Running out of petrol

[jmh740]

So after a discussion with Oh yesterday can I ask how many times you have ever run out of petrol and how many years you have been driving.

Person A run out once in 25 years of driving.

Person B run out 4 times in 30 years of driving.

Person A thinks B is irresponsible and most people have never run out. Person B thinks 4 times in 30 years is not much.

Never in a car in 27yrs.

Once on a 125cc motorbike when it turned out the garage had opened the emergency supply and my gauge was sticky. Fortunately my DH was with me so he rode home on his bike to get the car and a petrol container. Learned that lesson the hard way!

Driving ten years. I've never run out of petrol but there was one occasion where it got so low that the car grumbled quite a bit about starting.

I do have a story from working in lorry breakdowns. Company called saying they wanted a patrol out. Reason for breakdown - ran out of diesel. Location of breakdown - the motorway services.

When I asked if they were certain they wanted a call out, which they would have to pay for, they got very irate with me and insisted they wanted someone out.

We had a call an hour later to cancel the call out because they'd discovered it's actually quite easy to find diesel at the motorway services.

Once in 35 years. Turned out the electronic petrol gauge had failed and was stuck at 1/4 tank.

Once but was in the middle of nowhere and conked out on a steep hill.
Usually leave it til the light comes on for filling up though as don't use it loads and petrol station 1 minute from home.
I just have the display with 8 blocks that disappear as the fuel is used and I think if the last one flashes I really am on fumes as it's only happened once!

20 years, never run pit.
You are both irresponsible

19 years driving and never once run out. That includes a lot of driving around in the highlands where petrol stations can be few and far between.
How does it even happen?

20 years driving and never run out. Been bloody close a few times but never had to push it to pump or use a jerry can!

Over 30 years driving and have never run out.

Driving for 40 years and never run out

Never in 40 years. Only time it happened to me was in my driving instructor's car - I was not impressed and gave up on him soon after.

DH tends to let the tank go low though - drives me mad when I need to drive 'his' car (technically mine and 'mine' is technically his)

50 years and never run out once. Got close once on holiday, but managed to find a petrol station in time and was very aware of petrol gauge, but was out in the sticks and hadn't passed a garage for ages.

I have NO idea and it drives me CRAZY. My theory is that has something to do with the choke, but I've spoken to my mechanic, who took a look at the choke and the computer that adjusts it and he says it looks fine. He also has no idea but tells me that this isn't entirely unusual. One of his colleagues' has a theory that when the tank is less full it evaporates more. Who knows!?

To give you a sense of what I'm talking about: I always measure my mileage vs amount of petrol consumed. So, if I fill up at roughly the same half way mark, it will work out that I've usually been able to achieve around 12-13km/litre (assuming my usual pattern of mostly driving locally, for short journeys). However, if I let it get to almost empty (as I did last week), I will get only around 10km/litre. It will be worse in the winter (one of the reasons I think it's the choke).

Never ceases to drive me crazy.

Never. And nearly 40 years. I cut it very fine once in an electric car though.

I think it's a lot harder to do in modern cars though.

I've run out once, in the queue to get to the pump when the petrol station I was originally aiming for was shut... Car didn't have much range normally and we both thought the tank was 5l bigger than it was (did a rough calculation of normal mpg vs mileage covered before leaving as other option was cancelling the day's plans and asking DH to come back with a can...

33 years and never. Used to live in HK where running out is a motoring offence if the police see you (points and fine) as it’s considered careless driving resulting in you causing an obstruction. Also you’re not allowed to buy fuel in a can so you have to get towed or get a garage to bring you some.

Never. And never misfuelled either.

I've been driving since 1983 and only ran out once which was in the first week after passing my test! I almost made it to a petrol station! I was about 200 yards short!

I ended up at a standstill in the middle of a busy road and thankfully some lovely men jumped out of their car and pushed me into the garage!

Never again did I make that mistake!

Could be to do with sensor placement within the tank - so when it is showing half it is actually a bit less (especially if more of your driving is up and down slopes) - it may feel like it goes down quicker because when the gague shows half, there is actually less than half left

Never. I fill up when I get to 1/4 of a tank and I always fill a full tank and check my tire pressure before setting off on a journey longer than 1h. I cannot invision ever running out except maybe when my partner borrows my car and returns it with an empty tank. But that only happened twice before I refused to give him the keys unless he returns it topped up.

22 years driving and never run out, neither has DH and he’s been driving 30 years.

I don't recall ever running out of petrol in 28 years

Never in 20+ years. Skated pretty damn close to it a few times though!

19 years driving and ran out twice. First time was due to a dodgy fuel sender on a new to me car (was reading full). Second time I was chancing it due to money issues and was finally on my way to the petrol station.

It happens and it’s not something I could get worked up about.

25 years. Run out twice. Once I was close enough to push it to the petrol station.

Quinlan How does it happen?

We did a test drive, as we left the dealership the salesman mumbled - “I’ll get petrol afterwards”. The car ground to a halt on the motorway. The manager had to get a police officer with a motorcycle to warn drivers coming over the hill, and another car to pick us up.