Are you volunteering?

 

It's faulty incorrect gas meters...

 

I agree... It's happened only a few times in my life (twice in the mini, can you believe it?) It was just a comedy of errors as to why I couldn't get gas. I tried to get it, really.... but as life would have it, one reason or another and I was unable.

Fortunately for us, I've only had two times in NC where I could buy gas at any given time... once in a hurricane 18 years ago and this last week. (you could still buy it, it was just more expensive)

I feel for you people that have to deal with the events that seem to happen but that's why they always say... "nothing finer than being in the Carolinas...."

Careful girl.... time dated info shows our ages.... (not that I saw any lines in the '70s..... just sayin')

 

EMAILED MINI ON TANK SIZE. The reply was 13.2 gal go figure

 

Ha! LOL! If it did happen to be me we still wouldn't know cause I could only carry one gallon from the nearest station.

 

Should have just picked up a gallon of regular (or enough to comfortably take you to other stations). It wouldn't hurt the engine at all, and far better than to risk running out of fuel entirely.

 

Hey, what can I say? In a bulletin board filled with so many whippersnappers...

In the 70's I was working as a survey interviewer for the Census Bureau. I wasn't on the Census itself--I worked on surveys such as the one that reports employment statistics; also on some health surveys. It required quite a bit of travel within a 50 mile area, as well as occasional trips to other areas. There were plenty of lines, but as a Federal worker I was exempt. That didn't exactly endear me to the rest of the "linees," but what can I say? I worked my old Fiat to the bone back then (actually 2 Fiats--I didn't learn). There was no such thing as the Internet. I'm sure much could be done that way by now, since after the first interview of each quarter (there were 8 altogether), it could be done over the phone. Unfortunately I was assigned to a rural area, and many people didn't even HAVE phones. Also, it sometimes took several tries to find the people--might work odd hours, be out of town, etc. In many cases even neighbors were far apart and couldn't always help.

Still, it was an interesting job, and really gave me insight as to how people live. Might be good training for politicians. (Okay, I won't go into THAT arena!)

 

In filling the tank to its limits, are some of you topping off? My understanding is that one should not top off or try to squeeze every last drop into the tank, including the top of the filler tube.

Here in California there are signs on the pumps that remind people to not top off and at one time there was jingle about not polluting by topping off.

I fill until the pump [and handle] clicks off then I stop. Besides, when I used to top off I would once in awhile get fuel splashing back onto painted surfaces and/or my hands.

And ditto on the member who does not run to empty. I try to treat the half full marker as the empty indicator. Aside from natural disasters [earthquakes here in San Francisco] a few times I have got calls in the middle of the night and had to drive to an emergency. Time was of the essence and getting fuel would have delayed my journey.

And here on the bridges and highways it's real easy to get bogged down in traffic. And you just know that the one time you push it to empty and start looing for the station, that will be the time you will be delayed due to an accident or whatever. I am not sure, but I think there is a fine imposed if one runs out of gas on the Bay Bridge, especially during the commute. [Hmm... I wonder how much extra fuel is wasted by other drivers by my tying up traffic due to my running out of fuel.]

Just chiming in.

 

This discussion has reminded me way back before the safety feature was added to push the clutch in to start the engine. I had a nice Celica while attending college but could only commit so much cash to fill it. Eventually I ran out of gas on Montery street in San Luis Obispo, about 100 ft from a gas station. By using the starter motor in first gear I was able to just crawl in next to a pump. I felt pretty cool that I didn't even have to get pushed. BTW the starter never did fail in that car!

 

I fill to the click, then run it a little more--until it shuts off again, but not enough to have it spill out. I do this because the nozzles vary, and some shut off prematurely, especially if they've been on the little notch/latch holder and it bubbles too fast. I know some states (and cities) don't allow the notch thingie, but it is on nearly all of our pumps here.

I was told a number of years ago that the automatic shutoff comes from a hole on the filler nozzle that can get plugged. I don't know if this is true, but I have noticed a small hole at the end of the tube.

 

Here's what the EPA says about topping off. Guess I'll stick to the "first click" rather than see how much I can squeeze into the MINI tank or get caught up in some kind of NAM competition.

 

Your link didn't work. (Correction, it now does.) As I said, though, I don't allow the gas to fill beyond the cap, and I'm very careful to hold the line so the gas fully empties before I pull the nozzle out. In a lot of cars, including the MINI, the gas flows too fast and it bubbles up enough to shut the nozzle off prematurely--at least with the pumps I use at my regular station.

 

To avoid the premature problem, I've heard that you should lighten your grip as you approach completion.

 

I mean....

 

Really, you do NOT want to be squirting that stuff all over the place.

 

I keep forgetting: why do we care how much the tank holds? You fill it, you drive, when it gets low you fill it again. You can manually calculate mileage by dividing miles driven by gallons consumed. It holds 13.2, or 14.3, or whatever: it holds what it holds!

 

Seriously though, my guage goes like this (from experience): 3 gallons til first light off, 2 gal. each for the next two, then one gallon each light =14 gallons total. So if I fill up when the 2 red lights are still on it takes 12 gal.

 

To keep from walking along the expressway with a sour look on your face...

 

Filled today, 11 miles past the 'Red' on the last two petals and it took 12.833 Gallons.

Never want to see it any lower and 'peace-of-mind' to Know that 1½ gallons remained at that point.

 

You bet--on some roads, like city expressways and in construction zones, it can be downright dangerous even to park the car on the side, let alone walk on the shoulder (if one exists). It's pretty common here to allow about 3 or 4 INCHES between the traffic lane and a concrete wall. I'd sure hate to drive an 18-wheeler here!

Within the city limits of Houston, it's a mandatory tow for any car breakdown--no matter what the cause. Can be an expensive lesson to keep gas in the tank...

 

I was pondering this variation in fuel tank capacity and thought it might have something to do with the fact that the UK gallon is 160 ounces whereas the US gallon is 128 ounces. I got to thinking that perhaps the 13.2 was imperial gallons but that's not the case. 13.2 imperial gallons is equal to 16.5 US gallons and no one yet has indicated that they got that much into their tank. Ah well, it was a thought.

 

I happened on this thread after doing a few searches here. I was curious what the max amount of gas have people pumped in a MINI. I ran my '04 MCS down to 0 on the computer range indicator for the first time tonight (I've done single digits before, but never zero) and I filled with 13.224 gals - ie, the full published capacity (nice to see that the computer and capacity agree so closely!)

In any event, I wonder if this issue has been batted around here before....
what is the meaning of the "reserve"? In the owners manual capacities list, the fuel tank is listed at 13.2 gal and a separate reserve is listed at 2.1 gal
(13.2 + 2.1 = 15.3 total???) However in the main body of the manual, the refueling section states the capacity as 13.2 gallons of which approx 2.1 gal are reserve capacity (which makes it seem like the 2.1 is included within the 13.2)

This issue was the rage for a while in the smart car forums (I have a fortwo now as well), because its fuel tank capacity is "8.72 gals including a reserve of 1.32 gals". Now as it turns out with the smart, it has a countdown indicator which tracks the last gallon in tenths of a gallon, and 0.0 gal left corresponds pretty closely to a 8.7 gal fill. HOWEVER, serveral people have reported in going well beyond this and filling with 9.5 + gallons.

Could this be some kind of quirk with European cars that the reserve fuel tank capacity really is a reserve, and not really counted in the fuel tank capacity?

 

When I pulled my fuel tank after the local gas station gave me 2 gallons of water during the recent gas crisis the sticker on the top of the tank said 50 liters.After almost 60k I've run my tank well past the zero(for one reason or another) and never run out of gas.The most I've been able to fill the tank with was 14.75 gallons.

 

Only one major Road Trip and knew we had plenty of Fuel to get there and back...ok...ok...so it wasn't that major. Molly gets a drink every Friday Night on the way home from work, whether she needs it or not...more often than not. So as far as capacity...I'm not to concerned. My .02

 

I'll tell ya what "reserve" means. It's when the engine sputters, and the passenger reaches up under the instrument panel and moves the lever 90 degrees from straight up to right. And you'd best be quick 'bout it!

Oh wait, that's how we do it on our 356. On the MINI? Haven't a clue.