Ok, this is one of those "Thoughts on Thursdays where I have to say..."don't do this at home ladies"
but...
How many of you know just how far you can drive after your gas light comes on...(just need to get to that one last store) LOL
Come on fess up...I won't tell your husband, significant other or your father. Just don't tell my father though, because he would give me THAT speech...that even at 47 years old I cringe!
I know I'm not the only one!
Happy Thursday,
~Karen~
My 2004 Dodge Ram has a little button above the rear view mirror. When the gas light is low I push the button and it supposedly tells me how many miles I can go before I run out of gas... Supposedly... I think it starts at about 45 miles, and then changes every other mile. Please don't tell my husband that I know this and use this feature. LOL. He doesn't like me to "suck the dirt" at the end of the tank through the system. It's Thursday. I expect to see that light come on today...
ReplyDeleteMine tells me 35 kms till you run out but I've never tested it. Never been game!
ReplyDeleteI'll hold my hand up, I've done this with every car I've ever owned and my husband hates it! :)
ReplyDeleteMine and my husbands both tell you how far I have left once the light comes on and both always read 65 miles at this point but I know for a fact that I can push another 50 miles after that in my car and maybe 40 miles in my husbands, I've never actually broken down from running out of fuel yet too....touch wood! :)
Mrs K
xxx
Oh, I have a PhD in testing that little light!
ReplyDeleteI've figured out that it gives me about 3 gallons of gas once it comes on... and I play it safe with a calculation of 30/miles per gallon which equals about 90 miles until that little light has it's last laugh. I have pushed it to the farthest extremes... climbing "gas sucking" mountains to get to work... waiting another day to fill up because I HATE running errands... or more likely, running late in the morning and there's no time to stop for a fill up!
Yep, I'm a tried-and-true tester of that little button. Only once has it gotten the better of me... and I was only a mile from the gas station! Ouch, sooo close!
This just happened to me on Saturday when we were moving my MIL. I had to make a detour before the storage bin after I got the look when I told my husband my "gas light" came on. In my defense if he would just make a regular habit of taking my van to the gas station I would never have this problem. lol
ReplyDeleteLove the subject! My gas light flickers on and off when I get low before it stays completely lit which tells me it means business now. I get 25 freeway miles after that and 18 street miles. I've had mechanics warn me not to do this because it is hard on the fuel pump (not a cheap fix)
ReplyDeleteGlad to know I am not the only one out there that does this :-)
I know EXACTLY how many miles I can drive after that light comes on and I even hit my trip monitor thingy just so I am not surprised!
ReplyDeleteThat's HILARIOUS...I'm right there with ya!
ReplyDeleteIn stitches,
Teresa :o)
I check my readout above to see how many miles I can go. It has been close before, but I have to say I have a lot of respect for that little gas pump light, especially when I see people walking with gas cans!
ReplyDeleteGlad to know I'm not alone in this category!!
ReplyDeleteWell, my SUV has one of those fancy touchscreen control panel things (bought the SUV used) that I can select a button to tell me at any point what the est remaining miles before empty is. Except when it hits below 40 miles, then it gives me a stupid "LOW FUEL RANGE" instead of the miles. Grr. I want to know if I can still drop off the boys at daycare first before fueling up!
ReplyDeleteMy Dodge Ram 1500 was better -- it told me the est miles even when the warning came on. I miss my truck. Too bad hubby decided that it needed to test its strength against a huge pole 2 1/2 years ago.
so...i guess i am in the minority here...i fill my tank before i get too much further below 1/2 tank...but we do live "out in the middle of nowhere" and i never know when i might have to run to the nursing home (mom there) or to help a daughter with a grandchild...
ReplyDeleteWe live about 30 miles from "affordable" gas (as opposed to gas within a five mile radius of my house where it runs 20 to 40 cents more) so if the gauge is reading less than half a tank, I top off the tank. However, we got a Ford Fiesta last year and the mpg is so good (38+ mpg), I think I could wait until the gauge reads a quarter full :-)
ReplyDeleteI have a 11 year old vehicle, but it still has a light that comes on when I need gas. I know that when that light comes on then I have roughly about 30 more miles I can drive before I am putting. LOL I have NEVER ran out of gas, but that is as far as I have ever pushed it. And, by that time my pointer is BELOW the red line. HA!
ReplyDeleteMy first car was a VW bug with no gas gauge. There was a little lever that you had to kick over when you ran out of gas and it gave you an extra gallon of gas. Of course that gallon was about 30 miles in a VW.
ReplyDeleteI am a person who looks at 1/4 tank of gas as running on empty so I have never run out of gas.
I have to fess up on this one! Too many times to count have I been guilty of testing that little light. Only once has the light almost....I emphasize "almost" won the test. I had pushed it for several days and finally relented that it was time to stop and fill up. As I pulled into the station it died and I coasted to the pump.....just close enough for the lip of the nozzle to just barely reach the car, I had to hold it in place to fill up. I've never pushed it so close.
ReplyDeleteI just did that about a week ago! My light was on for THREE days before I took the time to stop at the gas station! My tank holds about 16 gallons and I put in about 15 3/4 gallons when I filled up! So I still had another day before I really NEEDED to get gas!
ReplyDeleteI won't tell if you won't tell!
MGM
I have run every car I have ever had out of gas, so I can tell you exactly. On each one. My husband hates this! I just keep telling him that you never know how far you can go until you actually run it out of gas!
ReplyDeleteFunny, how there's no age limit on father's advice. I'm 48 and I still feel like a little kid around my dad. I had a 15 passenger van when my 6 kids were younger. We found out by accident that you can't go too far on that light. My kids are now so afraid of running out of gas that they won't let me get close. Once that light goes on it's "Mom, get some gas!" Poor kids. No sense of adventure. lol
ReplyDeleteThis made me smile. I don't play chicken with the gas tank (I fill based on mileage) but I DO play chicken with the bobbin thread on my sewing machine. There is a flashing light to tell me it is almost empty and I immediately try to "finish" what I am doing. Sometimes I win, sometimes the bobbin wins :)
ReplyDeleteI go get gas as soon as the light comes on. I guess I don't like to live dangerously!!!
ReplyDeleteI've never risked it! BUT, I've had to "bail" my hubby out a few times! Grrr!
ReplyDeleteMy car has a digital thing (I'm so car savvy, right?) letting us know how many more miles we have left to the gallon(s) of gas in the car. So, when we fill up, there are 400-something left. When the gas-light comes on, we have 80 miles left. The gas light starts blinking, and the screen goes blank, when I hit the 20-miles left mark. I guess that means it has 1 gallon or so left and it's really time to go get gas.
ReplyDeleteOMGosh - we are almost all alike! I don't have a light (I believe?) but getting hollered at by "the man" would be much worse than having to walk and admit my poor thinking. Besides, where I live, we know many of the people passing by, so I'd trust them to give me a lift.
ReplyDelete??? I wonder if mine DOES have a light? Better read the manual.
Uh my light came on this morning on the way to work, I know that I can get home and will stop for gas on the way home from work tomorrow. Sometimes I even tilt my head to see just how far it is below empty, lol. Belle, that's my car's name, has only run out on my once, when I was trying to get to a less expensive station.
ReplyDeleteIn my old truck, no light, I used to run out so much I carried a gas can in the back just in case, lol.
Just found your blog on Pinterest - Love it!!! I have a custom drapery business in my home and am always trying to "spruce up" my sewing room. I thought I had a great room until I saw yours!!
ReplyDeleteWhen the light comes on I have a gallon of diesel left in the tank, which in theory means I could drive up to 60 miles, but I have mever dared test it!!
ReplyDeleteYup, I definitely know that I can drive back to town do a few errands, come home and then drive back into town to the gas station and still have gas. I've never pushed it farther than that. You're not alone in this dilemma!
ReplyDeleteYou are not alone. I never buy gas until the light comes on and I've gone way too long after that a couple of times. My tank holds 14 gallons and I filled up to 13.5 once. I usually only let it get down to needing 13 gallons. Just think of all the time we have saved in our lives over the folks that stop and refill as soon as the tank is half empty.
ReplyDeleteLOL, I am a true tester of it. I know if I am at work and the gauge is a little above the E, I can drive home, and back to work before I need gas. There is no light.
ReplyDeleteOn my husbands car, which I drive in the winter, there is a light and it tells you what you can go. I will go down to 3-4 miles before getting gas.
If I ever do run out, I will call AAA and never tell my husband!! rofl
Funny that it is kind of reversed in our house. My DH is always pushing it in my car. I want to get gas right away when the light comes on but if he is driving he just keeps going. My BIL is even a mechanic and explained to DH its not that great on the car, but nooooo. Luckily, we have been lucky.
ReplyDeleteI use to go as soon as the light comes on but I had to go to costco this summer and just didnt have time to stop for gas, with fingers crossed I drove all the way there and back... my new motto is if the light comes up when I start it I need gas... however if it desides to come on as im driving away from home I should be fine :) I noticed that I can get a good day of school pick ups and drop offs done as long as it doesnt come on as soon as I start the car (I drive a susburban)
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in highschool I knew how many miles I had when the needle touched the last line. Unbeknownst to me dad regularly checked my gas gage. One day he came up to me and took my keys. I asked why as I tried to recall if I did anything that would get me into trouble. He said the needle is on empty, if I cannot afford to keep gas in the car I should not be driving.
ReplyDeleteEver since I put gas into the car when the needle is at the half way point. I do not know how many miles I have when I get to the empty line. I dont even know if there is a light that goes on.
Look I actually listened to a parent. Oh, and I am now 50.
My Dad always told me to keep tank at half full or more... the top half is more efficient use of the gas. True or not, it only works if you look at the gas gage. (Get AAA roadside, they will bring you 4 gallons when you are completely out, and follow you to the nearest gas station. I know that X 2!
ReplyDeleteHugs.
I greatly dislike seeing the needle dip below 1/4 tank, and REALLY don't like seeing the light come on. I estimate I have at least 30 miles after the light, but have never tested that, nor do I have any desire to do so. :)
ReplyDeleteLol, you are not alone! If I play my cards right, my hubby will use my car when the tank is low, and he fills it. :)
ReplyDeleteliving in the middle of nowhere (about 18 miles to the nearest gas station) It is essential i know how far I can go once i ding!! ok... and i hate pumping the gas, i have been known to drive all the way home after dinging so that he can fill it up when he goes back to town (so... i know i can go at least 32 miles!) We have yet to run out of gas in this truck, but when i was single i was notorious for it!
ReplyDeleteliving in the middle of nowhere (about 18 miles to the nearest gas station) It is essential i know how far I can go once i ding!! ok... and i hate pumping the gas, i have been known to drive all the way home after dinging so that he can fill it up when he goes back to town (so... i know i can go at least 32 miles!) We have yet to run out of gas in this truck, but when i was single i was notorious for it!
ReplyDeleteLOL - I had to laugh when I read your post. All week I had been running around doing errands and every time kept thinking, next time I must get petrol/gas - I think I have only got about 10 kms once the light comes on ........ the light came on just as I pulled into the service station ;-)
ReplyDeleteI'm with Nancy on this one. I don't let it go below a 1/2 because I shudder at the price of filling the tank.
ReplyDeleteI'm guilty of using the miles left feature on my Fusion!
ReplyDeletewell... funny thing... we were visiting our son in ny (and attending my husband's 25th reunion) back in october. we rented a car for the trip because ours wasn't big enough to take all our stuff. anyway, we drove to a near by train station to go into nyc for the day, and it took fooooorever for my sweetie to find a parking place. it was ridiculous. when we returned we knew we needed gas (and had pushed it too far already) so we went looking for a gas station. yup, we ended up running out of gas on a 4 lane road with no where to pull off. if that wasn't bad enough, an older gentleman did not react in time and hit us. we learned our lesson! (luckly we had signed up for the car insurance at the rental place at the last second! saved us the $500 deductible.) no more pushing it to the edge for us. haha. good luck :-)
ReplyDeleteOh! That reminds me. I better call someone in the morning before I leave for work and see if they are available in case I run out of gas on my way.
ReplyDeleteBoy, do I feel like the Odd Girl Out. I never let my gas tank get below 1/2 empty, and I often stop when it's still 3/4 full and top it off. I like a FULL tank at all times. I've been driving for many decades, and have never run out of gas, nor have I ever seen that warning light come on. That would scare me!
ReplyDeleteI never let my kitchen pantry get empty, either, and I bet I have 3 or 4 spares for anything we use anywhere in the house. I'm like a squirrel with stacks of nuts for the winter.
So you let your gas tanks run out, but would you let your thread or fabric supplies run that low??
-- A Reader
I do it all the time. Tested it many times. Love my car. It just turned over to 200,000 tonight and I want to keep it until 300,000, but hubby says, " never happen!"
ReplyDeleteHe's such a buzz kill. Lol
Oh boy I can relate to this! I am the worst!! My car tells me when I have 75km to go till empty. I really do not like filling the tank. I have a 'thing' about it. It's boring waiting for it to fill! I have had some close calls - the car actually said '0' quite a few times and once we had a fuel shortage here & the one petrol station didn't have any diesel, so I had to still drive further to another one - on '0'!! Yes I did panic a little - my husband would have had a LOT to say had I got stranded!!
ReplyDeleteI know I can go about 15 miles or so. I've got a husband that likes the tank filled when it gets to a quarter of a tank. Getting gas is one of those chores I hate to do. Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteThis is something my husband do!! As soon as I can hear the first ding (alarm) I panick bUT my sweet men will always say no worries we still have plenty to find the gaz station he likes...and not any gaz station of course only the one he wants. We got stuck twice, one at 2AM about 5Km from our destination where he toughts we had enough gaz and we could refuel the day after...DUH and the other time in the middle of nowhere...we got lucky a farmer was passing by. That time we also found out if we ran out of gaz, the breaks, power stering etc are failing too.DUH again!
ReplyDeletelol...I just did this yesterday =) My gas light had been on for 2 days and it's supposed to mean 25 miles left, which I don't even get that to a gallon! I ran it down so I filled up with 14.6 gal on a 15 gal tank. I do it just about every week!
ReplyDeleteThis was truly a challenge for me when my fuel gauge quit working. It was stuck on "full". So I used the trip odometer to measure how many miles I drove on each tank of gas. That worked really well until the digital odometer went out. Then I had to count how many days I went to and from work and filled up frequently. Fortunately, I never ran out of gas. Both parts have been repaired and now all is well. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm guilty as well, but I am trying to improve. But, in Oklahoma, the stations have to have a sticker on the pump to state if it is 100% gas or part ethanol. My car gets much better mileage on the 100%, so I strive to get to those stations.
ReplyDeleteBut, it also means that I have to remember if I put the 10% in, since that drops the range.
Liz
Ha ha ... I push this one to the limit! The owner's manual says 30 to 40 miles but I finally give in at about 25. I DO NOT want to hear my husband say "You know I'm ALWAYS right." any more times than I have to.
ReplyDeleteooook ... i'm here, hands up ... i have been *caught* out-o-gas once ... this should start, once upon a time ... i was in my nightgown,no robe, no jacket, just a *nasty-wear-at-home-only* nightie, taking a daughter to an early-morning church class, like we're talkin' 6am here and about 30 miles round trip, and i'm on my way home when ... yep, it runs COMPLETELY out of gas -- this was in the day before cells so there was no one to call -- we're living in british columbia then, and up pulls an rcmp (cop) and i have to tell him what's going on as i'm on the side of a will-be-busy-soon road ... i hear him snicker, then he invites me into his car so he can drive me home ... the picture: me, about 50lbs overweight, long, HUGE nightie, flip-flops, getting into a cop car ... ooooh it was not a pretty picture ... i know he laughed so hard when i got out (as i did), and when he got back to the station and told his buds ....
ReplyDeleteno, i still haven't learned ... we have a new car now that lets you know by light and by a note on the dash, however, when it reaches a point low enough, no mileage shows up, just that note, *low mileage* ... so frustating ... when that little light goes on it just eggs me on to see how far i can push it (my hubbs says there is not a law or rule i don't want to break -- he's right -- it's in my blood and has been there for 60+ years!) ..... and i don't see change soon! i think it keeps me young and .... stupid(???) ...
anyway, thanks for the question, i loved it and your blog .... darlene
I have literally coasted into a gas station on fumes!
ReplyDeleteOk you HAD to bring this up, I posted the other day Belle had only run out on me once, tonight I coasted the last 1/4 mile to the pump!!
ReplyDeleteHow about bringing up winning the lottery??
Lol I don't rely on the light, I rely on my trip odometer. I punch it to 0 every time I fill up, and I know I can get 330 in-town miles on it. What really annoys me is when hubby fills it up, he NEVER resets it!
ReplyDeleteI've only run out of gas twice - once was while in line at the pump, and the other was the WORST possible time - I was taking my DH to the airport to catch a flight. I knew I was very low on gas, the trip was at 325, but I figured I'd drop him off first, then get gas on the way home. Well, he got to the airport and realized he'd forgotten his wallet. So we raced back home, hoping to get back in time to catch the flight, and that's when I ran out of gas.
Too funny! I actually do this when we get a "new to us" vehicle so that I can know how far we can go! :)
ReplyDelete62 KM in our Jeep Liberty!
Girl... You crack me up!! Thanks for making me smile.
ReplyDelete