To have run the petrol down to 40 miles left

[Baby3or]

I recently drove 115 miles on a motorway back to London suburbs. I was watching the petrol number the whole way (it gives it in miles left to go before it’s empty) and at 70 I was considering stopping for petrol (lots of places on the motorway and then lots of places in city suburbs on the way to our house). I decided not to stop as baby was asleep and also our older child was keen to get home after a long journey.

we live less than a mile from a big supermarket with a petrol station and also plenty of other places to fill up.

husband had a go at me saying ‘what would I have done if we had run out of petrol / how had I let myself get in that situation’ I said I was fully aware how much was left and I made a decision not to refuel as on balance it was low but not empty.

AIBU??

He'd hate me, when my petrol light comes on (regularly) my car stops telling me how many miles I have left and so commences the petrol roulette... Fun game 🤣

I regularly play ‘petrol roulette’, which involves driving to the petrol station only when the light is not just on, but flashing and says 0 miles left. I don’t know why I do it-adds a bit of excitement I suppose 😁

I've run out of fuel twice - with over confidence in the gauge.

I don't think I let it go below 40 now. And that's when I know exactly where the petrol stations are.

I do think there is something about sediment when it goes low.

In Germany, I think you can get fined if you run out of fuel on the autobahn

Driving on the Autobahn in Germany: Must-Read Tips & Info

"Running out of fuel on the Autobahn is illegal, as it as seen as a preventable circumstance, and leads to stopping on the Autobahn, which, as stated in rule 2, is prohibited"

This!! The light is the only reason I remember to fill up...

OP think of your car and it's diminishing petrol as a metaphor for your relationship. It's running down to zero and soon you won't care. You will choose your own car, your own petrol and your own road to travel down with your lovely DC. You can all wave at your awful husband as you drive off.

You can go past zero, my old car used to put - - - when it was below zero 🤷🏻‍♀️ it still worked lol.

I run mine down and fill up every time. We currently don’t have a car with a mile counter so it’s a little more dicey. But 🤷🏻‍♀️

Oh Christ alive 🤣 I regularly fill up when I’m running on fumes. And I mean 15 miles left. I don’t know why but I absolutely DETEST filling up, so I avoid it as long as possible. If I could run my car like Fred Flintstone I would

I don’t even fill it up. The light comes on and I think “there’ll be 60 miles left”. Then I sort of forget about it. Then the magic fairies fill
it up. I did mention it to DP recently, I’m saving a fortune.

Our car doesn't even have the fuel light on til you get to 45 miles left, and I don't go rushing to the petrol station.

Before we sold a car recently we decided we might as well use up as much of the diesel as we could...went for a day trip an hour or so up the motorway and back, the range was more at the end of the day than when we started.

My dh is a bit like this regarding filling up but he rarely knows if I have gone really low unless we take my car instead of his. He might ask why I didn't fill up earlier but that would be all and we would then just get on with whatever. Certainly doesn't make a song and dance about it. The last time I was low it had got to 12 miles and light was obviously on. I also live about 5 minutes from a petrol station. So how did he know or do you both use the car. I would probably have filled up at the petrol station near you before going home. I also like to fill up with the cheapest petrol if I can but the one near us you have to pre pay and I hate guessing what amount to prepay even if you can get a refund if you pay too much. Too much a faff to do that.

I fill up when I’m on around 10 miles. Bizarre way to act

Next time you take your cars to be serviced which I am sure you all do regularly then ask them there about it, not sure how it is a male female thing rather that it not being good for an engine thing

It doesn’t matter you’ve at least a gallon once it gets to zero so on a diesel that’s around another 50 miles. Had mine below zero many times never run out.

LOLLLLL

He would have heart attack if it was me, my car ran on fumes and a drizzle of petrol if I felt generous for years!

Dh fills up nice and early. I regularly drive 5 miles to the petrol station with my car telling me I have 0 miles left.

We have our own cars. I don't think he could survive my cavalier attitude.

I usually run the petrol down to that or lower - although if I have a long motorway drive I'd probably fill up first - but that's just because I hate paying higher prices on the motorway, and I don't do many long journeys and I'd rather not be stressed about it.

I realised only a couple of years ago that the 'miles left' indicator fluctuates depending on the type of traffic and how you're driving. I once had 40 left but when I had to drive along narrow, twisty country roads it suddenly dropped to 15, made me worry a bit, never been as glad to see Morrisons!

So why when my car was on 18 and the fuel light was flashing did it run out?

I have done 10 miles after the zero before. Not ideal, but there were no petrol stations as we were in the middle of nowhere. I usually fill up about 20 miles left

You were fine! I don't go below about 60 as the hospital is 25 miles away - just in case I had to make a mad dash to A and E (with Dad). We are rural too and a long way from a sensible pruced petrol station.

But in your case, I'm with you. 40 is fine.

When I drove an ICE car I used to love seeing how low I could go. Pulling in to the petrol station on no more than 0 was the aim.

He sounds like no fun @Baby3or

My DH regularly used to do as you do, until one day he found out to his cost how inaccurate the gauge can be - by running out of fuel in the middle of the Dartford Tunnel (well before the QEII Bridge was open). He's never run it that low since.

I also had a friend who always relied on her fuel warning light coming on before she filled up. Until one day it just didn't come on because the bulb behind the dashboard had failed. She too ran out of fuel, but was fortunately on her parents' drive when it happened (the engine just couldn't start to go home and her Dad had to go out and get fuel for her car). She no longer relies on the warnings and fills up before they kick in.

I don't run my car much below a quarter tank because I worry about dirt and debris getting sucked through into the engine.

So I am a bit on team DH, but hopefully without the patronising manner.

I was getting a new car on Friday so when my fuel light came on on Thursday I didn’t fill it up. We got stuck in traffic on the way to the garage and we had 40miles left. DH was really panicking but we could see the garage just over the roundabout. I told him if he didn’t shut up I was going to get out and walk. Needless to say we got to the garage with 40 miles left still showing. My new car is electric and I can’t say I’m looking forward to his range anxiety 🙄

It does sound like your fuel tank is the least of your worries though, OP.

I play petrol roulette all the time as DH calls it, it drives him crazy. I did 40 miles when it was on zero once , was sweating a bit.