1,500 miles (2,400 km) on a tank?

This is an event in progress, but it looks quite possible at the moment.
I filled and vented my B4 wagon with B100 on July 7th. The trip odometer was re-set to 0. The fuel gauge was reading above the top 18 gallon mark.
It took 556 miles for the gauge to drop to 18 gallons.
Another 99 miles to drop to 16 gallons.
Another 115 miles from 16 to 14.
Then 105 more from 14 to 12.
Today the gauge dropped to 10 gallons remaining with another 95 miles bringing the trip odometer reading 970 miles.

I intend to continue until the pump sucks air and starves for fuel once.

Shut up you! I hate it when people talk about 1000mile + tanks. It makes me jealous to the point of seeing red...

To think, just before I bought my wagon, I passed up on a '97 Passat TDI, I coulda been with you (I think the sedan had a big tank too, but I could be wrong on that).

Sigh. What I wouldn't do for a bigger tank, and perhaps the right foot that would let me get 45mpg in the first place (instead of the 41 I'm getting now)...

With that out of my system--congrats! Way cool. You'll have to let us know when it does run out.

If your guage is accurate I guess all you need to do is keep getting 50-55 mpg as you have been?

What is the actual capacity of your tank, somewhere between 28-29 gallons?

Max I've ever gotten into my Jetta is a hair over 17, maybe 17.05.

Good luck!

Subject: 1,500 miles (2,400 km) on a tank?

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well, if he is driving the same roads and the same speeds and everything, shouldn't he do better towards the end of the tank? I mean, the car will not have all the extra weight from the fuel.

I've kinda been wondering how much a difference this makes on our milage. Should I never fill up over half a tank due to the weight of the fuel? I don't know. I doubt it, but I don't know. (and it's nice to get the over 800 miles per tank. 1500 would be sweet!)

The ride is better as the tank weight is burned. Figure 8 pound per gallon of fuel and one can see how that much weight change from full to empty will affect the handling. Mileage doesn't seem to be as much affected since most of my driving is not stop and go where I would have many accelerations.

current standing:
115 miles from 10 gallons indicated down to 8.
80 miles from 8 to 6.
cumulative miles on this tank: 1165
Average rate of consumption from 18 indicated to 6 indicated: 50.75 mpg
Estimated range remaining: 300 miles
Estimated total tank range: 1,465.

YIKES! I'd better take it easy if I want to reach 1,500.
My "ace-in-the-hole" is that I've set the gauge to read 4 when there are a usable five gallons in the tank. In theory I have one gallon more than indicated.
In theory, because the gauge was calibrated parked on a level surface. Any hills or high crowned road will have an effect on how much fuel I can access while driving.

Weight is more of a penalty for stop and go.

It makes a small difference in steady cruising, mainly through squishing the tires more, slightly more load on bearings, etc. But it's probably negligable.

This is going to be close.
The gauge dropped to four gallons indicated today with 250 indicated (actual 1,250) on the trip meter. At 50 mpg average that's another 200 miles for a total of 1,450.
I'm hopeful that I can most of the five gallons available from that "4 gallon" mark. That extra gallon emergency reserve would permit the intended 1,500 miles on one filling.
A 5 gallon jug of B100 is on the floor in the back seat just waiting for the engine to sputter to a stop.

You can do it! Just drive really really slow...I got faith in ya.

Yes, I CAN drive really economically, maybe I should have started sooner on this tankful.
I just turned 400.2 (1,400.2) on the trip meter this morning. The fuel gauge needle is directly on the lowest red indicator mark. I seriously doubt I have enough for another 100 miles.
I will keep driving until it starves, and will report the final number. I will have to be more diciplined if I try again to achieve 1,500.

Jonathan, just an FYI, I would figger more like 7-7.5 lb/gallon for hydrocarbons. If this helps at all.

Looking forward to your result on this tank!

Wow...wish I could get 1400 out of my tank. Hell, I'd be ecstatic with 800.

I will keep driving until it starves, and will report the final number.

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Final number: 1,448.4 miles (2,332 km.).
I decided against running completely dry. The situation was such that continuing would have been a danger to others. I was beginning to sputter as I was climbing the last gradual hill before my off-ramp. The off-ramp is a long 270 degree steeper uphill, decreasing radius, short sight-line but high speed capable sweep onto the interstate. It is definitely not the place to be stopped on the side pouring fuel into the tank. There is a rest stop at the top of that gradual hill 3/4 of a mile before my off-ramp. That's where I pulled over, shut off and added the five gallons I had been carrying. The fuel gauge had been stuck on the "empty" white mark for about 25 miles. The five gallons I added brought the needle up to just below the "6" mark. The trip meter was on 448.4 (1,448.4) miles. It took about 15 seconds of cranking before the engine ran on its own and another 20 or so until idle stabilized as the air was purged.
I still need more discipline when attempting this. My last three full tanks went 1402, 1374, and 1448 miles. These are all right around 50 mpg. I know I can get 60 with just that little bit of effort but I just can't keep up with that for the duration of a tank.
Some other time.

Did you mod your tank to hold more fuel?
1402/50=28.04 gal
1374/50=27.48 gal
1448/50=29.96 gal
Thats a very large tank

You can vent the early Passat Wagons to around 25 gallons IIRC.

Jon, those are great numbers and a long distance to travel on a single fill! Is your number the new record? Did Chris Bell travel farther?

The B4 wagon's tank can be filled significantly beyond the vent amount by filling with the right side about 12 inches higher than the left. Level venting doesn't allow all the entrapped air to be displaced by fuel. Tipping the car this much permits near to 30 gallons to be carried in the stock "18.5" gallon tank.
I don't know if the sedans have a similar more-than-vented increase if the same technique is used.

Chris had 1400 miles and much more indicated fuel remaining at 1400. I don't know how much further he went (or could have gone) before adding fuel. My attempt was over at 1448 for a lack of fuel.

Do you jack up your car every time you fuel up or just bring a set of ramps for the right side?

My lawn slopes enough right next to my paved driveway. I pull half on the lawn, half on the pavement when I finish filling from my 5 gallon jugs.
And I don't generally fill to the top unless I start a new 50 gallon drum. Right now I have the 20 or so gallon remainder from the 1500 mile attempt in the car. I don't know the actual mpg of the 1448 miles until the present 20 gallons or so are also used up. Then I can get an average for the full 50 gallons and over the 2500 or so miles I should have by then.
I fill from the pump, when that happens, as a "normal" person would. I have to keep up appearances in public, you know.

I gotta stay out of this section of the forums... I consistantly get somewhere in the mid to low 30s and I am happy.. I push it pretty hard, so I know its my own fault... It doesnt seem so bad when my other car is a 84 Celica Supra with a 2.8L I-6... lol

I have to keep up appearances in public, you know.

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Oh, so that explains the paper bag! Wouldn't want to scare the children, eh?

All you need now Jonathan are pictures to prove it all.

I'll try the tip trick next time we'll see.

50 mpg????

What are we talking about here, bloody A4 automatic?

I'm sure you are able to do much better, c'mon!

My best this summer was 54mpg with my trustee winter tires.