I was running low on gas today and for the life of me, I couldn't get gas.

1) I pulled into a gas station and the phone rang, I had a customer waiting on me.... had to jet.

2) Second station wouldn't take my debit card... line was out the door so I didn't want to wait.

3) Third station out of premium...

By the time I made my fourth attempt, it took 14.3 gallons to fill my tank. I thought we only had a 13.2 gallon tank, is it possible to put over a gallon more than what the tank says it's capacity is?

On the bright side, a guy with a diesel F250 kept me standing there for almost 20 minutes talking about why he should buy a mini.

I think we got another convert.

Mark

 

LOL, I alway get asked about Apple ;0

 

I've filled that much too, once ...

 

Had my first 20 min unsolicited 'sales pitch' yesterday.

 

I done 13 gallons, but 14? that's scary.

 

Mark that amount is not unheard of because the MINI Cooper owner's manual states approximately 13.2 gallons for the fuel tank but the filler neck can hold an additional gallon of gas.

Granted it threw me for a loop too when I did my first fill up and it was a gallon more then 13.2 gallons.

 

I think it's kinda like the "There's always room for Jello" phrase. Maybe that's why we can drive 100 miles before the gauge goes down.

 

Yep, I've done 14.2 gallons.

One night I was watching some show on TV about how things are made and it was about making gas tanks. One of the bits of trivia was that they actually build the tanks so the stated capacity is 80% of what it can really hold. I haven't done the math, but it made me think about that fill-up.

 

Well I knew I was Lowwww when I clicked on range and it said I've got 4 miles to empty.

I try to never let my tank get that low but the day just kept slipping away from me.

And the sad part is, I was contemplating trying to sneak to the next exit (another 2 miles...lol)

Mark

 

I guess the big question is...

What was the damage on the card? 60$?

$44.82 is my highest so far...

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?k...j71qtfSQ&hl=en

 

it is possible. I was purposely drove my mini until it said 2 miles left (but i think it can go further). Filled it up with 14.5 gallons and it cost me about 65 bux.
I noticed....it went from 10 gallons to 2 gallons within 2-3 minutes of driving in the city. I was nervous as he** but I was confident that it can go more than 2 miles.

 

i drove for a while saying -- for mileage leftat least 10 miles coming home from work cost about 65 bucks to fill.

 

Have put in over 14 too.

 

John Stossel did a piece about computers and "time to meltdown" a couple of months ago:

http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Stossel/s...3989000&page=1

I've always heard that it's hard on your fuel pump and injectors, though...

 

13.2 is 80% of 16.5. Think they are really that big?

 

Last few fill-ups I have done 14.1 to 14.3 gallons. Although twice the 'miles to empty' was on "---".

"I don't get concerned when the low fuel light turns on - I get concerned when it turns off! "

 

Over the years, we've had to replace gas tanks while fixing a wrecked vehicle. I usually make a point of looking inside and you should see some of the crap that floats at the bottom of an older tank.

Today's tank which many are plastic don't rust (obviously) so they don't look as bad.... but I've seen some that so much stuff was floating at the bottom, you'd think it would clog up the fuel pump.

Mark

 

It's been posted before that from darn near empty til the pump shuts off is 14.2 gallons. Sounds like the OP confirmed this again.

 

I just drove 508 miles In Pa most on turnpike. first warning at about 90 miles left. At fill up I still had one bar showing and took 13.9 gals. I have gps system and at 70 I am only doing 66 ran most of the way at 68 on the gps.

 

What a paradox... "floating at the bottom."

 

 

I know this wasn't the point of the OP but I'd recommend you not let the fuel get that low, unless you are really really sure a fuel source will be available. I live in an area prone to earthquakes, falling trees, Enron-blackouts, and other sources of power outages, and you never know when the power will go off.
No electricity = no functioning gas stations
I never let it get below half a tank. I always want to have enough fuel to get home.

 

I've done that.

 

Boy, you ain't whistlin' Dixie! When the hurricane hit (we just got power back tonight), those who didn't have fuel in their tanks were out of luck. Houston's airports were closed, so I had to go to Dallas to pick Hubby up (lucky him--business trip to Chicago!). I live at mile marker 92 on Interstate 45. I was at mile marker 180 before I found working gas stations. Two were out of gas already, at the third, the owner was putting bags over the pumps as I drove in, and the fourth had fuel, but only regular. I had to drive to mile marker 197 before I found a working gas station that actually had premium! It was that way all over, too. Only now are gas stations opening up, with electricity to pump the gas, AND gas to pump. You should have seen the lines! Reminded me of the 70's.

And it's amazing to see a 2-mile long line of cars, waiting to get a bag of ice... (Why bother???)

 

I put 13.5 gallons in my Clubman the other day. I thought I was getting close to running out. But 14.3 gallons? If you weren't spilling out of the filler neck then the 13.2 gallons listed in the manual must be a mistatement. Now I wonder who will be the first to fill the tank from completely empty so we can know the real number.

Its entirely possible that the engineering staff at MINI decided that at least 1 gallon must be held in reserve to prevent any chance of fuel pump starvation. With the way the MINI corners it wouldn't be hard to run whatever is left up the sides of the tank and stall out! Then I could see someone in the manual department listing the fuel tank capacity about 1 gallon less than the bone dry capacity.