The study of a radiator

Mine does exactly that.

The fuel gauge is likewise an interpreted value, based on two level sensors, and present mpg. Park the car, and it will show one level, then restart the car later, it will show a lower level whilst running cold, then as the engine warms, and mpg improves, it will rise.

Yeah, although I haven't seen one with two level sensors? We have no end of fun when we modify cars for wheelchair access, because we usually have to make our own fuel tank - typically wider but not as tall, so we can lower the floor for the wheelchair. That plays havoc with the original fuel sender, as you might imagine! The ones we work with, tend to have one conventional float sensor, with the float roughly in the middle of the tank, so that it doesn't change level too much when the car is parked on a slope.

When the ignition is switched on, it takes an instantaneous reading from the float and feeds that t the computer that calculates fuel level, remaining range, etc, and sends that signal to the fuel gauge. From then on, it ignores the reading from the float in the tank, and just counts injector pulses, then calculates what's been used, and tells the gauge to display that. It's surprisingly accurate too! However, it's not completely accurate, so each time the ignition is turned on again, it takes another spot reading (before the car has had a chance to move and slosh the fuel around in the tank) and then corrects the gauge reading (if necessary).

Unlike the "managed" temperature gauge, I can, at least see a few small advantages to having a "managed" fuel reading. For a start, you can have the tank any weird shape you like, but still have a pretty linear fuel gauge movement, just by tweaking the software. Secondly, you don't get that annoying 20 miles or so when the low fuel warning light can't make up its mind whether it's on or off! The light is told to come on when the calculated fuel level drops below the arbitrary limit set by the manufacturer, and stays on, until refilled, so it doesn't matter what you do with acceleration, braking or cornering, the light is either on or off.
 
Yeah, although I haven't seen one with two level sensors?

It's a saddle shaped tank, so it needs to measure the level in both sides, when it drops below the hump. It uses a fancy venturi system, to transfer from one side, to the in tank pump side.
The light is told to come on when the calculated fuel level drops below the arbitrary limit set by the manufacturer, and stays on, until refilled, so it doesn't matter what you do with acceleration, braking or cornering, the light is either on or off.

I never usually run it that low that the light comes on, but... If the level is low-ish, when I park up, when I switch on, it can come on, then a few hundred yards down the road it goes off. It claims to warn when you have <50 miles of range, and is obviously linked to the fuel gauge software, deciding the mpg consumption. It has two pumps, the in tank, and a second under bonnet pump. If the ITP fails, the venturi stops, and if the level drops below 1/4 tank, the car stops. Until that point, the UBP can cope.

A trick is to regularly remove the filler cap, switch on the ignition, then stick an ear to the filler to listen to ensure the ITP is running. It only runs for a few seconds, after the ignition is turned on.
 
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