I cannot stand it when people run vehicles to empty on fuel
Discussion
Am I the only one that cannot stand people running their vehicles right to empty on fuel?
A fair few vehicles I’ve bought or viewed in my lifetime (even good ones) have been astonishingly low on fuel and I’ve seen many people I know waiting till the very last minute to refuel.
I’m not asking for a full tank all the time but I’ve seen lots with less than 10 miles of range - a van I viewed two weeks ago had 0 miles of range!! £10 of fuel would go a long way for assurance the vehicle wasn’t going to conk out.
I know the range is usually underestimated but still it doesn’t instil confidence in the owner of the car, especially as you’re likely to pick up all that sediment from the bottom of the fuel tank.
It’s not even like it saves money - you still have to use fuel at the end of the day!
A fair few vehicles I’ve bought or viewed in my lifetime (even good ones) have been astonishingly low on fuel and I’ve seen many people I know waiting till the very last minute to refuel.
I’m not asking for a full tank all the time but I’ve seen lots with less than 10 miles of range - a van I viewed two weeks ago had 0 miles of range!! £10 of fuel would go a long way for assurance the vehicle wasn’t going to conk out.
I know the range is usually underestimated but still it doesn’t instil confidence in the owner of the car, especially as you’re likely to pick up all that sediment from the bottom of the fuel tank.
It’s not even like it saves money - you still have to use fuel at the end of the day!
Most of my cars are sat on the drive filled with fuel ready to be driven at a moments notice. I have a few speshal family members who borrow them and bring them back on fumes. The look on their faces when I ask them to take it to Tesco (500m behind my house) and fill it up. If I'm giving them a lift back to their house, I swing by Tesco and ask for their card. Works every time if they have to walk.
Earthdweller said:
You’re not married are you ?
I remember my Ex wife borrowed my car for a few days, when I next went to use it the fuel light/warning chime was on, the computer was saying zero range and the LCD display had a massive yellow fuel warning in the middle of the dash.When I queried why she had not filled it up she said "Oh I didn't notice"
I used to work with a woman who frequently ran out of fuel as she would never fill the car up as "My husband always does it"
I find it weird that some people have such a dislike of putting fuel in a car they would rather risk running out and being stranded.
Last car I purchased privately had three quarters of a tank of fuel in when I collected it.
When I’ve had nickable cars I literally put enough in for what I’m doing and then leave them with nowt in so anyone that would Nick it wouldn’t get very far without having to fill up,
My work cars the bosses know how much it takes to do a job so only give us that amount they seem terrified you might use their fuel privately although this has only being since the pandemic! Before pandemic we had fuel cards and just filled up
My work cars the bosses know how much it takes to do a job so only give us that amount they seem terrified you might use their fuel privately although this has only being since the pandemic! Before pandemic we had fuel cards and just filled up
aceofspades1 said:
Am I the only one that cannot stand people running their vehicles right to empty on fuel?
A fair few vehicles I’ve bought or viewed in my lifetime (even good ones) have been astonishingly low on fuel and I’ve seen many people I know waiting till the very last minute to refuel.
I’m not asking for a full tank all the time but I’ve seen lots with less than 10 miles of range - a van I viewed two weeks ago had 0 miles of range!! £10 of fuel would go a long way for assurance the vehicle wasn’t going to conk out.
I know the range is usually underestimated but still it doesn’t instil confidence in the owner of the car, especially as you’re likely to pick up all that sediment from the bottom of the fuel tank.
It’s not even like it saves money - you still have to use fuel at the end of the day!
The sediment thought is misguided. Fuel filters exist, but even those don't collect much in the developed world. Fuel tanks are generally pretty clean on anything modern/in use. The idea of a pool or water or grit is bunk (the pickup is on the bottom of the tank, it'd collect anything even if the tank was full.)A fair few vehicles I’ve bought or viewed in my lifetime (even good ones) have been astonishingly low on fuel and I’ve seen many people I know waiting till the very last minute to refuel.
I’m not asking for a full tank all the time but I’ve seen lots with less than 10 miles of range - a van I viewed two weeks ago had 0 miles of range!! £10 of fuel would go a long way for assurance the vehicle wasn’t going to conk out.
I know the range is usually underestimated but still it doesn’t instil confidence in the owner of the car, especially as you’re likely to pick up all that sediment from the bottom of the fuel tank.
It’s not even like it saves money - you still have to use fuel at the end of the day!
On the reserve light thing -- my BMW will do >50 miles with the light on, and has never run out. It does give a countdown to 0, and then keeps going for an indeterminate amount of miles. The main problem I forsee with running dry is that for moden diesels running out of fuel is actually the same as the high pressure fuel pump running out of lubricant (since it uses the diesel fuel it's pumping as lubricant). For petrols I don't think this is a problem, even with direct injection, the pressures are so much lower.
Having said all that, I habitually avoid running my cars down to empty because there's enough stress in life as is. I don't have an electric car for basically the same reason. My BMW does >1000 miles between refills if driven in the right way so I'm generally refuelling with more range left to go than my Lotus has with a full fuel tank / about 250 to 300 miles.
What absolute nonsense it’s not the 1970’s any more modern cars are not affected by low fuel level they have tank filters fuel pump filters etc. This idea that running a car low on fuel is from back in the days of rusty fuel tanks crap fuel filters and carbs.
I’ve got twenty cars at the moment should I go outside and fill them all up?
I’ve got twenty cars at the moment should I go outside and fill them all up?
CraigyMc said:
The sediment thought is misguided. Fuel filters exist, but even those don't collect much in the developed world. Fuel tanks are generally pretty clean on anything modern/in use. The idea of a pool or water or grit is bunk (the pickup is on the bottom of the tank, it'd collect anything even if the tank was full.)
Plus where is the fuel pickup? It's at the lowest point on the tank, the bottom so no sludge is ever going to collect.The only car I’ve ever test driven from a dealer that had any level of fuel in it was a used Porsche from a main dealer.
Every other used car I’ve test driven from any dealer (main or otherwise) has been running on fumes. Its a detail that I remember because I always marvel at dealerships ability to have every car so consistently at rock bottom of fuel, whilst also being confident that it won’t run out on test drives.
Every other used car I’ve test driven from any dealer (main or otherwise) has been running on fumes. Its a detail that I remember because I always marvel at dealerships ability to have every car so consistently at rock bottom of fuel, whilst also being confident that it won’t run out on test drives.
aceofspades1 said:
Am I the only one that cannot stand people running their vehicles right to empty on fuel?
A fair few vehicles I’ve bought or viewed in my lifetime (even good ones) have been astonishingly low on fuel and I’ve seen many people I know waiting till the very last minute to refuel.
I’m not asking for a full tank all the time but I’ve seen lots with less than 10 miles of range - a van I viewed two weeks ago had 0 miles of range!! £10 of fuel would go a long way for assurance the vehicle wasn’t going to conk out.
I know the range is usually underestimated but still it doesn’t instil confidence in the owner of the car, especially as you’re likely to pick up all that sediment from the bottom of the fuel tank.
It’s not even like it saves money - you still have to use fuel at the end of the day!
Why would anyone selling a car have a full tank of juice in! Sale agreed, car drives away, who’s the fool?A fair few vehicles I’ve bought or viewed in my lifetime (even good ones) have been astonishingly low on fuel and I’ve seen many people I know waiting till the very last minute to refuel.
I’m not asking for a full tank all the time but I’ve seen lots with less than 10 miles of range - a van I viewed two weeks ago had 0 miles of range!! £10 of fuel would go a long way for assurance the vehicle wasn’t going to conk out.
I know the range is usually underestimated but still it doesn’t instil confidence in the owner of the car, especially as you’re likely to pick up all that sediment from the bottom of the fuel tank.
It’s not even like it saves money - you still have to use fuel at the end of the day!
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