Have you ever run out of gas? And did you know you were going to? - Page 5 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

Sven7 · 12-02-2014, 12:07 PM

I was on a date with a girl, driving around in my F-100 once... the fuel float had a leak so it always read empty. At that time I was sharing the truck with my dad, so I had assumed he had filled it on the last drive. WRONG. The young lady thought I was trying something funny, but we ended up pulling into a horse boarding place late at night and waiting for my dad to come with a few gallons he had sitting in the barn.

Long story short, my dad showed me how to replace the float. I've never run out of gas in any other car, but this thread makes me want to measure out a spare gallon and go for broke in the Civic. I think I could do close to 600 miles with careful driving. Did 500 accidentally this summer, using 10.3 gallons on what is supposedly a 11.9 gallon tank.

freebeard · 12-02-2014, 04:40 PM

Running out of gas with a date in the car is kind of hard to explain. Having it happen on the freeway kind of helps.

MetroMPG · 10-01-2019, 10:00 AM

Thought of this thread yesterday after a trip in the MPGiata...

I borrowed a boat gas tank for the return trip because I wasn't sure I'd make it home!

(YKYAEM when... you're reluctant to pre-emtively add fuel from a borrowed tank because it would be unmetered, thus throwing off your tank MPG calcs!)

freebeard · 10-01-2019, 01:04 PM

I mentioned this at Permalink #36:

Xist · 10-01-2019, 04:30 PM

I just do not like filling up rentals because it is difficult to predict how much you will need unless the last driver left it full.

I am not buying someone else a tank of gas!

redpoint5 · 10-01-2019, 05:00 PM

All the rentals I've ever had require the car to be topped off before return.

All Darc · 10-01-2019, 06:37 PM

Car's GPS could have a algorithm that would took the route you made in a month, including the declive inclination of roads, as it took more gas, and use information of the amount of fuel you used, to calculate the gas demand and time to run of of your vehicle in a given place. It could have alerts like Point of No Return to home.
But gas indicators (feul display) sometimes are not trustable, and to diorect conncet to GPS fuel algorithm, without you need to type the information, the gas indicator would need to be digital.

Frank Lee · 10-01-2019, 09:07 PM

Just now did the "will it make it" scenario in the Metro. Rode the "E" for 60 miles. I read somewhere that 38 mph was optimum cruise speed for fe in Metros so I did that 60 miles between 38 and 45. Made it home OK and emptied a 6.0 gallon gas can into it. I filled the can to exactly 6.0 for a reason like this. I can go top off at a pump then do the fe calc.

Ecky · 10-01-2019, 11:09 PM

Recently I rolled into my driveway on empty in my Insight. The next morning it wouldn't start and I had to steal some gas from my lawn mower.

MetroMPG · 10-02-2019, 12:35 PM

I made it! (To the gas station, without running out.)

And I also learned I'd been operating on the incorrect assumption that the MPGiata had a 40 L tank... it's a 45 L tank.

So I "only" put 41 L in. Turns out there was nothing to be worried about after all!

That means I can theoretically do a kilotank (1000 km) based on my recent MPG. A project for next summer! I'll bring along a measured amount of fuel in a jerry can near the end. Frank will be proud of me.