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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

When do you fill up your car?

349 replies

kakeya97 · 27/09/2021 15:02

Total wrong timing for this post I know. Putting the whole panic buying fuel thing aside. Before all this did you fill up when low or like to keep topped? The whole fuel thing has sparked this conversation with Dp though.

I have major anxiety about my diesel level getting too low. If it starts getting under half a tank I'll fill up, likely before it hits half a tank though. I can't relax until it's done. I just like the comfort on having it. I live rurally. Closest station is 8 miles away and shuts at 6pm!! Longer opening and 24 hours stations are much further afield. There aren't many stations on my most widely used routes so tend to have to make a special journey for it. I like to be prepared at all times. I have two disabled children and I like to fill up so I don't have to stop with them to get it.

Dp will literally run his work vehicle on fumes for a few days before topping up - even though he works right by a station - he often takes my (family) car to work to fill up if I'm stuck too. Most of my friends are the same - they let it get really low first.

I'm all good for now and I can assure you I am not panic buying fuel. I put some in middle of last week before it all kicked off and still got 3/4 of a tank full which should last a while. I think it will really bother me when it gets under a 1/4 a tank but it rarely gets that low.

Do you let it get right down or do you keep on top of it?

Genuinely curious that's all 😅

OP posts:
MurielSpriggs · 27/09/2021 19:05

@Tangledtresses

Running on fumes.... I feel like a student again 😂 Coasting down hills and calling people bellends because they keep braking
This is nothing more than being environmentally responsible Grin
ShinyThingsDistractMe · 27/09/2021 19:05

Off the top of my head withing 10 minutes of my house there is 5/6 petrol stations. All are fine, none are closed. There are no ques.

Even on Saturday I waited no longer than 5minutes to fill up at about 4pm. No issues.

garlictwist · 27/09/2021 19:06

When it gets to a quarter. There's a petrol station at the end of my street though so I just bob down there in the evenings when it's quiet and fill up when I need.

I walk/cycle/bus most places though. Haven't actually used my car a couple of weeks anyway.

HippeePrincess · 27/09/2021 19:09

When I get into the red, and even then I probably still drive to work and back before filling up. When everything I needed was in a 3 mile radius (and very poor) I used to drive in the red for a week. Lots of times I've coasted into work or the petrol station after running out of fuel.

Joystir59 · 27/09/2021 19:17

When it gets to half. I like having plenty of petrol in case I need to drive at short notice/emergency, or in case of fuel shortages. I have been like it since Brexit/covid stockpiling mentality began about 18 months ago.

mamaduckbone · 27/09/2021 19:17

Usually when the light comes on, or a few miles after. There's a petrol station at the end of my road. I'm self-isolating at the moment so have missed this whole fuel crisis malarkey - hoping it's sorted itself out before I have to go anywhere, as I've only got about 1/4 of a tank.

tiddlysquat · 27/09/2021 19:18

I get slightly anxious with the whole refilling experience (years of driving work hire cars and being unable to open the cap!), so I always wait till red then reflll.
As there's a £30 limit now here, I'll refill at just over a quarter of a tank left as that will be about £30.

Basically I try and minimise trips to the petrol station!

DollyDinkle · 27/09/2021 19:18

My light comes on and I ignore it and after a bit then the light flashes at me!!! So, then.

OrangeBananaFish · 27/09/2021 19:19

I usually get to half and then work out where I'm likely to go and when I might fill it. I might fill it then if I'm at the supermarket that's cheapest near me or I might wait a couple of days if I know I'm going to be going that way.

I live rurally, but the nearest station is 8 or 9 miles away. However, that's an expensive one so I'd rather fill up at the supermarket. I never let it go below a quarter I'd get rather anxious with myself if I did. Never seen the light come on ever.

I usually have to fill it up 3 times over a 2 week period (from quarter to full at about £40-£45 a time)

Currently I have half a tank which should last by my standards another couple of days, but judging by the majority of posts realistically I wont have to fill up until the weekend. Currently planning to fill up on Wed morning as I'm driving past the cheap supermarkets then.

Joystir59 · 27/09/2021 19:19

My dad always said you shouldn't get too low on petrol cos the car starts running on the sediment at the bottom of the tank. Tanks probably don't have sediment these days but his advice stuck hard.

Itstheprinciple · 27/09/2021 19:23

@DollyDinkle

My light comes on and I ignore it and after a bit then the light flashes at me!!! So, then.
Ooh yeah, the flashing. That's when you know you're living on the edge. That's as exciting as my life gets!
MurielSpriggs · 27/09/2021 19:24

@icedcoffees

I'd get a taxi.

There are four to service the town plus all the surrounding areas, but you'd never get one for school/work rush hour even if you booked it months in advance.

The question was: what would I do if my local petrol station ran out, not yours!
MurielSpriggs · 27/09/2021 19:26

@Joystir59

My dad always said you shouldn't get too low on petrol cos the car starts running on the sediment at the bottom of the tank. Tanks probably don't have sediment these days but his advice stuck hard.
My dad said that too. I filed it in the same place as my mum's advice about not pulling faces in case the wind changed Grin
SEE123 · 27/09/2021 19:28

I play "the petrol game". Generally long after the range has run out and the light is on 😂😂

My husband is the complete opposite. 1/4 of a tank and he would fill up.

KingdomScrolls · 27/09/2021 19:31

I fill it to the absolute brim and then run it until it's empty (watched a false confidence giving episode of topgear once that showed how many miles you get past zero) my local garage is at the bottom of my street though. I really hate stopping for fuel

TheViewFromTheCheapSeats · 27/09/2021 19:31

Mine is an old old car and unreliable under a quarter of the tank- I tend to fill up around there as it can suddenly switch to empty from a quarter of a tank

Keladrythesaviour · 27/09/2021 19:33

When I had a petrol car - when the light came on. But I had a long commute so if I filled up anytime it got close to half, I'd be there all the time. As it was I filled up once a week roughly.
Now electric and charge every other night.
It does amuse me in the current situation so many people complaining that people are filling their whole tanks and should only be putting in a tenner or so. If I put a tenner in my car back when I had it I'd be back again the next day Confused which wouldn't help with the queues!
My DH has a hybrid and he lets it go to the light most times. Again he has a big commute on the motorway (uses electric for the country lanes, but petrol is more efficient on the motorway). He's got a bigger tank which suits his commute, so again putting in a tenner is pointless Grin so he prefers to do a full tank once every week or two depending how many times he has to go in.

Cherrysoup · 27/09/2021 19:33

I fill up when it’s practically empty. Regretting that big time now the fuel light is on and no fuel locally.

Bontanics · 27/09/2021 19:35

I fill up when it's close to empty but I've never seen the light come on if it has one. Luckily we filled up last Monday just before it all went crazy and we haven't needed to go anywhere so we haven't even gone out for our normal jaunts to try and save it so it'll last until it calms down again. A full tank could last us a month to 6 weeks just on food shopping.

Fluffypastelslippers · 27/09/2021 19:41

I'd get a taxi.

And how and where do you think the Taxi driver is getting their fuel Confused

PizzaCrust · 27/09/2021 19:43

When it’s in the red. I’m never far away from a petrol station- there are 8 within 5 miles of me, and 2 within 0.5 miles. Don’t see the point in topping up earlier.

PizzaCrust · 27/09/2021 19:47

That being said, I am fussy with fuel, though. I’d never fill at a supermarket. I don’t care what anyone says- their fuel is garbage.

I also run ultimate through my car every few months (it would be more but not a lot of garages have premium diesel in my immediate area).

MrFlibblesEyes · 27/09/2021 19:57

I never let mine go below about quarter of a tank and I've never let the miles counter go below 100 miles, mostly because mine likes to jump around a bit based on my driving. I filled the tank last night in a stop start queue and it gave me 695 miles this morning when I set off for work. After my 30 mile round trip of smooth run driving today I have 770? With that much variation I'd never dare trust it enough to get down to 10 miles, that could vanish in an instant!

Londontown12 · 27/09/2021 20:05

I run on the fumes 😂😂😂
Just sold my car last week it’s been great not to have to worry ! Picking up new one tomorrow their local garage has no fuel I’m hoping it has enough gas to get me home 😂😂😂

WhatisanODP · 27/09/2021 20:09

@kakeya97 I’m the same as you. Half or fuller

I’ve always been of the mindset that if my mum or uncle needed me in the middle of the night, I could get to them without a problem.

I ran the same scenario past a college today that I’ve known for a few years.

He pointed out that was what I’d always done since he had known me.

(That was after my husband said I was part of the problem for topping up my half tank on Friday when I got air for my tyres.)

Sorry but I was queuing for the petrol station anyway as I needed air. It’s nothing different to what I’d normally do. Therefore I’m not part of the “problem”.