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??

I regularly run down to the last section of the gauge and that's 30 miles. After that, it's unreliable so can go from 30 to 20 in half a mile, and then I get a bit twitchy. In 7 years of having this car, and 30 years of car ownership, I've never run out of petrol.

@Baby3or he’s lucky he has you… my car is either full to the brim or the empty light has been and gone and it’s now screeching at me and won’t give me a driving range anymore… I have a jerrycan in the boot and full breakdown cover that includes petrol idiocy I think…

I'll just add my voice to the others saying don't run your car down to almost empty. It causes damage. It really does. (Down to about 20 miles is fine.)

Fuel light flashing is a Vauxhall thing and usually very empty. Doubt very much it showed 18 on the mileage but needs checking. Ones it starts flashing you’re very very low.

I despise filling up with fuel, I literally hate it!

So my favourite trick is to wait until my light is on and then plead with DH to borrow his posh car for the day (and he always says yes) and he brings my truck home brimmed with diesel and we're all happy!!

I did learn the had way not to do that in my old camper van..... that fuel gauge is most unreliable and petrol stations in rural Cornwall are few and far between!!!😂

My car has cried wolf too often. We drive it round for miles on zero. Haven't run out once. 40 miles is loads.

Mine starts flashing below 30.

It hasn't done that for a long time - because I learnt my lesson. Eventually

cakeorwine · Today 21:26

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

Yes, you can be fined in the UK for that, too.

https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/mum-fined-running-out-fuel-13787570

Sediment does form over time and clog the injectors, which will be an expensive replacement. Mind you, I know people who run their fuel down low and don't know of it personally - the fuel lines do have filters, which are quick, easy replacements.

... And all the posters here doing it!

Gauges are designed with reckless fools in mind, of course and read zero when there's a good bit left, on purpose!

Your husband would either divorce me or stick me under the patio. Careful testing has taught me that my car will do at least 18 miles when it's telling me it has 0 miles left to run.

Mine does this annoying thing where it sets its satnav to a petrol station if it gets low, really messes with my chaotic, live life on the edge ways. I always leave it to the very dregs of the tank before I fill 🤷‍♀️

My husband always tells me off for having next to nothing in the tank (actually, a metaphor for my life...). Today, I beat my record: 3 miles left. I knew I had enough to drive from work to the nearest petrol station. I still got an exciting rush of adrenaline even if I made it safely !

Lol. YANBU. My light comes on when I get to about 35 miles left. I do top up pretty quickly though because it is a 20 year old car and I don't trust it 😁.

I hope you enjoy paying to have the engine flushed to clear all the sediment you've allowed to enter the system. What's the point of playing Russian roulette, it doesn't save you anything and it can cost you a lot!

I disagree 40 miles is too low, but what is an acceptable amount to have left - when near to home and with a petrol station nearby? Is it 100 miles and at all times you have to have a quarter/third/half tank left?

Context is everything. But you’re right this is MN, where we can barely use cars in case any petrol is consumed in the process.

JudgeJ · Today 21:47

I hope you enjoy paying to have the engine flushed to clear all the sediment you've allowed to enter the system.

The injectors get clogged, if there are no inline fuel filters. It kills them, but the engine will be fine. The fuel pump may have to be re-primed, which costs a few bob.

It all depends, OP ... are you running the tank down to zero, so that he has to pay to fill it up? In that case, I applaud you. Or are you doing it in the hope that he explodes in rage and dies of a conniption fit ... in which case, ditto. Or are you putting the money saved into a running-away fund? Yay!

Well, your DH would hate me... I drove really badly the other day and actually ran out of diesel. My mum was in the car with me and luckily we grew a few miles down the road from home/a garage. The car actually kept going for about an extra 10 miles beyond being empty lol 😆

I was panicking like mad but my mum just thought it was quite amusing, that I was being a bit silly overreacting, and that I should lighten up by seeing it as a little adventure... 😆😳🤣

Thank goodness I made it home OK and wasn't stuck in the middle of nowhere. My DH would have been chastising my lack of foresight/organisation etc but my mum just expected it so wasn't fazed...!'😆🤣🤣

DH moans at me if I run mine down too much, apparently the sludge at the bottom of the petrol tank is bad for the engine. He's not a mechanic though so could be talking shite.

Your husband sounds like mine. My dh after years of making me feel like a naughty child and putting me on egg shells had a mental health crisis. In hindsight I think I was facilitating his anxiety. Your response to petrol gripe is exactly right. I spell it out to dh now that it’s his problem not mine and we’re both a lot better off for it. Good luck

I start panicking when I get into double digits so you guys with less than 40 miles are stressing me out 😂😂 In my defence, I live in the country and sometimes there’s no petrol in the nearest garage so I don’t risk it. My dad also told me off for leaving it so low once I passed my test as he said you never know if you’ll be stuck in traffic / diverted / stranded in snow so I think that’s part of my craziness too. I’m glad to hear there are so many chilled people here 😂

Of course it saves something if you fill up when your car is running low - and by that I mean 10 miles, not 40 or 0. It saves time. If you fill up every time your car has a quarter left you'll have to do it 4 times to someone else's 3.

I’ve just realised I haven’t filled my car up in a few years. DH always fills it up for me as I think he probably realised it would totally just run out on the driveway.

Serious question, are you aware that running it low can cause all sorts of other engine issues as it sucks all the shit out the bottom of the tank?

That said, I agree with everyone else that your DH is a dickhead for having a go at you, he could have just explained why letting it run low it bad for the car and ask you to be more aware next time. But I can't help and wonder if you did it on purpose to oiss him off.

Some cars, zero means zero. Other cars zero means 10 miles left. But quite importantly you should fill up before you get to dregs because the filter can get a bit clogged. CAN, not will. If your fuel pump is a pull rather than a push then you have to re prime it. Those type hardly exist now.you only have to really worry when the car fakes coughing, the ecu purposefully scares you to get more fuel. Then you have about 1 mile left. If your husband was capable of communication why couldn't he say.. could we get some fuel, I'm feeling nervous having so little. I always think if there's 2 petrol stations in range then I'm safe.

There is probably something in it. We've had the 'chat' too and my DH said something similar but I switched off after about 30 seconds lol. I did take it on board and fortunately he doesn't drive my car often. He's not a mechanic but he is a heavy plant engineer and knows more than me about this kind of stuff.