*POLL* Do you let the gas tank run to "empty" ?

[LAUST]

Not to mention the water that is in gas, I had a tank freeze on my back in high school cause I had so little and didn't know better back then.

I know gas is much better then it was back then though

Ahh the days of "Cheap Gas"

 

[Warthog912]

Originally posted by: Darein
The tank hits half and I am in line waiting for gas.

I'm just as paranoid

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: Rainsford
I'm confused, how is it cheaper to wait longer between fillups? You are still putting in the same amount of fuel overall.

Gas price goes up and down daily. If you have a set rule that you are getting gas no matter what when it hits a point on the fuel gauge - then you have no choice of what price point you buy the gas. However if you are flexible, you can buy gas more frequently when price is low, and you can buy gas less frequently when the price is high.

For example: suppose the price of oil plummets and you are entering a time of the year when gas prices typically fall (such as at the end of summer). Prices start dropping a penny or two a day. Your tank is 1/2 full. Do you get gas now? Or do you wait a few days hoping that the prices keep falling (which all the signs point to it occuring)? Sure you might be wrong and the price is steady or might rise. But in the long run you'll be right more than you are wrong. And thus you will save some money.

 

[opticalmace]

I let it get pretty low because I don't drive often (once per week maybe).

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: Haps
My tank holds 84 liters. I put 83.7 in it once coming back from a fishing trip.

now that's close!

 

[Spike]

I have done about 5 miles with the light on in my '97 Mazda 626, but even then it was kinda scary. Most of the time I fill up at about 1/8th of a tank (right above the E).

-spike

 

[FeathersMcGraw]

Originally posted by: dullard

For example: suppose the price of oil plummets and you are entering a time of the year when gas prices typically fall (such as at the end of summer). Prices start dropping a penny or two a day. Your tank is 1/2 full. Do you get gas now? Or do you wait a few days hoping that the prices keep falling (which all the signs point to it occuring)? Sure you might be wrong and the price is steady or might rise. But in the long run you'll be right more than you are wrong. And thus you will save some money.

So you wait a week to get gas to save maybe a dollar?

 

[Chiropteran]

Originally posted by: Rainsford

Originally posted by: Chiropteran
Unless I'm visiting my mom in Woodbridge where the gas is cheap, I don't fill up until the little red light comes on.

I'm confused, how is it cheaper to wait longer between fillups? You are still putting in the same amount of fuel overall.

I almost never let it run empty because I don't like running out, and I like being able to jump in the car and go somewhere without having to fill up, so I do it when I can when I start getting lower than 1/2.

It's cheaper in Woodbridge than it is in the metro DC area. If I can get it cheap, I'll fill up even if I still have half a tank, because it saves money. Otherwise I'll play it lazy and fill up only when I need to.

 

[Chiropteran]

Originally posted by: FeathersMcGraw


So you wait a week to get gas to save maybe a dollar?

Why not? It's not like waiting requires any effort.

 

[eakers]

never gets below a quarter

 

[omega2]

Everytime my gas tank is down to have, i always fill up. I remember the time of the great blackout. My gas tank was down to the last half, it came close to being empty, and the worst part is that you can't fill up without power. So, it's never below half for me.

 

[CraigRT]

I let it run to empty most of the time

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: FeathersMcGraw
So you wait a week to get gas to save maybe a dollar?

The money savings is small, yes. But it adds up. The greater benefit is the time savings. Filling your tank up half as often, saves you a lot of time. Time is money...

I'm not arguing that you should always wait until the last drop. I'm arguing that it is silly to have a completely inflexible arbitrary rule such as: "The tank will always be filled exactly when it his 1/2 full" - a rule like my wife has. I'm arguing that if you are a little bit more flexible, you can get gas when it is cheap, or when it is convenient, or when you don't have to stand in the rain, etc.

 

[glugglug]

No, 2 reasons:

1. As several have pointed out, it's bad for the fuel pump. You shouldn't really ever go below 1/4 tank for this reason.
2. Most gas gauges aren't that accurate. Do you really trust that the needle is stabilizing at "empty" at the right time when you can see it move by almost 1/2 tank when accelerating/decelerating?

 

[ajpa123]

Attributing laziness as the reason for letting your gas tank run to empty is generally not a good habit to get into.

Habits have a way with staying with you and one day, when you are using a car that several people use and let it run down, murphy's law says that it will run out of gas at the worst place that can possibly be imagined.

Conclusion: Allowing your gas tank to fall below 10% is ok if you're the only one using that car, but is down-right dumb when you share that car with people you love and want to keep safe.

 

[prontospyder]

I try not to run it to empty. The low fuel light doesn't work on my Intrepid.
But on our Altima, there's still 4 gallons left in the tank when the light comes on. Gives us lots of time to find a gas station. But we usually fill it up before the light comes on.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: LAUST
Not to mention the water that is in gas, I had a tank freeze on my back in high school cause I had so little and didn't know better back then.

I know gas is much better then it was back then though

Ahh the days of "Cheap Gas"

Does the water float on top of the gas?

 

[Swag1138]

Yep, once so bad that I barely coasted into the gas station. I know that I can drive for another hour after the light comes on when Im on the highway, and the time I can drive just happens to be just about equal to my drive to and from work.
I dont do that with my new car though

 

[shenaniganz]

Originally posted by: trmiv
"Listen to me. When that car rolls into that dealership, and that tank is bone dry, I want you to be there with me when everyone says, "Kramer and that other guy, oh, they went further to the left of the slash than anyone ever dreamed!"

Hehe. Seems like about half the threads have the obligatory Seinfled reference.

 

[thebestMAX]

I start to get nervous at a quarter.

If you run out of diesel in some models Mercedes, you might as well buy a new car.

 

[GoingUp]

Originally posted by: galvanizedyankee

Originally posted by: LAUST
No, it not only makes your fuel pump work harder but having it submerged in fuel helps cool it.

Do you run your CPU without a heatsync?

YEP!! So right you are.

The only time I will run a tank intentionally dry is if I have to remove it for some reason.
Letting a submerged f/p grab gulps of air is rough treatment. Most are vane type pumps.
To install a new pump is expensive

yea I had the one on my camero die... $700 to fix it...

 

[SSibalNom]

i only do it until its below the last line on the guage, but my gas light comes one way before that. one of my friends runs on empty ALL DAY, and already destroyed one engine, and is on his way to destroying the new one... funny how hell get his momto pay for a new engine but still to cheap to put in gas

 

[melly]

All the time.

 

[Zenmervolt]

The only car I've ever had the fuel light come on in is the 924S, and in that car the guage reads 1/8 to 1/4 tank pessimistic. Depending on how the car is feeling that day, it will read either 3/4 or 7/8 when the tank is topped off, so when the fuel light comes on and the needle is on "E" there is at least 2 gallons more than the guage reads and usually 4 gallons more (17 gallon tank).

The most I have ever put into a car was 14 gallons to top off the 18 gallon tank in my Mark VIII.

ZV

 

[MikeMike]

i think my car has a 16 gallon tank, 98 gmc jimmy. i have put 15.7 gallons in it before.

MIKE