Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 ··· 7 8 9 ··· 13 14

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:

Sunshinealligator · 27/09/2021 17:36

I'll run it till its pretty empty. Usually about 25 miles in the tank. I'll fill it all the way up once a week or so

Droite · 27/09/2021 17:38

When the tank is around a quarter full. I would hate to keep refilling only half a tankful or less, going to the garage is certainly not my favourite activity.

speakout · 27/09/2021 17:39

Just before light comes on. I know my gauge.
Unless I am near a Costco or cheap outlet, then I may top up at half a tank.

Biker47 · 27/09/2021 17:41

Fill both motorbike and car up when petrol light comes on. Going forward I'm going to fill up my jerry cans at the start of the month and refuel my motorbike at home.

safariboot · 27/09/2021 17:41

When the light comes on. When that happens there's still nearly 10 litres in the tank actually.

But I wonder. I'm at a quarter on the gauge at the moment. When the light comes on, will the government's claim that there is no shortage and I didn't need to panic buy be true? I'm sceptical.

icedcoffees · 27/09/2021 17:42

1/4 of a tank generally, though I did fill up today with half a tank to go.

But we're rural and don't have many places to fill up, and I rely on my car for work (I'm a dog walker so in/out of it all day). I really, really don't want to risk getting stranded with a load of dogs in the car because I let my fuel run down too low.

I filled up today because our local garage has no diesel and neither of the others within 15 miles of us have any petrol left either..

Wannakisstheteacher · 27/09/2021 17:46

If the light isn’t flashing, it doesn’t need filling 😁

RufustheBadgeringReindeer · 27/09/2021 17:46

Dh fills the cars up at half a tank

When i had my old car it was quite often on less than a quarter of a tank

If we are going on a trip then he would probably fill it up completely whatever level it was at

speakout · 27/09/2021 17:46

Sometimes I wait until the light comes on, but I only have one filling station near me- the next is 5 miles away. My local station is often busy at peak times Friday lunchtime onwards, all weekend, and I don't like waiting in a queue, especially if I am planning to drive somewhere.
So I also consider refuelling at quiet times- a Thursday afternoon perhaps.
Schools in many parts of Scotland finish for the week st 12 noon on a Friday, so that is the beginning of the rush hour!

Tulipomania · 27/09/2021 17:47

I plug mine in at home most evenings.

That way I always start each day with a full battery.

Bayleaf25 · 27/09/2021 17:48

When the light comes on - which needless to say I’m regretting this slightly now as really need to fill up but the two stations I went past didn’t have fuel and I didn’t want to drive out of my way and waste what little we have left.

Dizzyhedgehog · 27/09/2021 17:52

When the light goes on...usually. It's never occurred to me that anyone would keep topping it up. Going to the petrol station is an inconvenience I try to avoid as much as possible. DS thinks it's called the "pretzel station", because he gets a pretzel every time we go there.

lljkk · 27/09/2021 17:55

I aim for about 50 miles after the light came on.
I believe tank has 20-30 miles left at that point.
Unless you can only afford small payments at a time, I don't quite understand why go get fuel any more often than you have to, isn't your time more valuable than that. So try to go as little as possible.

There are 5-7 stations within 10 miles of my home.

Step-mum refills as soon as her tank goes below half. She literally refills twice as often as I would. There are many dozen petrol stations within 10 miles of her home.

MurielSpriggs · 27/09/2021 17:57

Let's just say that I learned years ago that those lights lie - you can go an awfully long way after the light comes on

I don't like wasting time fannying about with petrol pumps, so I'd rather put in large amounts infrequently.

AdoraBell · 27/09/2021 17:58

We fill up when it’s down to a quarter of the tank. We’re driving to Essex this weekend for a family event. Hoping we’ll be able to get petrol for the return journey.

MurielSpriggs · 27/09/2021 17:59

Also, your car will use less fuel if you are carrying around less petrol as weight. And I'd rather have the money sitting in cash in my bank account than sitting in petrol in the car!

MurielSpriggs · 27/09/2021 18:00

Or maybe it's diesel

Berkeys · 27/09/2021 18:01

We plug it into the charger when we get home (driveway). It is auto set to charge itself to 90% so it does its thing then goes to sleep. Day always starts with a full battery.

speakout · 27/09/2021 18:02

MurielSpriggs
Also, your car will use less fuel if you are carrying around less petrol as weight. And I'd rather have the money sitting in cash in my bank account than sitting in petrol in the car!

I suspect it is negligible.
And how much you value your time.

londonrach · 27/09/2021 18:03

Husband...when red light comes on....me when it's 1/4 full which for both cars fell this weekend...we both managed to get fuel without too much a problem...I'd not been able to treat patients if no fuel and DH not been able to do his job....

icedcoffees · 27/09/2021 18:03

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?

londonrach · 27/09/2021 18:05

My dad always refuses when half full...he never got under half a tank of petrol

TheGrumpyGoat · 27/09/2021 18:06

@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?

I have another 6 petrol stations within a few miles, so I’d go to one of them instead. I have 50 miles left when my light comes on.

NightVinca · 27/09/2021 18:07

When the light comes on

RufustheBadgeringReindeer · 27/09/2021 18:08

DS thinks it's called the "pretzel station", because he gets a pretzel every time we go there

That’s adorable

Flip

1 2 ··· 7 8 9 ··· 13 14