about in mine and dont see much beyond 350 miles doing local miles and it can feel like ur filling up all the time another 10L could/would only be better. To me anyway.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Unless its what they can remove easiest / haven't put on yet / haven't got in stock.

This is probably true.
But if you’re ordering from new, it’s critical they get the buyer the must have options.
Especially with the long waiting times some people are experiencing.

 

[Saesneg Shaun]

This might be slightly off topic, but what's the big attraction of an 80 litre tank?
Using + soulstyledevon's figures, for a 70 litre tank, you will cover 450 miles in 5hrs.40 min. at 80 m.p.h. or in 6hrs.25 min. at 70 m.p.h. No one is going to tell me that they are going to do that non stop.
A break every 2hrs is recommended, so why not stop for fuel? I appreciate that it might be considered more expensive on motorways, but there is plenty of info on low price fuel near them.

I went for an 80L tank mainly because the aux heater uses the same diesel and won't work if the tanks too low. I've also since read on this forum its best to keep your tank over a quarter full for engine re-gen reasons further reducing the range.
Not sure why I wasn't told that on collection but there you go

VWguru mentions it here

Adblue - refilling issues?

The orange "I need attention" light is on again. I'm going to contact a dealer in the morning. However, the previous 2 lights were related to an adblue sensor & VW Assist fixed it. Bit of a vague question but does anyone else have a similar issue?

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[Vagophile]

This might be slightly off topic, but what's the big attraction of an 80 litre tank?

Thanks for the replies.
As expected, the answer is convenience, primarily in time saved by not having to fill so often. Also the reply relating to the heater operation is interesting and something that I was only vaguely aware of.
As an extremely time rich oldie who would only quarter fill the tank to be able to get four trips out I guess that I don't worry about those sort of things as much as I used to.

 

[B J G]

Thanks for the replies.
As expected, the answer is convenience, primarily in time saved by not having to fill so often. Also the reply relating to the heater operation is interesting and something that I was only vaguely aware of.
As an extremely time rich oldie who would only quarter fill the tank to be able to get four trips out I guess that I don't worry about those sort of things as much as I used to.

If only 1/4 filling the tank beware of the regen tank minimum requirement.

 

[B J G]

For me when using it for work its the difference between filling up at the weekends only or having to do a midweek top up as well.

On our trips to Spain, old tank would do it with one stop new tank its two.
If you've ever queued for fuel on an August weekend on a peage in France, its not something you would do by choice.
If you are covering 1200km. in a day the last thing you want to be doing is queuing for anything. If I'm stopped I want to be walking around or eating. The best motorway rest areas tend to be the ones that don't sell fuel.
If we were stopping every 2 hours it would take days to get there. Add in diversions for cheaper fuel off the motorway & it would be weeks!!

I can't quite see your logic in the critical 10 litre capacity. 60 extra miles possibly.

Filling up at weekends only as opposed to weekend fill plus midweek top up. Why not fill up when required which would probably be every six days? Still a weekly fill up, admittedly not always landing on a weekend.

Trip to Spain would need two fill ups but the next fill up in Spain wouldn't be needed until much later saving holiday time.

I also can't see how stopping for a short break every few hours would add days and going off the Autoroute would add weeks.
A simple bit of research will show that there are many Supermarkets very close to Autoroutes who sell cheap rate fuel with no queues if the timing is optimised.
I see many motorhomes come off the autoroute at one of the Supermarkets that I use in France to refuel, no more than 5kms off/on.

I would also question just how safe driving 750 miles per day twice on a holiday trip is and how many breaks are actually taken. There's a good reason why Commercial Drivers of vehicles over 3500kgs have a 4.5 hour constant driving limit then must stop/rest for 45 minutes and a total of 9 hours driving in a 24 hour period. the 9 hours can be extended after another 45mins break.
I don't adhere to those rules in the Cali but do find that short 5>25 minutes stop is good for both me and my passengers.

 

[andyinluton]

I can't quite see your logic in the critical 10 litre capacity. 60 extra miles possibly.

Filling up at weekends only as opposed to weekend fill plus midweek top up. Why not fill up when required which would probably be every six days? Still a weekly fill up, admittedly not always landing on a weekend.

Trip to Spain would need two fill ups but the next fill up in Spain wouldn't be needed until much later saving holiday time.

I also can't see how stopping for a short break every few hours would add days and going off the Autoroute would add weeks.
A simple bit of research will show that there are many Supermarkets very close to Autoroutes who sell cheap rate fuel with no queues if the timing is optimised.
I see many motorhomes come off the autoroute at one of the Supermarkets that I use in France to refuel, no more than 5kms off/on.

I would also question just how safe driving 750 miles per day twice on a holiday trip is and how many breaks are actually taken. There's a good reason why Commercial Drivers of vehicles over 3500kgs have a 4.5 hour constant driving limit then must stop/rest for 45 minutes and a total of 9 hours driving in a 24 hour period. the 9 hours can be extended after another 45mins break.
I don't adhere to those rules in the Cali but do find that short 5>25 minutes stop is good for both me and my passengers.

Ive already filled up twice this week, larger tank & I would have just about had enough till Saturday when I would have been going to the supermarket & filling up then.

Driving to Spain - its 10 hours from calais, I can do that within what would be legal commercial driving hours.

I am used to driving for long periods. Yesterday I drove in total for just under 6 hours, only did 100 miles, but to 2 different sites at opposite sides of London.

Its not unusual for me to have to do drive 4-500 miles in a day & put in a full working day in addition.

10 hours on a French motorway is far far easier.

If I feel tired we stop. Been doing the same trip to Spain for the last 15 years , sometimes 3 or 4 times a year so know what we are doing.

Coming home its usually a long lunch stop, a hopefully very quick fuel stop, and then another long meal break in the evening. thats more breaks than a commercial driver would legally need.

 

[B J G]

Ive already filled up twice this week, larger tank & I would have just about had enough till Saturday when I would have been going to the supermarket & filling up then.

Driving to Spain - its 10 hours from calais, I can do that within what would be legal commercial driving hours.

I am used to driving for long periods. Yesterday I drove in total for just under 6 hours, only did 100 miles, but to 2 different sites at opposite sides of London.

Its not unusual for me to have to do drive 4-500 miles in a day & put in a full working day in addition.

10 hours on a French motorway is far far easier.

If I feel tired we stop. Been doing the same trip to Spain for the last 15 years , sometimes 3 or 4 times a year so know what we are doing.

Coming home its usually a long lunch stop, a hopefully very quick fuel stop, and then another long meal break in the evening. thats more breaks than a commercial driver would legally need.

Can't understand 500 miles driving plus about 8 or 9 hours work being routine.

I used to do 44,000 miles per year, approx, in the course of my past employment as a Field Engineer but that had stops to do the actual job interspersed throughout the day.

Two 60ltr fill ups gives 120ltrs with a 70ltr tank but you say that an 80 litre tank only needs one 70ltr fill up??