How far can I go?

[SGirl]

I've just got back from the garage where I've taken one of the cars for servicing. The loan car they gave me had an empty tank, and there are no petrol stations on my way home. So I was going to go home (8 miles), swap cars, drive to pick up some fuel in a small can and then make sure I had enough to get myself about for the day.

I didn't even get that far. Ran out of fuel two miles from home.

So, being in a mood with the garage now, I was wondering just how far I can drive on just under 5 litres of unleaded in a 1995 2.0 Omega? Anyone know? I just want to give the car back in the same state that they gave it to me...

I promise I shall calm down over the course of the day....

[mondeoman]

QUoted at 30 mpg, so for 5 litres figure on about that as a maximum...... (unless its all town driving, in which case drop that to about 24) or if you hoon it around then say 20 ..........

[jeremyc]

Ah the spirit of goodwill is alive and kicking at Christmas.

Presumably your plan is to perpetrate the same crime as the previous user of the loan car. Now my Mum always told me that two wrongs don't make a right.

I understand your frustration SGirl, but is it really worth the saving of a few pence to vent your anger (at the expense of your blood pressure)?

If it is, I'm sure that syphoning lessons can be provided.

[rude girl]

That's disgraceful. I'd give them the full force of your personality when you go back if I were you. Make sure the place is busy when you do it too!

[yertis]

God is that all this is about, fuel consumption.

Ah well, I'll say it anyway...

Go all the way SGirl, all the way.

[SGirl]

Nonono!! My aim isn't to inconvenience the next lucky recipient of such a luxurious vehicle (!), and the money doesn't really come into it. It's just that sorting out the problem they caused by simply failing to put enough fuel in the thing to get me to somewhere where I could actually put some more in has cost me a morning's income (self-employed, see), and a quick call to the garage (6 miles from where It happened) got a "sorry, your problem" response.

I mean, if all they were doing on my car was something quick and cheap then fine, but I'm going to be giving them hundreds (hopefully not thousands!) of pounds later in the day. So why couldn't they make sure there was a fiver's worth of petrol in the loan car??!

Not to worry. As you say, no point in raising my blood pressure over it. That car is up for sale anyway - shan't be buying it now.

Edited to add: "Sorry, your problem"!!!! Aaaaaaargh!!!!

>> Edited by SGirl on Wednesday 18th December 11:20

[Fer]

SGirl, just turn up early, and leave the engine running for a while, that should see them sucking fumes as you were.

[Oi_Oi_Savaloy]

Sgirl - when it's time to take the car back simply park it where you ran out of petrol, leave it there, get into your friend's car that followed you and go and pick your car up from the garage.

When they enquire as to the whereabouts of the car tell them it's where you had to leave it as there wasn't enough petrol in it to complete your journey!

>> Edited by Oi_Oi_Savaloy on Wednesday 18th December 11:26

[deltaf]

Sound advise.
Just park up about 200yards from their premises and run the engine til its outa fuel.
Then let them push the bugger!

[pdv6]

[pet hate]
Loan cars with no fuel!
[/pet hate]

I don't think I've ever had a loan car with more than about 5 millilitres of fuel left in it! Last time my car went in, the chap at reception made a big deal about how I was getting a lovely 156 with full leather for the day "oh yes, its a great car, sir, I've been driving it myself for the past few days". Yeah. Presumably until it ran out of fuel and then you picked something else off the forecourt that had been traded in with some petrol left in it...

gits.

Get a couple of mates and push the damn thing back to them with absolutely no fuel left in it whatsoever. See how they like the 5 mile journey to the nearest garage.

[Miraz]

This has happened to me too - the car died a couple of miles from the garage.

So I took a siphon with me when I dropped it off, and siphoned all the petrol back out of it again.

I'd already had a few problems with them, and needed some way of venting frustration.

[thub]

In a similar vein, my brother-in-law had a new car delivered recently, direct to his house. The transporter couldn't get closer than the next street but there was insufficient fuel to even unload the car and drive it 400 meters. How tight is that?

[SGirl]

Oi_Oi_Savaloy said: Sgirl - when it's time to take the car back simply park it where you ran out of petrol, leave it there, get into your friend's car that followed you and go and pick your car up from the garage.

Unfortunately I was on my own this morning, and I can't think of anyone who'll be around later to follow me to give me a lift.... It's a nice day, though, and I could do with another nice long walk!

When they enquire as to the whereabouts of the car tell them it's where you had to leave it as there wasn't enough petrol in it to complete your journey!

They know already. To say the least! I would've left it where it died this morning and just gone back later at my convenience with a can of petrol, but it was just round a blind bend, and I really didn't want to be liable if some numpty ran into the back of it because it was badly "parked".

Edited to add: to be fair, though, the last car they gave me had half a tank of fuel and rear-wheel drive!

>> Edited by SGirl on Wednesday 18th December 11:57

[nigelbasson]

I work as Customer Services Manager of a car dealer and therefore organise cars for customers, etc. Although I will probably get flamed for this the garage in question may have only just got the car back themselves and given it to you in a rush? Or it might be their policy not to put petrol in it? Our policy is to get the car back with the same amount of fuel in it as was there when the customer took the car away.

Just thought I'd put the other sides view across.

As to just saying it's your problem if you run out of fuel I'd say that was terrible. If one of our cars leaves the forecourt and runs out of fuel before reaching the garage we would go out and help them. Customer services comes down to doing the small things right to make customers happy.

[Miraz]

I called the dealer, and they weren't interested in helping to get the car moving again.

The new dealership supplies the car with a full tank of fuel, and charges if it's not returned in the same condition - seems reasonable to me.

[SGirl]

nigelbasson said: Or it might be their policy not to put petrol in it? Our policy is to get the car back with the same amount of fuel in it as was there when the customer took the car away.

They got it back last night, apparently, and when they checked it they found it was completely empty. Fair enough - I always check these things myself anyway, but I would've thought providing enough fuel to get me somewhere to put some more in would be sensible... Oh well.

Just saying it's your problem if you run out of fuel I'd say that was terrible.

That was the bit that annoyed me, really. Running out of fuel = a pain in the backside, but not the end of the world. It happens. But if I'm giving them lots of money later on (and have actually given them lots of money in the past! They do all the servicing on two of my cars, including the one I bought from them...) I shouldn't think a 10-minute drive to bring me a can of the zippy stuff would cause them major problems...

Not to worry. Their loss. There are two other local dealers I can go to for servicing and maintenance. Time to give them a try, methinks.

[campbell]

I would say about 25 miles to be on the safe side.
Bad luck running out of gogo juice

[raceboy]

Just found this, thought it was very apt

www.fiat.co.uk/SeasonsGreetings

[SGirl]

Just took the car out and put £15 worth of petrol in it. Season of goodwill and all that.

And as my dad would put it, "by 'eck, it goes well now". Right the way up to the rev limiter too!

[Fatboy]

Time to practice your donuts I think SGirl