A lack of planning on your part...

[Slave to the Phone]

Or not even work. A friend of mine's didn't on his first car (he was taking a repair class at night school specifically to learn how to fix/replace it - he never finished the class BTW). He had to fill the tank, then write down the mileage and keep an eye on the odometer. Not the best of systems...

I ride a 1994 sportster. It doesn't have a gas gauge. None of the motorcycles I've owned have had gas gauges. As a result, going by the odometer has become a default with me. I always fill up when I think I'm down to a quarter of a tank and if my mileage changes I am aware of it right away which is a good thing. A change of gas mileage is usually a sign of a problem that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.

[Ophbalance]

I just wait until I hit reserve on my bike and plan to find a station in the next 20 miles

[Slave to the Phone]

I just wait until I hit reserve on my bike and plan to find a station in the next 20 miles

I've run out of gas several times with that strategy. Mostly because out here, gas stations can be further than 20 miles apart. Its the price of living in the sticks and riding a bike with a 3 gallon tank.

Now for a funny story. I had just passed a gas station when I hit reserve. OK, there was a gas station about 15 miles up the road, why turn around? Got to that gas station and the computers were all down, no gas available. Spent a few minutes chatting to one of the clerks about it, and other things, with the engine running.

Figured I could fill up in an hour or so, so rode a mile home. Made it to the driveway and ran out of gas!

Did I blame the gas station? No. Did I blame the clerk (who was also a friend)? Oh heck no. Did I do a whole lot of laughing at myself for being an idiot? Yes I did, then I changed my routine to not depend on the reserve switch to tell me when to get gas. 100 miles on the trip meter means time to stop. All is good, I probably need to stretch my legs after 2 hours anyhow.

[Kogarashi]

I mentioned in the Worst Car thread that my parents had a little red Ford with a busted gas gauge. My parents thankfully knew what the car's max non-highway mileage was, give or take a bit (about 300 mpg), so they told my sisters and I that if we were driving and the trip meter was at or above 200, it was time to fill up. That way we had more than enough of a buffer to get to a gas station and refill.

[XCashier]

I mentioned in the Worst Car thread that my parents had a little red Ford with a busted gas gauge. My parents thankfully knew what the car's max non-highway mileage was, give or take a bit (about 300 mpg), so they told my sisters and I that if we were driving and the trip meter was at or above 200, it was time to fill up. That way we had more than enough of a buffer to get to a gas station and refill.

My current car had a broken gas gauge, too. I did the same thing. Ended up having to replace the entire instrument panel when the gas gauge needle started going backwards and interfering with -- and breaking -- the other gauges!

[Ophbalance]

I wish my bike had a trip meter . One of these days I'll find a grease pencil to mark the 100 mile mark on the speedometer.

[EricKei]

Also, fuel gauges can be nonlinear

Yup. It's my understanding that -- especially on US vehicles -- most have a floating "bulb" in there. It it's hitting the ceiling (which could be anywhere from 100% to 80% or so full, depending on the car and the fuel tank), it'll appear full. If it's on the floor (which could be anywhere from 20% full to empty), it'll appear empty. Anywhere in between is generally accurate. For any given car, you just gotta watch for the moment when it jumps by a huge amount consistently.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I fill up the car when it hits 1/4 full. The last thing I need is to run out of fuel in a less-than-savory neighborhood or in the middle of nowhere. I came very close to running completely out on the highway once; I learned my lesson from that.

We also start looking for the nearest (and least expensive) place closest to where we are when we get to that last quarter of a tank as well.

When you have a driver with mobility issues (like my Mom) one has to be prepared. Not only do I know how to pump the gas, my brother (even though he has a slight learning disability) has now learned how to go inside the convenience store, tell the clerk how much and what pump and hand over the cash (he did this on his own last Wednesday as well as going inside to pay an electric bill that was due by 5 pm. b/c Mom's bank card wouldn't take by phone . . .and I was stuck at work until at least 6 that night.)

It's not that difficult to watch the gas gauge and fill up before being on fumes. By filling up when you get down to the last quarter tank (and at the LATEST when that needed is just above the big E) you can avoid being stranded on the side of the road.

[RealUnimportant]

I wish my bike had a trip meter . One of these days I'll find a grease pencil to mark the 100 mile mark on the speedometer.

My older daily driver doesn't have a trip meter, so I use this exact method! I screwed up at the start of winter though; I'd been writing the mileage in the top corner of the windshield... And wiped it away when manually demisting the screen one rather damp day. Now I write on an unused gauge on the dash itself. My gauge is under reading by 50%, i.e. half-full after being brimmed. I'm getting better at reading how far past the red it can safely go!

[UncleImpy]

One thing I learned in a disaster first responder class is: always stop and refill your tank when you hit the hallway mark, if you live in a disaster prone area (I live within 50 miles of Mt Rainier in the PNW) because if Something Happens, your car is only good to you as far as it can go, and you want to be able to, with no notice, get the hell out of the disaster area.

[eltf177]

One thing I learned in a disaster first responder class is: always stop and refill your tank when you hit the hallway mark, if you live in a disaster prone area (I live within 50 miles of Mt Rainier in the PNW) because if Something Happens, your car is only good to you as far as it can go, and you want to be able to, with no notice, get the hell out of the disaster area.

Even if you don't live in a disaster prone area this is still excellent advice, you NEVER know what might happen without warning...

[Ironclad Alibi]

Considering I live in the DC area, maybe I should always fill up at the 3/4 mark.

[Argabarga]

You get a chewin' out if you return a truck with less than 1/4 of a tank at the end of your shift, you ALWAYS have time to top off, and for Celestia's sake people, it's ON THE COMPANY!!!

But some people just must LIKE gettin the chewin', considering how often they do it anyhow.

[Aria]

You get a chewin' out if you return a truck with less than 1/4 of a tank at the end of your shift, you ALWAYS have time to top off, and for Celestia's sake people, it's ON THE COMPANY!!!

But some people just must LIKE gettin the chewin', considering how often they do it anyhow.

An interesting fetish.

[Argabarga]

I swear, it's the same ones every time, they must have a second pair of pants they wear under their uniform ones, with specially prepared "chew along dotted line" markings.