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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:
Suitcaseseverywhere · 27/09/2021 15:15

Depends what I’m doing. Most weeks I only bimble to the shop in the village (am disabled) and maybe into town at the weekend so I use hardly anything but if I’m going on a longer trip I fill up.

So at the minute I’ve nowhere to go and it’s about 1/4 full which will do til the weekend. I’m going to bigger city 60 miles away on Saturday and to see family on Sunday so I’ll fill up before I leave to go to bigger city.

Meandyouandyouandme · 27/09/2021 15:15

When the light comes on, and I’ll fill it up, the logic of doing it then is I’ll go half the amount of times to the garage, surely it’s obvious why. If I only use half a tank before refilling I’ll go twice as often. It’s a boring thing to do, so do it at least as possible.

Topseyt · 27/09/2021 15:16

I had a friend who used to wait until the warning light came on before filling up. That worked OK until the warning light bulb failed and she then ran out of fuel waiting for it to come on. After that she never let it get much below quarter.

I always fill up when mine gets down to around the quarter tank. If I am going on a long journey then I’ll top up anyway before I set off.

PoshWatchShitShoes · 27/09/2021 15:16

Usually when it's a 1/4 full. Now I'm filling up whenever I see a petrol station that has diesel!! It's too much of a risk not knowing when normal supplies will resume.

hulahooper2 · 27/09/2021 15:16

When I’m down to 2 bars , and I live close to several petrol stations

thenightsky · 27/09/2021 15:17

I zero the clock when I fill up, and refill when it hits 350 miles. This is generally around quarter of a tank remaining, depending on how hard or gently I've driven.

SansaClegane · 27/09/2021 15:18

I know how many miles my car can do on a tank. In the winter (when it's less fuel efficient) it will be 650 miles, in the summer around 750 miles.
I ignore the fuel light when it comes on, check how many miles I've actually done, and work out from that when I need to fill up.
As it happened I filled up last Tuesday, after 730ish miles, so I had to fill up near enough a whole tank. Glad the timing worked out that way - I only fill up every 4-5 weeks and would have hated for it to be now!

loopylu26 · 27/09/2021 15:19

Quarter of a tank

purpleboy · 27/09/2021 15:21

Is there a "right point" to fill up your car?
I let mine go to red then fill it up, I drive 60 miles a day and use a tank a week. But I often wonder if I could be damaging it by sometimes letting it go so low? Does anyone know?

WhyOhWhyOhWhyyyy · 27/09/2021 15:21

When the light comes on I just make sure I fill up either on the way home, or at the start of my next journey. There are two petrol stations with a few minutes drive so it’s (usually) not an issue. I get a full tank whenever I fill up, which usually lasts for 4-5 weeks.
If I was going on a long journey I’d fill up the morning we leave or the night before.

Cuddlyrottweiler · 27/09/2021 15:22

I like to do it when it goes below half but often don't get round to it till I've driven to work and back twice on red.

MrsTerryPratchett · 27/09/2021 15:22

With a petrol car, close to a garage, I play indicator light chicken!

If I lived rurally, away from a garage and owned a diesel, half a tank.

whiteonesugar · 27/09/2021 15:22

When the light comes on, but it makes me nervous! We ran out of diesel on the motorway in standstill traffic once, in our old car and now I get panicky! I might start topping up at half full!

We do fill it up completely though, as long as we have enough money to, i used to be a tenner every time girl but now i full it up I feel weirdly like more of an adult haha

MrsTerryPratchett · 27/09/2021 15:23

@purpleboy

Is there a "right point" to fill up your car? I let mine go to red then fill it up, I drive 60 miles a day and use a tank a week. But I often wonder if I could be damaging it by sometimes letting it go so low? Does anyone know?
With a diesel you really don't want to risk it. Petrol, do what you like.

The other slight benefit of filling up when it's not empty is that if someone puts the wrong fuel in, you might get away with it if you notice early. On fumes, you're buggered.

TeenMinusTests · 27/09/2021 15:24

Between a 1/4 full and the light coming on (80 miles to go).

SimonaLynn · 27/09/2021 15:25

You are not alone OP - I have anxiety if I see the tank get to half. I fill up every week.

Gilly12345 · 27/09/2021 15:25

Would generally fill up when down to 40-50 miles left.

PeonyTime · 27/09/2021 15:27

When I dont have enough to go to work the next day.
Usually around 50 miles, as my commute is just over 30, but my petrol take is definitely wide at the top and narrow at the bottom!!

ApplesAreTheBaneOfMyLife · 27/09/2021 15:28

I fill up when I get to approx 1/4 full. That will then last me about 2 weeks, unless I do any long journeys. Costs about £70 at the moment.

We live rurally and need to drive 5 miles to the nearest petrol station and none of the possibles are on routes that I would normally go (work or school run) so it does require a special trip.

bonkerspeople · 27/09/2021 15:29

@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 😅

I am like you OP. My tank is almost always full, very rarely less than half and it has been so since i started driving 22 years ago. Before I used to send dad to fill up and now hubby does it. I filled up my tank last Thursday and am so glad i didn't have to deal wity the crazy queues
Notjustanymum · 27/09/2021 15:30

January, April and August😬

HAB86 · 27/09/2021 15:31

Not before the light comes on but usually once it starts to flash at me! Then I fill the tank (£60).

So far petrol craziness seems to be at a minimum round here so when I filled up on Sat as light had come on I only filled a half tank (£30) to try and do my bit to keep things normal.

addictedtotheflats · 27/09/2021 15:31

In the red, or when my range says ---

SheABitSpicyToday · 27/09/2021 15:32

Mine said it had 4 miles left the other day then all of a sudden it just went blank. That scared me a bit! I can never be assed to fuel up.

Twatterati · 27/09/2021 15:32

Stupidly I leave it until the very last minute. Have decided after recent events to no longer do this! I only ever put £20-25 in, as I'm on a tight budget.

From now on I'm planning to put the same amount in when I've got between quarter and half a tank just in case of a similar situation again.

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