What to do if you run out of petrol

[Dan C]

When the car (Honda CRV) light comes on, its good for 55km. I once filled it right up as the light came on and it took 47 litres. The fuel tank is 53 litres

I think this applies to most cars today

That 55km can quickly reduce in heavy traffic.

 

[Not_original]

I ran out of petrol twice in my life and that was twice too many. Once I was late for an appointment with a client (back in my IT boots on the floor days). I knew I had to fill it but decided to chance it. Made it to the client, didn't make it back to a station.

The other was with a bike I had that had no fuel gauge, just the good old fuel tap with a "reserve" which is just two inlets sitting at different heights. Felt the bike starve and switched over.... and promptly forgot. That sinking feeling the second time when it happened and I reached down, only to find it in "reserve" already was utterly kak. Even light bikes gets really heavy when pushing them up a slight incline

 

[Sepeng]

Unfortunate circumstances? I got to a petrol station a couple of weeks ago in the middle of nowhere and their tanks were dry. I was a rental and shouldn't have trusted the KM remaining before I set out but it would have meant driving 40km in the wrong direction to fill up so I chanced it.

Fortunately there was a second petrol station nearby that google maps didn't know about.

This the closest I've come to running out as well, was down Garden Route side. But I made the 30km to the next station with apparently 0km to spare (it said 0 for a few km actually).

Last time I was in a car that ran out of fuel was with my dad. It was the first time he had a car with the digital KM remaining read out and he wanted to test it. So me and him got a small jerry can with 5 litres I think it was, when it said 20km remaining we basically circled the area around a petrol station till it ran out, filled in the 5 litres and drove to the petrol station. Gave out at 10km remaining.

 

[PhireSide]

I panic when the light comes on.

So, once a year, more or less?

 

[PhireSide]

I ran out of petrol twice in my life and that was twice too many. Once I was late for an appointment with a client (back in my IT boots on the floor days). I knew I had to fill it but decided to chance it. Made it to the client, didn't make it back to a station.

The other was with a bike I had that had no fuel gauge, just the good old fuel tap with a "reserve" which is just two inlets sitting at different heights. Felt the bike starve and switched over.... and promptly forgot. That sinking feeling the second time when it happened and I reached down, only to find it in "reserve" already was utterly kak. Even light bikes gets really heavy when pushing them up a slight incline

I had this happen with my KLR a few years back on the Belmont Valley road near Grahamstown.

Fortunately the fuel tank straddles the frame, so you could tilt the bike on its side and get the last few litres to slosh back over to where the petcock is. This was enough juice to boot it back to town and fill up

 

[Goosfrabba]

If you had just put in the magic tablet in your tank, you wouldn't be running out of fuel

 

[UrBaN963]

What to do if you run out of petrol

Put in more petrol.

 

[Pho3nix]

You make a point, But what about the idiots running out of fuel on the highway in the middle of joburg, Surrounded by at least 4 filling stations in each direction.

I've been stuck on the freeway. Driving home from the assessor and hit traffic on the M1 South (Killarney area). No stations around as you'd know.
Didn't know accident earlier that day had punctured my fuel tank.

 

[HunterNW]

Why are you still friends with someone like that?

Benefits.

 

[bubblebrain8]

Why would anyone with a brain run out of petrol?

Same reason they'd gamble

 

[wireddreams]

Happened to me once. Petrol gauge was broken. Called AA and the brought me fuel...

 

[Mogo]

Why would anyone with a brain run out of petrol?

I was fortunate to have a 98 Corsa during my student days but without a working fuel guage.
I got stuck about 3 times but after that, my maths was on point. Could accurately calculate my range based on my driving style and how much fuel put in (usually between R50 and R200).

 

[MikeaMatrix]

Always keep a quarter of a tank of fuel. Never go lower.

 

[PsYTraNc3]

Why would anyone with a brain run out of petrol?

If you run out of petrol, you better pray your fuel pump didn't damage itself. If you didn't know, the fuel cools the pump.

I recently ran out of fuel twice because of a bad fuel pump (Which also has the float attached and wasn't working properly)
My fuel gage was not working properly and I ended up getting stuck with no fuel even though I had 50+km range left on the first occasion and 80+ on the second according to the car.

What I did: Called insurance who sent someone with 10l free fuel.

A new fuel pump later and problem solved.

 

[supersunbird]

I hate stopping and fulling up , such a time waster exercise .

I run till it is absolutely necessary, had a few miscalculations

Just phone a friend

As if this waiting around for a friend and whatnot is not even more of a time waster exercise.

 

[bubblebrain8]

I panic when the light comes on.

I like to live in your panic zone then.

"This lil light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine"

 

[deweyzeph]

In South Africa running out of petrol in the wrong area, or the wrong highway, is potentially a death sentence. There are many many horrific stories of people running out of petrol and being robbed, shot and killed. I don't care how expensive petrol is, it's not worth being a cheapskate when your life could depend on it.

 

[dualmeister]

Why would anyone with a brain run out of petrol?

Never once run out of petrol in the 32 years that I have been driving

 

[Yoztruly]

My polo could go 22 km after the reading gets to 0.

One day I was driving with my mom in her Honda Ballade with an analogue reading. Car got to Empty and the light come on. I didn’t like the service at the nearest filling station so I convinced her that we should chance it. We did and we ran out of fuel 3 km down the road. I was so embarrassed but luckily could run back and buy 5 litres from the same place. I hated the place even more from then on. Fun times I tell you.

 

["D"]

Running out of petrol may prove to be a growing issue in the coming days as the cost of fuel becomes difficult to bear for many households.

Solutions are as follows.

Option A:

Pack a tricycle into the boot, just in case.

Option B:

Start living in your car.
(Family and all, seeing as that is even more economical.)