Comments on: How Far Can You Drive With An “Empty Tank” Warning?

By: tadaaa

tadaaa — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 21:17:43 +0000

@eric & @greg

after extensive research I am happy to inform you that my hypothesis has “hit the buffers” so to speak

in layman’s terms I am talking rubbish – the evidence is against me!!

although I reserve the right to argue my hypothesis (it is always safer to fill the tank on the “sidewalk” side) is actually correct, but unfortunatly it just does not match reality 🙂

consider this matter closed

By: Omega Centauri

Omega Centauri — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 03:29:13 +0000

I once ran out with a full tank. I had bought a used International travel-all which had two tanks (it needed them it was quite the gas-hog). The lever that switched tanks would easily move a centimeter, and that switched gas gauges. But in reality you had to pull hard about 3cm to actually switch tanks. So its midnight during a snowstorm, and it conks out on the road… Had it towed to the shop who told me Iran it out of gas, but, but the gauge said full!

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 14:10:37 +0000

Mary: Better safe than sorry! I hope your odometer keeps working.

Eric I will have to check to see where my Subaru was made!

By: Mary Aloyse

Mary Aloyse — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 14:04:14 +0000

I drive a 19 year old Ford Ranger (Blanche the Tiny Truck). The gas gauge died about 10 years ago. I was told that repair would be expensive because they have to drop out the gas tank, so I didn’t get it fixed and it always reads empty. So I fill it up, zero the trip odometer, and fill it after I drive 150 miles, which is much sooner than necessary, but that’s OK.

By: Eric Lund

Eric Lund — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 13:56:48 +0000

Greg@19: Some Subarus are made in Kentucky, but mine has a VIN starting with J, which means that that particular car was made in Japan. Cars made in the US have VINs starting with 1, 4, or 5. See Wikipedia for the complete list (for most countries, the first two characters are significant).

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 13:39:33 +0000

Eric:”tadaa@8: Further anecdata on this: I drive a Subaru that was built in Japan. Since the Japanese drive on the left, your model would predict that the gas tank inlet would be on the left, since cars made in that plant for the domestic market would have right-hand drive. But my Subaru, like Greg’s, has the inlet on the right.”

Actually, Subarus are made in Kentucky or someplace in the US.

“I’ve also been told that if you are planning to store the car for a while (more than a couple of weeks or so), you should fill the gas tank and add gas stabilizer. Moisture in the tank is a bigger issue under this condition than in a car driven regularly.”

This is also a big problem with cars like the Volt, where you may not use gas for months, if your drives are short and the car is always pugged in. Volt drivers I know routinely add stabilizer.

tadaa: “I wonder why Subaru break convention?” Maybe because they are made in the US? Looking forward to the answer! I’ll bet is has to do with balancing the weight left to right!

By the way, having the filler hole on the opposite side of the driver is better because you care less likely to smash the pump with your door when you get out.

On the other hand, having the filler on the right side is safer wrt to traffic, while filling with a container on the side of the road, but on the right, you could fall off the cliff or get bitten by a snake, depending on where you live!

By: tadaaa

tadaaa — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 07:00:04 +0000

mmm, it seems I may have to re-evaluate my hypothesis

one reason I assumed that safety was a major concern is that I believe statistic show that standing on the hard shoulder of a motorway/freeway is an incredibly dangerous place to be and has a very high mortality rate, so filling a car in an emergency would put you at even greater risk

obviously on the same side is more convenient

but in the UK most cars have it on the driver side – but that is purely due to the fact that most cars on UK roads are imported from Europe where the steering wheel is on the opposite side to the filler

By: CherryBombSim

CherryBombSim — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 03:49:43 +0000

Also in the interests of research, I went out in the parking lot to have a smoke and counted. 28 of 33 vehicles (including the “Cruel Bus”) had the filler on the driver’s side. Clearly, the manufacturers prefer to put it there, but are willing to put it on the other side if they need to for design reasons.

By: tadaaa

tadaaa — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 19:50:34 +0000

as an aside and in the interests of research I have posed the question on a Subaru forum I am a member of – 🙂

By: tadaaa

tadaaa — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 19:29:45 +0000

@ Eric
interesting – I too have had a Subaru (Impreza) in the past and doing a little research (looking at some old photos) the filler was indeed on the same side as the steering wheel as you state

how odd!!

I currently have a Toyota Landcuiser – and the filler is on the Left (correct according to my “Law”) I also have an Audi and a Peugeot, both follow my “Law” too i.e. having the filler on the right

I wonder why Subaru break convention?