Took the gas gauge to 0.0

[unicycle]

Yesterday, due to driver stupidity and a few traffic snarls, my gas gauge crept down to 0.0. I'd read about ppl hitting 0.1, and that thought was scary enough, so imagine my panic when that last digit flipped to zero.

This happened in NYC, famous for stop-and-go traffic. As the gauge got closer to double naughts, I did everything I could to maximize what little gas I had left: neutral on downhills, engine off at red lights, etc.

I managed to drive about two miles like this before making it to a gas station, where I filled up completely (this was the most painful part of the experience, at $4.75/gal). I put in 8.45 gallons according to the pump.

[Kermit]

Guess it wasn't a 400 mile tank....

[Smartdavis]

if you ended up putting in 8.71 gallons that would have been even more impressive!
my palms would have been sweating in your shoes

[Smartdavis]

of course I usually don't wear shoes on my hands.

[Smart Enuf]

At least the car is light enough to push if you run out of gas. Or does pushing it void the warranty? I looked in the emergency kit, but all I could find to help me push were two Hulk hands.

[brian r]

You could have been really lucky...

Running a modern fuel injected car until dry can damage the injection system. I don't know the specifics, I always see a caution against doing so in my owner's manuals.

When I had our Mini in for its 10k service, there was a guy paying a $2700 bill to fix his car because his kid ran out of gas in it.

[almostsmart]

How many miles to the gallon did you get?

[bull8042]

Originally Posted by Smart Enuf

I looked in the emergency kit, but all I could find to help me push were two Hulk hands.

DUDE! My cube-mates are pissed at me now because I was laughing out loud!

But that is why I had kids. Just make sure to keep one with you at all times so you can stay inside and steer! Not lawful to let a child drive you know!

[p1nball]

Hey be happy at least you did't loose it in one of the famous "Fox Holes" , they call pot holes!!!! Having been a FDNY member for 20 yrs. I lost the front end of a CHEVY SUBURBAN in one!! Well at least you made out of a bad choice!! p1nball

[mmmeat]

Originally Posted by unicycle

Yesterday, due to driver stupidity and a few traffic snarls, my gas gauge crept down to 0.0. I'd read about ppl hitting 0.1, and that thought was scary enough, so imagine my panic when that last digit flipped to zero.

This happened in NYC, famous for stop-and-go traffic. As the gauge got closer to double naughts, I did everything I could to maximize what little gas I had left: neutral on downhills, engine off at red lights, etc.

I managed to drive about two miles like this before making it to a gas station, where I filled up completely (this was the most painful part of the experience, at $4.75/gal). I put in 8.45 gallons according to the pump.

Fuel tank probes aren't as accurate as some people think they are. When you reach 0 or E you've usually still got up to a gallon or so left. With a Smart, that amount may be up to half a gallonish, which mean that you've probably still got a good five miles left until you're out of gas.

I've run fuel injected cars out of gas before (usually intentionally, when I want to find out exactly how far I can go on a tank of gas), and the engines have never had to be repaired because of it.

Diesels, on the other hand, lose their prime and can be damaged that way. Or so I've been told. The primer on a Chevy V8 pickup truck diesel is on the front passenger side of the engine ... if you ever need to prime it after running out of fuel.

Your pal,
Meat.