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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:
StopWineIng · 27/09/2021 21:57

I once drove 10 miles to a station after my car claimed I had 0 miles left once on the motorway 🤣 so I usually intend to fill it up in the red but forget and run on fumes.

I have just over 1/4 tank left though and I’m meant to be going away for the weekend so will fill up tomorrow if I can!

Asdf12345 · 27/09/2021 22:02

I get 5-10 days from a tank depending on work, and will fill to the brim when it’s got less than a fifth left in the tank and I find myself passing one of the three petrol stations I tend to use with time to spare.

The other half puts £50 in their car when the fuel light comes on which seems to be roughly once a fortnight.

SpamIAm · 27/09/2021 22:05

I fill up on a Monday morning when I go to do the weekly shop, if I'm below half a tank. Normally every two weeks but depends if I've done any extra driving. I use about half a tank commuting so I know I'm good til the next Monday then.

Certainly wouldn't be letting the light come on on a regular basis 😱 I've only ever done that once when I was a skint teenager (and actually even then the light only came on as I reached the petrol station).

ifoundthebread · 27/09/2021 22:08

On the days i get paid I fill the tank up, so twice a month. Regardless of how full it is, it gets filled to the click.

plominoagain · 27/09/2021 22:09

When I’m near the cheaper petrol station. I fill up roughly every two days or so . But then my commute is 100 miles each way.

JaceLancs · 27/09/2021 22:14

In normal times I fill up when I get down to a quarter of a tank
Or if I’m going on a long journey or on holiday
Sometimes fill up sooner if I’ve got a money off voucher or it’s around payday
I always fill right to top though
DP tends to put in £30 or £50 or £70 depending on how near to payday

Figgyboa · 27/09/2021 22:25

1/4 tank

DixonD · 27/09/2021 23:06

I never let us go below 1/4. My local station is 0.5 miles away.

In your situation OP, I’d do the same as you; I wouldn’t let it get below half.

DixonD · 27/09/2021 23:07

I use a 1/4 tank a week and filled up last Wednesday- before the chaos began, thankfully. Hopefully it will have mostly calmed down by the time I need to top up.

sleepwouldbenice · 28/09/2021 00:16

I mostly do short adhoc journeys so usually do when between qtr full and light coming on as I have plenty of leeway within that
But if I have a big journey ahead I will ensure I have enough before setting off

ThinWomansBrain · 28/09/2021 00:37

I usually fill it when the light comes on - I did that about a week ago, so hopefully the current issues will have sorted themselves out by the time I need to again.
If it's still a bit iffy, I'll try and do it when I have quaerter of a tank rather than get to the emergency light.

DifficultBloodyWoman · 28/09/2021 00:49

DH likes to fill up at 1/2 tank. I usually fill up after seeing it on red for a couple of days (we don’t do much mileage).

SneakyCucumberAction · 28/09/2021 00:53

@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 😅

You have tow disabled children and are repeatedly at the petrol station filling up with nominal amounts rather than doing a less frequent longer stop of an extra 30 seconds to fill the tank from nearer empty. Yeah that fits. 🙄
Miseryl · 28/09/2021 05:49

Usually about a quarter of a tank, I don't like going below 100 mile. Sometimes I end up with less if I misjudge when to fill up. I have a long commute though and go through a tank a week so need to be on the ball. There are a lot of petrol stations near my home and my work luckily.

Eileen101 · 28/09/2021 06:00

Anywhere between 1/4 tank and when the light has come on. I then fill up to full, usually £30-35. I don't do much driving, that'll usually do me at least a month or two. I tend to walk places with the pushchair as I'm in a very accessible city. If we're going somewhere as a family, we use my husband's family car. He plays petrol roulette far more often than I'd like, but fills up probably weekly.

Pikamoo · 28/09/2021 06:08

Nowadays I do it whenever the tank has one or two bars left (out of ten I think). I try and fill up when I've not got DD in the car with me so it's variable when exactly. I'll top up to full before a big trip if that means I don't need to stop on the way.

When I was young I'd drain it to the absolute max before filling up just though laziness.

Fifthtimelucky · 28/09/2021 12:15

In general I normally fill up when it's about 1/4 full, but it depends on where l am going and what I know about petrol prices.

The 4 petrol stations nearest me are all quite expensive. I only ever use two of them, including the nearest. About 10 miles away (I live in a rural area) there are some cheaper options so I often fill up there if I'm passing, even if I already have half a tank.

I don't like getting to the light flashing - mainly because I have no idea how much petrol is still left at that stage so I don't know how far I can drive.

RuthW · 28/09/2021 12:19

I think about it when 4 notches left, do it when three left and panic when it goes to two. I've never seen a light come on.

BogRollBOGOF · 28/09/2021 12:35

About 1/4 tank to 1/8. I don't like getting to the red light, but there are supermarket petrol stations 2 miles away so it's not critical. Exact timing will depend on my plans so if I'm not going far and will pass the petrol station, I'll save it to then.

If I've got a longer journey planned I'd top up if I was under half a tank so I don't have to fill up somewhere dearer/ unfamiliar. That's not often.

On Friday I was down to one bar/ 1/8th of the tank so went out late in the evening when the worst of the day's queues had eased and did my usual fill-up. That should last me a couple of weeks and let life calm down... I needed to fill up by Monday morning. Normally I'd probably have filled up while out over the weekend or when setting off on Monday, but that seemed risky, and heading off while I had some spare capacity at a quiet time seemed to be the best way to play the unavoidable game.

Porfre · 28/09/2021 14:00

Usually when the lights come one.
A few different reasons for it, but one is so my husband cant take the car and waste my fuel. He sometimes uses it to buy stuff for his job, he works at the
family takeaway.
His brothers have taken his car so hes literally just taken my car, and he never fills it up.Angry

MrsFlinch · 28/09/2021 14:12

@icedcoffees

All those people who let it run until the light comes on, what happens if your local garage runs out and you have no way of getting to work or school as you've run the tank down so low?
Just counted and we have 9 petrol stations in our town, 3 of those are within 5 minutes from my house!
JudgeJ · 28/09/2021 14:17

@Bramblecrumble21

Somewhere between a quarter and red, normally before the light
That's usually when I do it although if I see it particularly cheap I may put some in. I never run it with more than 1/2 of a tank, unless I'm doing a long trip, the additional weight wastes fuel.
LaetitiaASD · 28/09/2021 14:39

I tend to fill up before any long-ish journey, unless the tank is already 75% full.

Any time it's half full or less and I am passing a petrol station and I'm not in a hurry.

In an ideal world I'd argue that a full tank of petrol is like a valid passport and a full draw of clean underwear... something that in an ideal world you'd always have... you never know what journey you might be forced to make at short notice, how important or urgent the journey will be and how awkward petrol might be to find en-route (potentially at 4am).

HollaHolla · 28/09/2021 14:46

I usually do it when it’s somewhere between1/4 full and light on. I (normally) do around 300-350 miles a week for work, ans my diesel car does about 500 miles to the gallon. So that usually means a full tank every 10-14 days. It cost me over £60 last week (pre panic buying) 😣

Blessex · 28/09/2021 14:46

When light comes on

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