To have run the petrol down to 40 miles left

Completely unreasonable. During the fuel run a few years ago, I discovered that my fuel light actually starts flashing when it gets extremely low. I can do around another 50 miles once my fuel light comes on and my range says zero. (Not that I actually do this, but it's good to know I can in an emergency!)

Years ago our empty light broke. We had to be super careful not to drive more than about 30 miles without refilling once into the red as we lived a long way from the nearest petrol station. DH once handed over the car to me with the gauge on red and swore blind that it had only just dipped into it. I went off to do a night shift and broke down on the way home 😭

A month later the fucker did exactly the same thing and I broke down again 🤬

I still made less of a fuss than your DH!

Just slowly slowly get your ducks in a row so when you're ready to leave you've emotionally detached and can go.

I now drive a PHEV and the petrol gauge is a pure guess-o-metre so I try and fill up when I’m down to a quarter of a tank to be on the safe side, as I live about 8 miles from the nearest town.

I think ‘D’H needs to remember that you’re his equal, 40 miles with a nearby garage hardly constitutes him telling you off like a child.

This thread has confirmed that I’m definitely a deviant when it comes to fuel. 25 years of driving and I’ve never seen the fuel light come on, my left eye starts twitching uncontrollably once the fuel gauge approaches half and I have an unstoppable compulsion to refuel. I routinely run out of just about everything else; milk, calpol, bread etc but never petrol…or wine come to think of it 🤷‍♀️

Don’t stand for being treated shabbily, if you accept it then he will do it more, remember you deserve better.

I used to drive an old 1950’s oval window VW Beetle that didn’t have a fuel gauge.

When I filled the tank with petrol, I used to write the mileage in a little notebook I kept in the glovebox and then guess how much fuel I had left on each journey.

Ah, the good old days. 😂

Often run around on zero usually good for 20-30 miles. Your DH is an Arse.

Your DH is a bellend and clearly doesn't know much about cars. Sounds like you are in a bad place with him and I hope you get out soon. You deserve better

My grandpa used to call the distance you could do on an empty tank “hidden gallons” and was proud of how far he could get on them! This has brought back that lovely silly memory.

He was a good man, life’s too short to be with one who isn’t. xx

Seeing how far I can get once the light is on is one of my favourite games. In my old car with a traditional fuel gauge I could easily do 40miles once the fuel light came on. Latest car has one of those digital ones which estimates the miles which is less fun. It will say 80 miles left, then if you go up a hill it says 40 miles left. Then you stop and when you start again it says 100. No fun at all.

I often leave it till 5 miles left!

My car only beeps at 40 miles. The only time I'd fill it up at that level is if one of us was doing a long journey with an early start the next morning. Otherwise I fill up at about 10 miles to go (only because the nearest cheap petrol stations are 5 and 6 miles away in opposite directions)

@diddl yes, but we were 30 miles away when the red light came on and we had only bought the car three days before the move, so we didn't know how far it would get us. So, he suggested we keep driving to see if we could make it. Had we run out of fuel miles from our new home, he'd have had to walk to the filling station.

Does your DH have nothing real to worry about?

We have the same DH. My car is Dieael and my DH gets quite irate if ok almost on quarter of a tank and I'm not planning on refuelling. My car goes into the red though at 1/4 of a tank and beeps at you to keep reminding you.

When I worked for Majestic and we all had to take turns driving the delivery van, we had a little game going of who dared to run it the lowest to get the most fuel in. I never won. Always got too scared when I'd been on 0 for 10 miles or so. The others would go loads more.

If you're less than a mile from a petrol station that's plenty close enough to walk with a petrol can if necessary😉

It doesn't even get exciting till you've been on zero for 10 miles. They build loads of headroom into those gauges.

Just read your updates. He sounds like a complete twat. You don't have to stay. Just add this one to the mental list for when you next weigh up the pros and cons. Wishing you the best. x

I once has had so little fuel in when I filled up, I got 35.5 litres into a car with a 35 litre tank.

I travel a lot for work and have a rule that if the light hasn't come on when I pass Wetherby, manchester, Sheffield or the A1 I have enough fuel for the remaining 40 ish miles to my home in Leeds.

This had served me well for decades until I was driving an unfamiliar hire car that oddly only has a range of 30 miles at most and I ran out, fortunately about a minute's walk from the petrol station.

I've literally never heard of filling up at 40 miles still left! What a waste of time. Fill up when it's actually nearly empty.

Getting home with only 40 miles range remaining is incredibly reckless and irresponsible (only if you live in the Australian outback!)

Your husband is a massive dick. It s a monthly occurrence for me to coast into the garage on zero. I never even think about putting fuel in until I'm around 10 miles left