Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I’m an idiot (car related)

110 replies

Merryoldgoat · 15/01/2021 07:46

I’ve just had my car collected for its annual service and MOT.

I’ve just realised that the fuel tank is nearly empty. I meant to refuel yesterday but given how little I’m out these days I forgot.

The light hasn’t come on but will soon I’m sure. Will it make the journey to the garage and back?

It’s probably about 6miles each way

YABU - the man will breakdown on the way

YANBU - it’ll be fine but you’ll get (rightly) told off when he brings it back.

I’m so annoyed with myself - I feel like my brain is a foggy bog these days.

OP posts:
singsingbluesilver · 15/01/2021 08:57

On of interest (always a usual thing to know this) a quick online search says in most cars you have 10% of the fuel capacity left, and that in popular makes the BMW had the least left with about 40 miles left in the tank. You will be fine.

BigBadVoodooHat · 15/01/2021 09:24

Have you only just passed your test? Confused

amusedbush · 15/01/2021 09:28

I've only had the fuel light come on once (I get antsy when I hit a quarter tank!) and a message flashed up telling me I had 25 miles worth of fuel left.

SoVeryLost · 15/01/2021 09:30

@Ffsffsffsffsffs

Also, a full tank in my tiny car is 35 litres and less than 40 quid to fill from vapours to the brim. Dps car costs over 100 quid to fill, so a quarter of a tank is VERY different in terms of mileage.
It really shouldn't be, a full tank should do roughly 500 miles (normal driving not taking into account heavy accelerating and breaking). It costs 40 quid to fill my tank but I can still do 500 miles on a full tank. It costs a friend almost £100 and she can only make it do 400 miles, on the occasions I've driven her car I get a much better MPG out of it.
CigarsofthePharoahs · 15/01/2021 09:33

Do you know what's even more annoying?
Filling up the tank only to have your car spectacularly fail it's MOT.
You should make that distance fine.

Bouledeneige · 15/01/2021 09:34

I've done this is in the past. If they need to the garage will top it up and charge you double the price of the petrol (in my experience) for doing so. It happens regularly and they are used to it.

WhereverIGoddamnLike · 15/01/2021 09:40

I'm guessing that the people on here dont realise that driving with your fuel so low is dangerous for you. It causes the fuel pump to run hotter and wear out faster, or just totally break.
Stoo driving for miles with your warning light on and put fuel into you cars!

SweetPetrichor · 15/01/2021 09:42

I think people are being a bit unfair assuming everyone knows how far their car goes when the fuel light is on! I've been driving since I was 17, 14 years now, exemplary records - no accidents, points, fines or anything...and I have no idea how far my car would run on the fuel light! I've genuinely never let it get that low. If my car gets to half a tank, the I fill it up. Why on earth would you be running around with a warning light on...they are there to tell you to take action.

Elai1978 · 15/01/2021 09:42

It really shouldn't be, a full tank should do roughly 500 miles (normal driving not taking into account heavy accelerating and breaking). It costs 40 quid to fill my tank but I can still do 500 miles on a full tank. It costs a friend almost £100 and she can only make it do 400 miles, on the occasions I've driven her car I get a much better MPG out of it.

Nonsense, some cars will do 200 miles on a full tank whilst others 3 or 4 times that under similar use. It’s also quite possible for 1/4 of a £100 tank to do fewer miles that 1/4 of a £40 tank, consumption is the key rather than the size of a tank.

TicTac80 · 15/01/2021 09:42

I wouldn't worry too much, just call the garage and ask them to put a tenner in (like PPs suggested). I have an electric car now but when I had a diesel, I used to allow a 20mile range from when the fuel light came on to filling up (as I was paranoid that I'd get stuck somewhere!). I knew that it would easily do more than that, but it was my guestimate just to cover my own arse!!

realunicorn · 15/01/2021 09:45

@SoVeryLost I totally disagree with you. As pp said it's entirely dependent on the car.

We'd struggle to get half of the 500 miles you quoted out of DHs car. And that's with optimum driving conditions .

Winterwoollies · 15/01/2021 09:46

I think if people want to drive they have a duty to understand the massive piece of machinery they’re driving. Jesus Christ. Confused

LadyFlumpalot · 15/01/2021 09:47

@SoVeryLost - my car costs £70 roughly to fill from fumes and I get approx 290 miles out of it.

It's a whacking gurt Subaru WRXSTI and the best MPG I've gotten out of it is 27. It also only warns me it's about to run out of fuel when it gets to 30 miles left (not that I let it get that low as I don't quite trust it!)

LionLily · 15/01/2021 09:48

My two pennarth:
My 2001 Zafira would go 20 miles around town once the fuel light was on. Probably 35-40 out of town
The type of driving is key to fuel consumption. Driving at about 53moh is the most economical speed for fuel use for most cars so if your driving is always in town, you may get fewer miles once the light is on. But you'll certainly get enough for the return trip to the garage plus a couple of miles test drive if the mechanic needs it.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 15/01/2021 09:48

Should be a minimum of 30 miles left in the tank when the light comes on, depending on make of car.
You'll be fine.

Winterwoollies · 15/01/2021 09:49

SoVeryLost

It really shouldn't be, a full tank should do roughly 500 miles (normal driving not taking into account heavy accelerating and breaking). It costs 40 quid to fill my tank but I can still do 500 miles on a full tank. It costs a friend almost £100 and she can only make it do 400 miles, on the occasions I've driven her car I get a much better MPG out of it.

Confused are you under the impression that cars all have the same engine sizes?

Winterwoollies · 15/01/2021 09:51

Car based threads on here make me so depressed. The lack of understanding is bleak. I really think car maintenance and understanding of how they bloody work should be part of theory testing.

Xiaoxiong · 15/01/2021 09:52

This always makes me think of the Seinfeld episode where they drive as far as they can with the light on to see how far they can go Grin

Ithinkim · 15/01/2021 09:53

The light hasn't come on?

You're worrying about nothing.

QueenOfLabradors · 15/01/2021 09:56

@CigarsofthePharoahs

Do you know what's even more annoying? Filling up the tank only to have your car spectacularly fail it's MOT. You should make that distance fine.
Yup, happened to one of mine! It jaw-dropped me (and everyone else including my mechanic) by failing on emissions. Investigation showed it was one of the clever electronic bits, and replacing it would cost slightly more than the car was actually worth.
Elai1978 · 15/01/2021 09:56

I really think car maintenance and understanding of how they bloody work should be part of theory testing.

I quite agree, if you don’t have at least a basic understanding of how a car works you’ve got no business driving one.

Eckhart · 15/01/2021 09:57

The light comes on in good time to let you know you need to refuel at the next station you see.

It doesn't assume you are next to the petrol station at the time.

What would be the point of a warning light if it didn't warn you in good time?

BarbaraofSeville · 15/01/2021 10:03

For those of you with miles to empty count downs, has anyone gone past the zero level and still not run out?

I've got to 0 or 5 miles more than once, a couple of times in quite nerve wracking situations (on the motorway at night because I missed the exit to the petrol station I was going to fill up at and in the Scottish Borders because there wasn't a petrol station where I thought there was one, it was about 20 miles further on) but I haven't actually run out since I was a teenager running a car that I couldn't really afford so never had any money to put petrol in it.

Just wondering how close I was to running out. I wouldn't plan to leave it that late, but am also too lazy to go to the petrol station unless I actually need to, and also too tight to go to the expensive one today, when I might be passing the cheaper one tomorrow IYSWIM.

Elai1978 · 15/01/2021 10:05

For those of you with miles to empty count downs, has anyone gone past the zero level and still not run out?

Yes, I’ve been past zero miles a few times over the years. Not far past it though!

Candyfloss99 · 15/01/2021 10:07

I doubt he will care at all.