When do you fill up your car?

[kakeya97]

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 😅

Thanks @MurielSpriggs this my life now over the hills and far away 😂😂

@Fluffypastelslippers

I'd get a taxi.

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

I don't think we're having the same conversation!

When the petrol light comes on.

Hence why it's sitting on the drive unable to go anywhere at the moment

I've never seen the fuel light come on any of the cars I've had. I don't like anything less than 1/3 a tank as I live rurally a bit of distance away from a fuel station. I ran out of fuel on a dual carriageway once when I was a lot younger when the fuel gauge stuck and ever since then I've been paranoid

DP only had 3 miles to work, when I'm at work it's about 5 miles so generally we aren't too bothered if the red light comes on. We tend to let it get to 10 miles or whatever

We tend to only fill the rank when we go away

When I'm running on fumes usually😂

When the tank is down to 1/4, I never let it go lower than that.

I generally wait until the fuel light is flashing and I can't leave it any longer. I then fill the tank up. I think if I lived rurally I'd not want to go lower than 1/4 tank. There lots of petrol station near me.

I've always run on fumes, fill up when it goes yellow. I won't be going below half a tank now..

When I get to 1/4 tank left I start thinking I need fuel. I live in the sticks and a fair way from a petrol station. I will then full my tank

I have had my car 10 years and have probably only filled it up half a dozen times! Each time it's been so long that I almost forget how to do it.

I fill up as soon as the alarm goes to tell me it's low. This unfortunately happened this weekend. I did actually manage to get fuel. I don't use my car daily so hopefully won't need to fill up for another month.

Couple of days after the light goes on usually. Had a disagreement with my DH after all this carry on. He said go fill up, I said no - I'm not contributing to this as I wouldn't normally be filling up now so I'm not. Lights gone on tonight and I can't get fuel 🤦🏼‍♀️ ah well, I've stuck to my morals 🤣 I'm going to go out now to a couple further out. Chancing it because that's less fuel to do what I need to do if they don't have any!

@Bolognesedoc

I have had my car 10 years and have probably only filled it up half a dozen times! Each time it's been so long that I almost forget how to do it.

Surely it would be much much cheaper for you to take taxis, everywhere than to drive? Ten years' cost of depreciation, tax, insurance divided by a few thousand miles

Well, previously I’d fill it to max, use it all up, then go to fuel station when the fuel light comes on.

I regret that now. Pretty low.

We live rurally so tend to top up whenever we happen to be near the supermarket.

I hate filling my car up, it feels like a massive ball ache, I leave it until the last minute 🙈🙈

I love a bit of fuel roulette. I live rural too and local station is a 5 mile drive away.

Surely it would be much much cheaper for you to take taxis, everywhere than to drive?
Absolutely! I never wanted it but was persuaded to get it to take my twins to nursery over the other side of town. A month after getting it they were offered places in a nursery round the corner! I hope it will be my first and last car.

Usually when it goes to half or just under is when I fill up.
Letting an engine run on almost empty drags all the silt from the bottom of the tank round the engine.

When it dips below half full I’ll fill up, unless I’m on a long journey that I know I have plenty of fuel for. I don’t drive much so a tank lasts me a month. Thank heavens I filled up last Monday.

Every payday (monthly), payday today and can't get petrol for move nor money my one bar will last 42 miles.
My commute each day is 26

I am a bit erratic. I tend to look at what fuel I have and what plans I have that week, if I am low on petrol and the baby is crying I don’t bother. It can mean I will fill up when I am on red, or other times I will fill up when I have over 1/2 a tank (when I have a long drive). I have 100 miles left and luckily am only driving 20 miles this week, I won’t fill up and hope there is fuel next week when I have to get to work.

When it says I have around 50 miles left i usually top up because I use 40ish on a work day. I filled up Friday afternoon with 84 miles left as a journey over 100 miles was planned for the next day! So I didnt really fill up early because of difficulty to get petrol

Whenever I pass the cheap cheap petrol station. Which used to be once a month and is now much less. Plus, whenever I’ve got a long journey ahead.

After that, usually when it reaches 1/4. Have run it into the fumes but I don’t like doing that too often - tends to be on the way home after a long journey when I hope I can teach the cheaper local stations not the gold plated motorway services.