[hotspoons]

On Sunday, I drove to my local Dunkin donuts drivethru to pick up some coffee. The gas light came on the day before, but it still showed 1/2 of a bar of fuel on the gauge. The drivethru has an off-camber section where the road is tilted maybe 8 or 9 degrees to the right and forward. I was stuck on this section for a couple of minutes as the car in front of me was having a large order filled.

Then suddenly, the engine started to sputter, then died. It wouldn't start back up. Two employees rushed out and helped push my car out of the drivethru to a parking spot. I had my dad bring me a gas can; I put a gallon in the car and it fired right up, then I promptly drove to a gas station and filled up all the way.

This was troubling as it indicated plenty of fuel, but even a relatively mild incline at the right angle caused the fuel to roll away from the pickup/pump with supposedly a gallon or so left in it (I filled it up a the way to 8.5 gallons and I put in about a gallon from my gas can).

Anyone else experience anything similar? I will not be riding around below 1/6th any more.

 

[Randy Chase]

Roads being tilted is the key. If you could have pushed the car to the other side, you would have had enough gas.

 

[Lowtush]

if its an error in the gauges. try pulling the battery terminal for about 15 mins and plug it back in.

 

[88 E5PR1T]

Does this car use the fuel to cool the fuel pump like other cars? Running less than a quarter tank regulary will start to wear that pump out because it's not fully submerged in fuel.

 

[addertooth]

The fuel pump is on the driver's side; if you have less than a gallon (1/12 tank), a few degrees of right bank is all it takes to lose suction when stationary.

 

[darkSol]

My car has always been sputtery below 1/2 a bar. That's my fillup-now-or-suffer line in the sand.

 

[sturgeongeneral]

Does this car use the fuel to cool the fuel pump like other cars? Running less than a quarter tank regulary will start to wear that pump out because it's not fully submerged in fuel.

Exactly! Most cars these days the fuel pump can get damaged that way.

 

[TCAR]

Roads being tilted is the key. If you could have pushed the car to the other side, you would have had enough gas.

Yup. Happened to me a couple of times. Always remember not to park or idle the car banked where the right side is lower.

 

[David Craig]

I gave up on using the fuel guage bars.

I just reset my trip odometer after each fillup and then go no more than about 400 km.

 

[XoXoX]

Never pass a good bar....







.

 

[SwingLo]

Don't let it get that low.

For guys, 'E' means empty.

For women, 'E' means 'Eh, there's a little more left'

 

[Senna's Dad]

I agree, don't trust the last bar or you'll do the walk of shame with a red gas can.

 

[HappyFunTimeHr]

Don't let it get that low.

For guys, 'E' means empty.

For women, 'E' means 'Eh, there's a little more left'

Think that needs to be modified slightly. For lot of my friends (men and women) who aren't too mechanically inclined E means "Sounds like a challenge to me".

In my younger years a group of us were in my friend's car. We cruised the mall. Told my buddy to slow down to talk to some girls walking to the movie theater.
wub, thump, wub, wub Hey what's up ladies, where you going?
The movies.
wub, thump, wub, wub You can do that later, why don't you take a ride with us? uwb, thump, THUMP, THUMP, SPUTTER, GASP
Off went the ladies laughing as the car sputtered and died.
Him: **** I had another 4 miles!
Us: ??
Him: The light came on, I should have had 13 miles before the car died. I still had another 4 miles before I needed gas!

 

[Mr Coughy]

The gas gauge varies wildly depending on the pitch of the car.