Playing chicken with your gas gauge is a fool’s game
Once that fuel light comes on, it’s time to fill up, Lorraine Sommerfeld writes.
It seems many drivers are willing to drive their internal-combustion cars on fumes to have fun.
Twice in the past few weeks, I’ve received releases telling drivers how far they can really go, even if their fuel indicator warning light is on. I already know a lot of people who treat this as a game. A small dash light comes on, accompanied by a readout announcing you have 50 kilometres until disaster. It’s perceived not as a warning, but as a challenge.
The engineers who create these settings are obviously going to err on the side of caution, because you only need one headline announcing “My car lied and then I died” to wreak havoc. If you squeeze out double the mileage you’ve been promised and it wasn’t a once-in-a-lifetime event, you’re more idiot than hero.
I’m not being a killjoy. You can do some real damage.
The first downside is obvious. Miscalculate, and welcome to the sidelines. If you’re lucky, you’ll just drain your fuel tank and coast to the side of the road and call CAA. Less lucky? At best, you’ll peter out with live lanes of traffic all around you and bear the wrath of (smarter) drivers who have to dodge around you. At worst? You cause a collision because a vehicle without fuel is also a vehicle without power steering or brakes.
The second possibility is a little less obvious: You may be miscalculating your miscalculation.
There are a lot of factors that go into that magic number you see displayed; it’s basically representative of the way you’ve been driving overall. Great conditions at highway speeds might give you a pretty clear indication of what you’re working with, but throw in a sudden traffic buildup or a change in weather or road conditions — even a different driver — and you’re now facing a whole bunch of changed factors.
If you’re still not convinced, go ask your mechanic how much it costs to replace your fuel pump. According to mechanic and Centennial College professor Chris Muir, “the fuel in the tank is the coolant for the fuel pump ... when the tank is full, the fuel pump has less work to do lifting the fuel. Running close to empty can shorten the life expectancy of the fuel pump.”
He’s also dealt with engine shutdown when a vehicle indicated it had 50 km left, but the gas tank design meant the sump ran dry as fuel shifted on a downhill slope — there’s that change in conditions you weren’t anticipating. Get your mechanic to price out a new fuel filter too, because an empty tank can mean sediment and other gunk getting sucked up and clogging it.
Another issue is relying on the network of gas stations or truck stops you’re anticipating. Want to know the longest stretch of roadway when you’re on fumes? The one from the main highway to the gas station in the tiny town that’s supposed to be five kilometres away. At night. And then it’s closed.
Like a pilot, you’re obligated to be in charge of your vehicle. This means checking the lights, tires, and fuel — every time. I won’t go below half a tank in the summer, and in winter your tank should be kept as close to full as possible.