Out of Gas

[nissangirl74]

So, do you wait until the gas light has been on for three days before you fuel up or do you fuel up just as you did before the prices started climbing? AAA says calls for people running out of gas have increased well over 30% in recent weeks.


http://www.thecarconnection.com/marty-b ... d+Blogs%29

[BusyBadger]

AAA says calls for people running out of gas have increased well over 30% in recent weeks.

Time to start specualting on fuel pump futures.

I've kept up with the same routine with the exception of the week I was trying to figure out exactly how far down I could run the Z's tank - it's got an incredibly conservative low fuel warning. I have caught myself taking advantage of some of the places that offer premium for mid-grade price on Fridays though.

Prices seem to have stabilized here in your former neck of the woods at about $3.65 for a gallon of 87.

[numbnuts240]

i could probably count, on one hand, the number of times i've seen the fuel light on any of the vehicles i've owned over the years. i need to get around, so i fill up when i get near the "e".

[nissangirl74]

the price for regular fluctuates drastically here. Between my house and school, just over 19 miles, the price differential is about 15 cents. Chevron is the most expensive at $3.75 and the Shell station was $3.61. At Fry's, if I use my discount card, it's $3.55. I try not to let ours run down too far, but Greg and I are both notorious for letting the lights come on before we stop.

[numbnuts240]

>$4 for 87 all over the state.

[hitbychance]

i'm paying $5.25 a gallon and i never let my fuel light come one, both of my cars are usually above a quarter tank.

[themadscientist]

Pump, you mean that jerry can and length of hose in my truck is the incorrect way to obtain fuel?

[frapjap]

I ran out of gas in my rental car, but its a rental car so I don't care all that much. That, and I really thought there'd be more than 10 miles in the tank when the light came on.

The T/A ran out of gas once, on an on ramp to the highway on the way to the cheap gas station in town.
I have yet to run the Miata out of gas. Last week when I thought I was "pushing it" there was still a half gallon left(~15 miles).

So, to answer your question, I pretty much wait until I have to get gas in the first place.

[Amays U G37S]

I do not let the gas light come on, only in fear that I would strain the fuel system to the point where I may need to replace these parts which would cost more then just fueling up prior to getting low on gas.

[Kompresshun]

I usually wait until the low fuel light comes on, then get gas as soon as I can after that. I have went all the way home and back to the office on the low fuel light, but not trying to avoid filling up. To me it's pointless to hold out longer, you end up using more gas trying to save a couple of bucks on a fill up.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

The only times I "push it" are when I know prices are artificially high... like if something happened in the middle east that everyone freaked out about for a day, the price of oil went up (and therefore the price at the pump immediately went up), but then the following day the oil price came down hard. In that case, I'll drive one of the other cars and fill them all back up when the price of gas is more "true".

[MinisterofDOOM]

If I'm cutting it close to Empty, I'll use DTE to gauge when to fill up. When it starts predicting less than 30 miles remaining, I'll fill up.
Just for fun, I once let the DTE reading get to 0 miles to empty.

I usually try to keep the needle above the 1/4 mark, though. The stupid misfire I've been fighting with seems to present at the bottom 1/8 of the gauge most often (CEL codes say it's an ignition coil issue, but it FEELS like a fuel problem). Keeping it above 1/4 helps avoid that.

I also tend to feel like I'm spending less on gas when I only have to add $30 for a half tank rather than $$60 for most of a tank. I know I'm spending just as much, but it feels easier on the wallet.

[RCA]

OPEC announced that they will not increase production for June, so you guys can expect a 33% increase in fuel this summer...

- http://af.reuters.com/article/investing ... AE20110425

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Actually pretty much every vehicle I drive at the plant ALWAYS reads "0 mile range" and flashes all sorts of stuff... but I have yet to run completely out (to the point of the vehicle dying).

[r34 gtr]

None of the gauges in my truck work, so I just fill it up whenever I get paranoid. Have yet to run it out though!

[Razi]

Only saw the gas light once on my 240.
That was the week after I first bought the car.

Haven't seen it since.

[marlin29311]

I don't understand why you would wait to fill up...with the climbing prices (and they're not coming down anytime soon), I would WANT to fill up as often as I can, to make sure I'm paying the lowest price!

Yes, I know this doesn't work for people who are on very tight budgets, but if you have the means to fill up, then do so!

[Bubba1]

I rarely let it my fuel level below a 1/4 tank. On older cars, over the years, cr@p more likely accumulates at the bottom of the tank, so it's better for your fuel pump and filter to not let it get too low.

[alms24sebring]

I pretty much wait until I have to get gas in the first place.

Me too, because of this v

None of the gauges in my truck work, so I just fill it up whenever I get paranoid. Have yet to run it out though!

I don't understand why you would wait to fill up...!

Whats the fun in it if you don't risk it. Once the gas light comes on I say, "ok, how long can I go without running out" and I push it till I get too scared.

I have only ran out of gas once. But it was in my old Escort where they gauge was super inaccurate, only reading 3/4 full when filled up and fluctuated within +/- 1/4 tank while driving. Luckily I was at work and it just wouldnt start as I was leaving for the day.

PS: dam I had a pic where in my 240 the gas needle was literally sitting at the bottom prong it was so low, and I was still driving!. I think its on my old phone tho that I thought I uploaded to photobucket. Now THAT was running on fumes!

[Razi]

Waiting to see how long I can go below empty doesn't sound like fun times to me.

Having a tank full of gas and hitting boost without worrying about fuel starvation...
That's fun.

[dre1507]

It depends. i know that, for my car, when the needle first rests on "E", i still have anywhere from a little bit of gas to a quarter tank left. I still fill up just to not take any chances, because that's a lot to guess about.

[OriginalWheelman]

Cars have gas lights? I hardly let my car go below half a tank. About the only time I will run it lower than that is if I am running fuel injector cleaner in that tank.

[bigbadberry3]

I've run it to the light a fuel times but never to the point of pushing.

[Dattebayo]

I carry a gallon in my trunk all the time, just in case, because I don't think the Sentra's fuel light works anymore...

[Zydeco]

when my gas light comes on, I can still got almost another 100 more miles. I also find it kind of weird that when the light comes on I've still got 1/4 tank of gas left. silly Subaru. The farthest I've ever pushed it was down to a gallon of gas left in the tank.

[zacmil]

I've actually been down to less than half a gallon on several occasions.

Of course most of the time my driving is between home, school, and work so I've got pretty good at gauging how much fuel I have left. For my basic around the house kind of running I don't really see the point in keeping the tank full; I know (approximately) how much gas I'll use, I know where the gas stations are/when they're open, and I know where I'm going. If I'm in a new or unfamiliar place though, I try to keep plenty of fuel in the tank.

[Rev_D21]

Shaving my commute down 60 miles helped quite a bit but the old D22 still loves to drink gas. I take the HB to work on decent days, that gets roughly 25mpg so I am good there. Gas is about $4/gallon regular here.

[CSLAVE]

I use the gas light as a reference when to fill up. It's the most conservative light I've ever heard about in a car.

I can only stuff 12 gallons in it when the light pops on and it a 15.9 gal tank.

[alms24sebring]

Oh yeah thats the other thing. Its like $4.98 around here for 87, and only going up from there. Mid $3 range?.. I dont know if thats a good bargain or corn syrup with octane booster in it.

[AZhitman]

I carry a gallon in my trunk all the time, just in case, because I 'd hate for the next person to steal my car run out of gas

BTW, carrying a gallon of gas in your trunk sounds like a bad idea.