Have you or do you run out of gasoline in your vehicle?

[SkateLeft]

I've never run out of gas. You never know when the Russians might invade, or the zombie apocalypse will start, so it's best to keep the tank full. ;)

 

Seriously though, I drive a big truck that gets about 10 miles to the gallon, so anytime my tank drops below half, I fill it up. Where I live, we have to keep our tanks as full as possible during the winter, because air in the tank means more likelihood of the fuel line freezing due to moisture in the tank.

 

My husband runs out of gas every once in a while. He drives a much smaller, more fuel efficient car, so he tends to not look at his gauge as often.

[swellmomma]

I have run out of gas twice and both times I knew it was a risk but had no choice, trying to get home from work praying I would make it because the next day was payday and I would have enough $$ to refill the tank. I have that prayer often with my car but have only run out of gas twice in my lifetime.

[swellmomma]

I've never run out of gas. You never know when the Russians might invade, or the zombie apocalypse will start, so it's best to keep the tank full. ;)

 

Seriously though, I drive a big truck that gets about 10 miles to the gallon, so anytime my tank drops below half, I fill it up. Where I live, we have to keep our tanks as full as possible during the winter, because air in the tank means more likelihood of the fuel line freezing due to moisture in the tank.

 

My husband runs out of gas every once in a while. He drives a much smaller, more fuel efficient car, so he tends to not look at his gauge as often.

 

Funny thing about those invasions. The other day the computer company that deals with ALL computer banking needs (think all bank accounts, all ATMs, all interac machines) in the province suffered an explosion. Banks/ATMs/Interac machines were down all over teh province. They focused on getting the banks and ATMs back online but interac was done most of the day. I had a meeting that day, and all 3 of us attending this meeting were having travelling issues because we all needed gas but had no access to our money. Made me think of all the natural disasters that could hit and knock out those systems and determine I never want to be stuck with 1/8 of a tank of gas and no cash again. I now keep a $20 hidden in the house (so kids don't find it) and plan to refill as soon as I hit the 1/2 way mark. Over the next few months I want to increase that hidden amount to $100. It wouldn't be much, just enough to refill the tank and get food if we had to evacuate or something to another family member's house out of town.

[Guest]

ONE time when I was in high school; I was so lucky b/c it was right in front of a gas station and a guy I had a crush on worked there. (Yes, total accident!) Anyway, this guy and I both had VW bugs, and he was really cool about helping me. Now, dh on the other hand, has NO qualms about running out of gas, frequently. :confused:

[jrn]

Once. It was a new to me, old car and I didn't know that the gas gauge wasn't working right.

[TammyinTN]

I've never run out of gas. I do very little driving these days and dh always fills up all the vehicles on the weekend so I don't have to. :auto:

[AndrewsDK]

I've run out a few times, but not in the last 10 years at least.

 

I get paranoid anytime it drops below a quarter tank. We live 15 or 30 miles (depending on which town you are headed to) from the nearest gas station. DH often forgets to check how much gas before heading home & has left me with a car on empty. So we have a 5 gallon gas can at home. I have often filled up just so I know I can make it to the gas station. :)

[melmichigan]

I ran out of gas once as a teen when the gas gauge broke and I didn't know it yet. DH keeps an eye on the gas gauge and fills whenever it gets below 1/2 and always before it gets to 1/4 of a tank. Otherwise he fills it whenever he gets paid.

[Tap]

It happened once when I parked over night on a steep hill. I know it wasn't out of gas when I parked it (fuel light not on) but it was low. The car wouldn't start in the morning because the fuel shifted to the lower end of the tank and wasn't near the fuel line. Dh added a gallon of gas and it started fine.

 

I have ran my car Very low before, but not actually ran out. Usually, it involves forgetting it was low before getting on the freeway, and not having an option to get to a gas station.

 

 

I do know that I can go at least 20 miles after my fuel light goes on. I don't usually fill up until the light is on....I like to live dangerously!

Edited July 17, 2012 by Tap, tap, tap

[Erica in OR]

I was leaving work one day and made a decision not to get gas at the station closest to work, but rather to cross the railroad tracks and go a few more blocks. Mistake. There ended up being a train crossing just before I got there and it was the type that is a long train that runs and runs and runs, then stops, backs up, goes forward, etc. I actually ran out of gas sitting there. (Although I shouldn't have let it run so low in the first place.)

 

Erica in OR

[higginszoo]

I've cut it awfully close, but I haven't actually run out before.

[Chelle in MO]

The second time I pushed it too far after the low fuel light had come on. I ran out of gas in the turn lane by the gas station near our house. Unfortunately, it's a busy intersection and a little uphill. I couldn't push it over to the gas station. I called my wife who brought me the mower gas can, which was enough to get me started and on to the gas station.

 

I seem to have a vague memory of that...:glare:

 

:D

[Bassoonaroo]

I never have but in the days before cell phones when I was a SAHM of an infant, DH would kindly call home before he left work to see if I needed anything. He called one day and I figured he'd be pulling in the driveway in the usual 25 minutes. An hour later, he humbly walks in saying he ran out of gas on the interstate exit where the road is banked (he said the banked road pulled gas in the tank away from the intake to the engine...). He had to walk to the nearest gas station and get a gallon.

 

That story is sort of unremarkable except for the fact that he ran out of gas a month later in the exact same place.

 

Now that we have teens learning to drive (and learning when to fuel up), I give that knowing glance to them when Daddy says, "Well, when the fuel light comes on, you can go another 50 miles..." or whatever he says.

[Sahamamama]

Never. Locked my father's keys in the car once when I was 8 or 9 (and have never stopped hearing about it :glare:), but I never ran out of gas.

[In the Rain]

Never. As much as I hate to pump gas, I would hate being stranded on the side (or middle) of the road even more.

[Veritaserum]

Dh has done it because he always drives for awhile after the gas light comes on. It has never happened to me because I always fill up when the gas is low.

[MissKNG]

It's never happened to me though I've gotten low enough for the little dashboard light to go off.

[Priscila]

When I was in high school and college with my first car I ran out a few times, and the reason was that I was poor and I prioritized food and books over buying gas. :D

 

But it hasn't happened since.

[Laurie4b]

When I was in college, it happened all the time. Some of it was trying to stretch my money (and gas was like 35 cents a gallon!) and some of it was ADDish.

[Melissa in NC]

My first car had a broke gas gauge so I just kept track of the miles I drove and filled up. I low balled the estimate and never ran out.

 

Since then I never go below a 1/4 tank. That way if I have a night time emergency and I need to go to the hospital, I will never have to stop for gas.

[KrissiK]

When I was a kid it happened to my dad a couple of times when I was in the car, so I voted that way. But me, personally, as a driver, no! I look for a gas station when it's a quarter of a tank.

[Galatea]

I've never run out of gas. I've had some times I've driven past the fuel light/alarm coming on, but I'm well aware of how much travel distance I have when that happens. My husband has never run out of gas either.

 

Did I miss it or did OP explain what these ladies explanation was for doing so frequently? My mind boggles at the frequently part.

[MomtoCandJ]

Dh had a truck with a broken gas gauge and many atime I had to take the mower gas can to him. (thank goodness at the time I worked at a gas station so that I could just fill the can whenever I went to work). Eventually I just bought another can and kept it full in my car. His trachometer didn't work either.

[kiana]

I ran out a time or two in my truck with the broken fuel gauge. The one that ticked me off was when my brother reset the tripmeter but only put in 5 gallons.