Running out of fuel

[obi_waynne]

Has anyone run out of fuel before in their car? I did once, there was a little bit in the tank but I hit a steep hill and that was enough to stop the fuel delivery.

Do you think there is any truth in the theory that running empty pushes all the grot and sludge from the tank into the engine?

Surely a fuel filter would catch all of this and in a worst case scenario all you would have to do is replace the filter?

 

[turbonutter69]

I used to run out all the time and it never did my engine any damage.
Not done it for a while now though.

 

[old-git]

I have removed many tanks from cars and they have all been spotless inside. With modern fuels, where would all of this mythical sludge come from?

I used to run a new car (to me) until is ran out of fuel in order to compare no fuel in tank with the fuel gauge needle position (always carried a full petrol can in boot).

I used the wife's Astra turbo the other day and ran out of fuel with the computer saying 32 miles left, I was not amused.

Chevy Blazer doesn't have this facility but does have a low fuel light. I am at present running on fumes to see how much fuel is left when the light comes on. I am avoiding large junctions and narrow main roads

 

[Loz]

Never run out me , is it true that restarting a diesel after running out of fuel is a bit of a pain?

 

[pgarner]

older diesels need the pump primed, newer ones normally can be started without doing it.

nope never ran out, have had a couple of coughs from the engine as going up a slip road to services

 

[marti5]

Yea I ran out on night in my old Vauxhall VX4/90, had to sleep in the car from 12.30am to 6.00am until the garage down the road opened, bloody freezing in november, never did it again but this was 25 yrs ago, I must say my bimmer is pretty spot with the computer Ive been down to as low as 5 miles left......

 

[dpsubaru]

we did it just the other day in the Carisma, the light normally comes on with 70miles left, we had only done 30 and were coming into the sliproad of the petrol station when it ran out of diesel, just cruised up to the pump - very lucky, bought a lottery ticker that day in vain hope it woulod also be lucky, unfortunately not. No probs starting again though, just a couple of turns of the engine and it fired up.