Have you ever run out of gas? And did you know you were going to?

[ME_Andy]

My 2000 Focus had a 13-some gallon tank but it could only use 11-some gallons in hot weather. It started sputtering for a few miles then died on a road trip to New Mexico. That was not a fun walk to a gas station.

If anybody can explain why, especially the hot weather part, I'm curious.

[ME_Andy]

Oh, and my dad owns a 67 Jeep whose fuel gage swings from full to half to full again. The only time you can be sure you have fuel is when it says half a tank. Lol

[nemo]

Ran out of gas twice in my first year of driving. The first time was in in 64 Fairlane 500. It had all requirements of a first car, rusted out floor pans, week battery, poor brakes and the require funky gas gauge. The gas guage would work or not randomly. It was still showing 1/4 tank when it quit. The second time was with my 73 Triumph. When that gauge showed empty it meant it. Yep, rolled it up to the pump no pushing required.

I've put 26 1/2 gallons in a 26 gallon tank. So stretch it, yes.

[user removed]

Sold a 65 Lincoln Continental to my oldest brother. He drove it until the low fuel light came on and it died less than half a mile later. Of course he called me to complain about the defective light. I laughed at him and told him it wasn't a "low fuel" warning light, but a youre out of gas dummy light.



regards
mech

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

I laughed at him and told him it wasn't a "low fuel" warning light, but a youre out of gas dummy light.

This reminds me of how uninformed the general public is about the oil light. For some reason, most people are under the impression that the light means the car is a little low on oil, and should be topped up sometime in the next couple weeks.

I have a friend that had a Pontiac Grand Prix with a coolant leak. He would regularly drive the car with no coolant at all, and allow the temp gauge to rise all the way into the red. I told him to stop driving it when it gets that hot, but he always made the excuse "well I didn't have much further to drive, so it wasn't hot for very long". Of course, his engine died after a month of abusing it.

Professional drivers education seems to be the norm these days, so I would expect part of the training to include a brief rundown of the warning lights that cars have, and the proper response to those lights.

Driving with the oil light on or the temperature gauge in the red; don't do it.

[freebeard]

I couldn't even estimate how many times I've run out of gas in 50 years of driving, mostly with a reserve lever instead of a gauge. Which you have to remember to reset when you fill up. How about the last few times:

• Died on the uphill exit ramp off I-5, rolled through a right turn and downhill into a station and up to the pump.
• Ran out in town, three block short of a gas station. They didn't have clear premium so I only put in one gallon and then topped up with clear. The car ran poorly for the next tank or two. (Water in the bottom of the tank?)
• I got 2 NATO 20-liter cans as a range extender. One the road trip to Bonneville Salt Flats, I let it run dry and refilled to find the 'bottom' of the tank. The gauge never goes above 3/4 tank, and when it's on no-more-reserve then 4 gallons remain.

redpoint5 -- In high school I had a friend that bought a '53 Ford, didn't check the oil, and burnt the motor up in 75 miles. So he got a replacement engine from the junkyard and put it in. Didn't check the oil! He was on his 3rd engine at 150 miles.

[kafer65]

So far I haven't run out in my '61 dispite not having a gauge or the origonal reserve tank in it. I had more than a few horrified stares when I had several plastic 2.5 gallon gas jugs bungeed to my roof rack. Just stretching its legs to get some fuel for the mowers. I never passed a gas station when it was getting 9 mpg. Now it gets 19 on premium. I should be proud of the 110% improvement right

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by PaleMelanesian

I ran my Civic out of fuel several times. Each one was a new tank distance record... that I kept breaking and going further the next time.

I've run my Fit out once. Now I know how low True Empty is

I took the '07 Civic into no-man's territory on Friday: zero bars showing, and the low fuel light had already been glaring at me for ~50 km.

Turns out I could have made 1000 km (~600 mi.) on the tank... JUST... but I only confirmed that by chickening out and filling up! At 972 km.

Now I have a better idea of where True Empty is.

.

[Baltothewolf]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

I took the '07 Civic into no-man's territory on Friday: zero bars showing, and the low fuel light had already been glaring at me for ~50 km.

Turns out I could have made 1000 km (~600 mi.) on the tank... JUST... but I only verified that after chickening out and filling up! 972 km.

Now I have a better idea of where True Empty is.

.

I LOVE the dash on the newer civics. I totally wish I could put one in my insight lol.

Originally Posted by redpoint5

This reminds me of how uninformed the general public is about the oil light. For some reason, most people are under the impression that the light means the car is a little low on oil, and should be topped up sometime in the next couple weeks.

I have a friend that had a Pontiac Grand Prix with a coolant leak. He would regularly drive the car with no coolant at all, and allow the temp gauge to rise all the way into the red. I told him to stop driving it when it gets that hot, but he always made the excuse "well I didn't have much further to drive, so it wasn't hot for very long". Of course, his engine died after a month of abusing it.

Professional drivers education seems to be the norm these days, so I would expect part of the training to include a brief rundown of the warning lights that cars have, and the proper response to those lights.

Driving with the oil light on or the temperature gauge in the red; don't do it.

I was under the impression that once the oil light came on, you had NO oil pressure, A.K.A no oil at all.

[jcp123]

Originally Posted by Baltothewolf

I LOVE the dash on the newer civics. I totally wish I could put one in my Insight.

Eek, the digital stuff is one of the reasons I won't even consider a Civic...how come it's cool when Honda does it but when Cadillac and Lincoln did it, it was lambasted and regarded as something for old people?