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 😅

I absolutely hate putting petrol in my car so always wait till it’s been empty for a while then fill it right up.
I’m just below 1/4 at the moment - drove past 3 petrol stations today - all closed.
Am hoping by the end of the week I’ll be able to fill up.

Usually when the warning light comes on

Generally I fill up when it's at about an 1/8 left in the tank unless i'm planning on making a big journey. Then I'll fill it before I set off. Today I was on the warning light, passed 5 garages that had no fuel and had to resort to the motorway services on my way home.

I've got a range counter, so I tend to fill up if it's dropped to around 50 miles unless I know I am travelling a long distance then I'll do it earlier. When I top up I always go for a full tank though (even though its probably not as efficient).

Usually about 2 days after the light comes on.

Red light and beyond

Half to quarter full. Running it below that is risky, if there's a shortage you're fucked. Same with the supermarket shortages last March, anyone who leaves it until they're down to their last half a bog roll was stuffed.

Usually when it's just under quarter of a tank.

I've got a range counter and it can sudden drop from around 25 miles to 7 miles so I've actually no idea how accurate my mileage indicator is.

When I lived in London at 1/4 now I live in rural market town at 1/2 tank.
I’ve run out of fuel twice in my youth. Once when someone borrowed my car and didn’t leave enough fuel for me to get to the nearest petrol station and the other abroad. Neither were much fun.

Thank you MrsTerry I'm petrol. So I don't need to worry.

Well below a quarter-full, and frequently not until the light comes on. My car doesn't have a very big tank anyway, and I rarely put in more than £30.

I don't want to waste petrol (or money) carrying the weight of a full tank around all the time.

Normally some time after the light comes on when I'm at risk at running out. Then I fill it up to the top.

Of course I was in this situation last Friday .

I bought a new car on Thursday that came with not much fuel in it, did a bit of running round on Thursday and Friday, then the light came on, then I did some more running around, then it went right to the bottom and I thought 'shit I'll have to get some fuel'.

Queued for 5-10 mins at supermarket petrol station, which was busy but had fuel, and I filled it up because it's only a small tank and I like to see how many miles I get out of a tank so I can then know how long I can leave it before I fill up again - it doesn't have a petrol range. I must have been very close to running out because it's a 35 litre tank and it took 35.5 litres and that was only to the first click.

I don't think I'll leave it quite that long next time, if this sort of nonsense is to carry on.

When the light comes on. I live very close to a number of garages and really only drive locally.

The light comes on and my car says I have 20-30 miles of fuel left.

Thanks all. It doesn't help my car is crap on fuel. It's a 5 year old Peugeot 2008 and it drains it, so much so thinking about trading it in! But that's another story!

Not using it unless essential because of all this. have 3/4 left but have a hospital app this week, a 20 mile trip Friday and god knows what at the weekend with the kids (Not working currently so don't need much in the week) and more apps next week. That will drain a lot of what I have left. Thankfully my kids school is behind us so not needed for the school run!

My nearest is at the supermarket about 10 miles away so usually just fill it up when I go to get my big weekly - 10 day shop. It's usually around 1/4 to a 1/3 full when I do this. Mine is diesel so I prefer not to get to the lowest point as I know it's not good for a Diesel engine.

Previous petrol car when living in a larger town with many more petrol stations - definitely played refill roulette with gauge saying zero miles left a few times. Never got stuck though.

I use about a third of a tank per week so fill up every other week when I do my weekly shop. I don't like to go below 1/3rd of a tank in case I need to do an additional emergency journey that will then leave me short for the rest of the week. I use the supermarket petrol station as it is the cheapest in the area and it makes sense to fill up while I am there doing the shopping rather than making an extra journey just to get fuel.

I managed to fill up (on my normal day) on Friday so should have no need to go to the petrol station for another fortnight.

When the light comes on. And even then not immediately, but always by the time the 30 mile number starts flashing (about five miles after the light). I live half a mile away from a 24hr petrol station though (which currently has no fuel 😂). I put £50 worth in on Friday though, before said petrol station ran out of petrol. My Dad is a stickler for always keeping half a tank to though and tells me off about letting me light come on. My parents are two of those smug people now with full tanks who are retired and don’t need to go anywhere!

Normally when it gets to 1/4 of a tank. I start getting anxious when it says I have 100 miles left. I've never let it go below 50 miles to go but that is because my commute is about 40 miles each way so I have to fill up at least once a week.

A very organised friend of mine routinely goes to refill every Sunday.

I hate doing it, so when the light comes on, and depending on how efficient the handset is, I vary how much I put in. Rarely use the car though so I can justify my laziness.

I used to leave it until the light came on. Then got into a habit of filling it up every Saturday on the way back from our kids sport. Now with having to make middle of the night drives to help elderly parents I keep it above half.

When I have the money. Usually on the red. I don't get why you fill up at half full. That's odd.

Half tank normally. Occasionally quarter tank

I like to keep it between 1/4 and 1/2 tank. I don't use it every day and it's a really old car so don't want a whole tank of fuel in it if it suddenly dies.

My DP usually only has a few miles left before he tops up. It's frequently at zero by the time he bothers to fill up. Not great in the current climate where our nearest fuel station has closed.

When it's got about 25miles left or the red light comes on (about 15miles) - quite rural but there's a couple of petrol stations not far -

Will also fill up if on more miles if I've got a few work visits planned as am worried of running out in the middle of nowhere.