Spare Petrol Can

[219]

What's the advantage of that over the modern low fuel light and warning message plus remaining range display?

We have probably all gambled on running with the light on in the hope that it will get us to the nearest petrol station , home or wherever , and occasionally got it wrong ; the fuel reserve in the tank gives you that second chance to actually get somewhere after you run it too low . Besides , the Ponton had a warning light that came on well before the fuel ran out on the primary pipe , so the tank reserve really was a second chance .

Fuel gauges can all be temperamental - I've seen it many times : park up at night with just under a quarter tank showing , and in the morning when you start up the light is on and the gauge is in the red . Can vary by facing uphill/downhill and range remaining can vary by how you're driving , besides none of my cars have that feature .

I always carry a can in case of running out , but the reserve tap in older vehicles was very handy , and if you ran out on the primary pipe , you KNEW you needed to get to a petrol station sharpish .

 

[BTB 500]

We have probably all gambled on running with the light on in the hope that it will get us to the nearest petrol station , home or wherever , and occasionally got it wrong

I guess we're all different. I fill up when the light/warning comes on, despite knowing I have 40-50 miles left. Works for me - I've never run out of fuel, or even come close.

 

[C43AMG]

Explosafe - was it not?

That's what they use in Armoured cars petrol tanks.

 

[219]

I guess we're all different. I fill up when the light/warning comes on, despite knowing I have 40-50 miles left. Works for me - I've never run out of fuel, or even come close.

I generally do as well , and have only ran out a couple of times , but then I often found myself unexpectedly in remote locations and at antisocial times of the day , when a lot of places are closed .

My warning lights tend to give more like 20-30 miles warning , and sometimes it can be that far to the nearest open petrol station - hence I ALWAYS carry an emergency fuel can .

One of the first things I tend to do with any car new to me is to see how low I can run it on the gauge without running out - then I have a pretty good idea what is left in the tank .

 

[m80]

One of the first things I tend to do with any car new to me is to see how low I can run it on the gauge without running out - then I have a pretty good idea what is left in the tank .

How do you know if it didn't run out?

 

[219]

I progressively chance it further and further , until I get the early signs of fuel starvation : loss of power when cornering or climbing hills ; always have a can to put in , and do so as soon as I recognise that I'm 'running on fumes' before actually running out .

I know with both my current cars just how far I dare run it without running out .

 

[m80]

I progressively chance it further and further , until I get the early signs of fuel starvation : loss of power when cornering or climbing hills ; always have a can to put in , and do so as soon as I recognise that I'm 'running on fumes' before actually running out .

I know with both my current cars just how far I dare run it without running out .

I can go with that.
I run it low, real low. Top to near bottom every time unless I'm passing a known cheap fill up.
It's a 75 litre tank and if I put 73 litres in I can guess the 2 litres would get me the calculated extra miles(ish), barring heavy traffic, steep hills and filling stations being closed.

Aside from actually getting close to 77 litres in one time. Strange that one.

 

[219]

I generally fill to brim , then look for fuel as soon as the light comes on , but it's good to know just how low it is safe to run it .

 

[Alex225]

I recall a friend of mine back at college being terrible for running his car right down. I remember him giving me a lift and me saying to him, 'You might want to fill up as the fuel level is really low'. He laughed it off and said it was fine.

Within a day or two I get a call from him asking if I can help him out, he'd got out of the college car park and run out! I'm not sure he ever did it again.

I'm sure OP your daughter is no idiot but we've all been young and inexperienced and I suspect this will be the experience she'll learn a lot from. She likely won't run her car down that low again as there's always that anxiety when you're stuck and have a small amount of fuel. I'm not sure about a sealed container you could use I'm afraid, my experience of fuel cans is they generally stink! haha

To be honest I've always been the other way round, topping up a full tank by 1/4 or 1/3 as I go. Peace of mind having a full tank of fuel and knowing if I have to take a sudden long drive, the car is good to go.

 

[artyman]

I refuel each time it gets to 1/4 full I can then get 10 gallons in, that's usually once a month

 

[Deleted member 6183]

As a youth I had a car with a broken fuel gauge, I would put £2 a day in and carry a gallon in a can. Every few weeks I would be unable to fit my £2 in as the talk was full. In hindsight that was the only time that I ever had a full tank.

As an adult i tend to fill up at 1/4 on the gauge.

 

[219]

Sometimes, even the best of us get it wrong

Clutha helicopter pilot given five warnings

I’ve only had two lessons on rotary aircraft, and wouldn’t presume to make such calls , but Mr Traill was a highly experienced and respected pilot , who presumably felt he knew what he was doing ; I can only presume he intended to ditch in the Clyde and it was a tragic mistake.

The consequences of running out of fuel in a car are minute in comparison.

 

[BTB 500]

I’ve only had two lessons on rotary aircraft, and wouldn’t presume to make such calls , but Mr Traill was a highly experienced and respected pilot , who presumably felt he knew what he was doing ; I can only presume he intended to ditch in the Clyde and it was a tragic mistake.

The consequences of running out of fuel in a car are minute in comparison.

There was a bit more to it than that though, as he hadn't actually run out of fuel. For some reason he turned off both the transfer pumps, then flew on despite multiple low fuel warnings, and when the engines finally flamed out (which can't have been a surprise) he should still have been able to make a controlled and survivable landing but didn't. From the AAIB report

The investigation identified the following causal factors:

1. 73 kg of usable fuel in the main tank became unusable as a result of the fuel transfer pumps being switched off for unknown reasons.
2. It was calculated that the helicopter did not land within the 10-minute period specified in the Pilot’s Checklist Emergency and Malfunction Procedures, following continuous activation of the low fuel warnings, for unknown reasons.
3. Both engines flamed out sequentially while the helicopter was airborne, as a result of fuel starvation, due to depletion of the supply tank contents.
4. A successful autorotation and landing was not achieved, for unknown reasons.

 

[219]

There was a bit more to it than that though, as he hadn't actually run out of fuel. For some reason he turned off both the transfer pumps, then flew on despite multiple low fuel warnings, and when the engines finally flamed out (which can't have been a surprise) he should still have been able to make a controlled and survivable landing but didn't. From the AAIB report

Yes , a lot is unexplained

He could also have ditched in the Clyde , but didn’t, perhaps an error ,

 

[DrNick]

I've tried to see both sides of this (carry extra fuel for peace of mind, or never get into the situation in the first place) and have come to the conclusion that the situations where you would want to carry extra fuel are few and far between. Many years ago when gauges were dodgy and filling stations were less, then yes, and this is probably why all these manual reserve switches were fitted. This has obviously been replaced by the low fuel warning light, and the convenience of not having to fiddle with a switch. In 90% of the country there are fuel stations all over the place and phones and satnavs that can take you there with no risk of not finding one.
Those of us who habitually run out of fuel will use our spare tank once and then forget to refill it anyway, because thats the way we roll!
If you carry extra fuel, you run the risk of a leak, the extra risk in filling up at the side of the road, the need to re-prime the system, or at least know it needs priming. If you hardly ever use it, then it becomes old fuel, unless you remember to change it regularly (which won't happen unless you are of an OCD mindset. If that's the case you won't need the extra fuel in the first place).
Running out of fuel in a traffic jam must be such an unlikely event these days and if you did, I would suggest an extra gallon isn't necessarily going to solve the problem! Don't the AA come out with a can anyway? They will certainly come and change a wheel for you. Ok so its inconvenient, but better in my view than carrying around a gallon of petrol.
If you are going somewhere where there is a reasonable expectation of problems in fuel supply, then by all means carry extra fuel, but I would suggest that for 99% of us this really isn't an issue.

For the original problem of running out in traffic jam, the answer is to just get into the habit of filling up a bit earlier. I wouldn't want my 18 year old daughter messing about with petrol at the side of the road! The battery would be flat anyway from the futile attempts to start it before she realised.

 

[219]

I've tried to see both sides of this (carry extra fuel for peace of mind, or never get into the situation in the first place) and have come to the conclusion that the situations where you would want to carry extra fuel are few and far between. Many years ago when gauges were dodgy and filling stations were less, then yes, and this is probably why all these manual reserve switches were fitted. This has obviously been replaced by the low fuel warning light, and the convenience of not having to fiddle with a switch. In 90% of the country there are fuel stations all over the place and phones and satnavs that can take you there with no risk of not finding one.
Those of us who habitually run out of fuel will use our spare tank once and then forget to refill it anyway, because thats the way we roll!
If you carry extra fuel, you run the risk of a leak, the extra risk in filling up at the side of the road, the need to re-prime the system, or at least know it needs priming. If you hardly ever use it, then it becomes old fuel, unless you remember to change it regularly (which won't happen unless you are of an OCD mindset. If that's the case you won't need the extra fuel in the first place).
Running out of fuel in a traffic jam must be such an unlikely event these days and if you did, I would suggest an extra gallon isn't necessarily going to solve the problem! Don't the AA come out with a can anyway? They will certainly come and change a wheel for you. Ok so its inconvenient, but better in my view than carrying around a gallon of petrol.
If you are going somewhere where there is a reasonable expectation of problems in fuel supply, then by all means carry extra fuel, but I would suggest that for 99% of us this really isn't an issue.

For the original problem of running out in traffic jam, the answer is to just get into the habit of filling up a bit earlier. I wouldn't want my 18 year old daughter messing about with petrol at the side of the road! The battery would be flat anyway from the futile attempts to start it before she realised.

It may be a regional thing , but I do find myself in quite remote areas at odd times so will always carry emergency fuel , even a 20 litre jerrycan if I know I’m going up the west coast where prices are that much higher .
I always refill the can as soon as I use it , and even if not for the car , it does get used for the lawnmower , generator or other petrol driven items .
People here keep going on and on about smell - none of my fuel containers have ever smelled , but then I don’t fill to the brim ; I put the correct amount in , leaving expansion room inside the can , and I ensure it is tightly sealed .
Even the cars with fuel taps always had a warning light as well , so I don’t see it as a replacement. The only vehicle that didn’t was my motorbike which didn’t even have a gauge , but you could either look in the tank , or give the bike a shoogle to feel the fuel sloshing around inside .

 

[BTB 500]

I agree if you're driving in remote areas and may be called out overnight etc. then carrying some spare fuel can make sense. But for the average person in a reasonably modern vehicle it should never be necessary IMHO. This is what I was greeted with today ... if you ignore the huge message on the cluster there's still a low fuel light by the gauge and a remaining distance (55 miles in this instance) that counts down. This is our 12 year old Vito ... the C Class is the same, and I'd expect most vehicles nowadays to do something similar.