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User Content => Road Trips => Topic started by: tidecat on February 17, 2013, 07:52:49 PM

Title: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: tidecat on February 17, 2013, 07:52:49 PM
What's the longest distance you've driven without stopping for gas?
The farthest I've gone is 398 miles from my parents' house in Maylene, Alabama to the gas station closest to my house in Louisville, Kentucky-and I still had 1.5 gallons left in the tank.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: NE2 on February 17, 2013, 07:54:26 PM
These guys have you beat: http://bikeacrossamerica.org/
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: corco on February 17, 2013, 08:00:22 PM
I drove from full to gas light on a rented Chrysler 200 last June and that sucker had a massive gas tank (16.9) although I only averaged 28 MPG- I think that's still 450+ miles though
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: Alps on February 17, 2013, 08:26:42 PM
I've broken 500 miles before, 501.4 or so.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: 1995hoo on February 17, 2013, 10:55:19 PM
Farthest I can recall is in 2008, went 455 miles from Portland to somewhere near the western end of I-78 in Pennsylvania in my current car (2004 Acura TL with a six-speed manual). I probably could have gone further, but I didn't know the area well (first time on that part of I-78) and the yellow light had been on for a while.

I may have gone further in the 1982 Accord I drove in the early 1990s, but I just don't recall. That car had a five-speed but was much smaller and regularly pulled over 35 mpg on the highway, even with the AC on.

I used to like to try to stretch it as far as I could before stopping for gas, but nowadays I'll just fill the tank when I'm also stopping for lunch, or in the morning after an overnight stop. I'd rather minimize the number of stops.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: djsinco on February 18, 2013, 03:16:56 AM
I guess we are not counting the big trucks I have driven, that record for me would be the 1200+ miles when i drove bobtail (no trailer) from Denver, CO to Florence, KY. In my car, I drove from Salamanca, NY to Westwood, NJ in December and it was a total of 501 miles. There was a bunch of extra miles en route in this tankful due to meanderings I had to do in the Finger Lakes.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: formulanone on February 18, 2013, 09:48:09 AM
Quote from: NE2 on February 17, 2013, 07:54:26 PM
These guys have you beat: http://bikeacrossamerica.org/

Unless they're each carrying 500-1000 pounds each, there's no relevance.

I've gotten 505 in my old Lexus; ideal conditions such as no A/C, rarely hitting 60 mph, and almost exclusively on backroads helped (usually, that car had a 300-350 mile range on my commutes, 400 on mostly-highway trips).

I've driven a Prius, but even though I drove some long distances, I filled up every half-tank.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: J N Winkler on February 18, 2013, 10:04:09 AM
I used to have a 1986 Nissan Maxima with a 15.5-gallon gas tank.  Under favorable conditions (i.e., ones where the car could average over 30 MPG on the highway) I usually tried to avoid refueling until 400 miles after the last fill-up, but on one occasion I managed to get 553 miles and on another I got 570 miles.  In both cases my cruising speed was just above the shift point for fourth gear and most of my itinerary was at high altitude.  I believe I may also owe the 570 miles partly to slight overfilling of the tank.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: agentsteel53 on February 18, 2013, 10:45:38 AM
I believe I've gotten over 600 miles out of a Prius, averaging 56-60 miles per gallon. 

but the most I've consciously noted is 516 miles in an '89 Escort.  10.06 gallons.  Silver City, NM to Quartzsite, AZ via US-180 and US-60.  I lost about 6000 feet of elevation, and must have coasted at least 80 miles.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: kphoger on February 18, 2013, 12:20:59 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 18, 2013, 10:45:38 AM
I believe I've gotten over 600 miles out of a Prius, averaging 56-60 miles per gallon. 

but the most I've consciously noted is 516 miles in an '89 Escort.  10.06 gallons.  Silver City, NM to Quartzsite, AZ via US-180 and US-60.  I lost about 6000 feet of elevation, and must have coasted at least 80 miles.


I love those downhill fill-ups.  I once stopped at a gas station after having lost about 3250 feet elevation over 143 miles.  I told the attendant to stop filling once the nozzle clicked off.  Five seconds later:  click!  Say what??  So I had him try again, and it clicked right away again.  OK, one more time, same thing.  I usually get around 20 mph, and that tank ended up being 39.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: djsinco on February 18, 2013, 02:11:30 PM
Denver to Kansas City with a tailwind = great mileage!
Kansas City to Denver with a headwind = terrible mileage!
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: CNGL-Leudimin on February 18, 2013, 03:06:53 PM
Well, I don't know how far I went on my car. But I believe we have made 400-500 miles more than once.

And in the UK version of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May went from Basel, Switzerland, to Blackpool, UK, without stopping for gas. Without the Channel Tunnel, they did 780 miles. And it seemed that Clarkson's car ran out of gas, but it actually had for another 120 miles, so it would have peaked at 900 miles without filling up!
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: Duke87 on February 18, 2013, 08:29:18 PM
380.3 miles, from Effingham IL, to the Lawrence service Plaza on the Kansas Turnpike - on 9.952 gallons.
That is not the most I've put in my tank at once, mind you (it's a 12 gallon tank).

I had some pretty good segments in terms of fuel economy on my cross country trip last year, and by my math I could have topped 450 miles on some of them if I'd kept going without getting gas.

But, I had specifically planned ahead of time exact towns in which I would stop for gas about every 250-300 miles once I got west of the Mississippi, since I knew there might be some significant distances between opportunities to do so, so other than this one which was at the beginning of all that I did not clock any extraordinary lengths between stops.


Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: andrewkbrown on February 18, 2013, 08:49:52 PM
503 miles were the most I've been able to get from my 1999 Toyota Camry.

I'm routinely able to make the 480-490 mile one-way trip from Washington DC to Wilmington OH (and vice versa) I frequently do on a single tank.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: Zmapper on February 18, 2013, 09:08:52 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 18, 2013, 12:20:59 PM
I usually get around 20 mph, and that tank ended up being 39.

You might want to try driving a little faster. :P
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: kphoger on February 19, 2013, 11:04:45 AM
Quote from: Zmapper on February 18, 2013, 09:08:52 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 18, 2013, 12:20:59 PM
I usually get around 20 mph, and that tank ended up being 39.

You might want to try driving a little faster. :P

Ha!  Thank you for noticing that!  Where was everyone else???  20 mpG.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: formulanone on February 19, 2013, 06:11:36 PM
Please, I can't even keep up with my own deliferate mistakes, let alone the unintentional oens.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: 1995hoo on February 19, 2013, 06:13:24 PM
Good thing I never make misteaks.

(Mmmm....steak......)
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: cpzilliacus on February 19, 2013, 06:54:13 PM
Silver Spring, Maryland to Carnesville, Georgia (I-85 Exit 166).

573 Miles.

30 gallon tank.  Ford F250 (Diesel) pickup truck.

Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: djsinco on February 19, 2013, 08:32:52 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 19, 2013, 06:54:13 PM
Silver Spring, Maryland to Carnesville, Georgia (I-85 Exit 166).

573 Miles.

30 gallon tank.  Ford F250 (Diesel) pickup truck.

$120 fillup? Ouch!
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: cpzilliacus on February 19, 2013, 09:47:28 PM
Quote from: djsinco on February 19, 2013, 08:32:52 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 19, 2013, 06:54:13 PM
Silver Spring, Maryland to Carnesville, Georgia (I-85 Exit 166).

573 Miles.

30 gallon tank.  Ford F250 (Diesel) pickup truck.

$120 fillup? Ouch!

A former neighbor had the same truck, except with a gas V10 motor.  He got about half the miles per gallon using regular unleaded fuel.  So even though Diesel is not the cheap fuel it once was, I'm still ahead.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: ce929wax on February 20, 2013, 05:22:37 PM
466 miles from Corinth, KY to Holland, MI in a 2007 Saturn Aura XE.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: corco on February 20, 2013, 05:36:58 PM
QuoteA former neighbor had the same truck, except with a gas V10 motor.  He got about half the miles per gallon using regular unleaded fuel.  So even though Diesel is not the cheap fuel it once was, I'm still ahead.

I drove a loaded E-350 Uhaul with that gas V-10 a month or so ago...managed a whopping 9.3 MPG with as much torque as my grandma generates when she turns a crescent wrench from Arizona to Montana, the whole way wondering why Uhaul doesn't have diesel vans.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: djsinco on February 21, 2013, 02:27:00 AM
The reason U-Haul does not have diesel moving trucks (except for a few of their larger ones,) is simple; $$$
U pay for gas, they pay for the cheapest engine they can get.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: kphoger on February 21, 2013, 12:52:20 PM
I'd rather drive a gasoline truck than a diesel truck in the cold winter anyway.  Gelling up is no fun.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: djsinco on February 21, 2013, 02:45:08 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 21, 2013, 12:52:20 PM
I'd rather drive a gasoline truck than a diesel truck in the cold winter anyway.  Gelling up is no fun.

I don't know many (intelligent) people who have gelled up twice. You learn a lot from an experience like that.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: kphoger on February 21, 2013, 02:51:55 PM
Quote from: djsinco on February 21, 2013, 02:45:08 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 21, 2013, 12:52:20 PM
I'd rather drive a gasoline truck than a diesel truck in the cold winter anyway.  Gelling up is no fun.

I don't know many (intelligent) people who have gelled up twice. You learn a lot from an experience like that.

When you rent a truck that's parked outside, you get what you get.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: NWI_Irish96 on February 21, 2013, 03:48:24 PM
Our family used to have a Dodge conversion van that we took on vacations.  It had a 35-gallon tank and we regularly did 600+ mile stints without stopping. 
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: Truvelo on February 21, 2013, 04:00:54 PM
Looks like I have all of you beat. My car has an 18 US gallon tank and the most I've achieved is 730 miles on a very steady run. I'm shocked at how the vehicle in the post above has a tank twice the size but has a shorter range. Try driving that thing over here where it would cost you $250 to fill up.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: agentsteel53 on February 21, 2013, 04:03:01 PM
Quote from: Truvelo on February 21, 2013, 04:00:54 PM
Looks like I have all of you beat. My car has an 18 US gallon tank and the most I've achieved is 730 miles on a very steady run. I'm shocked at how the vehicle in the post above has a tank twice the size but has a shorter range. Try driving that thing over here where it would cost you $250 to fill up.

what kind of car?  I am not familiar with vehicles that get great mileage, and have a large capacity.  I remember my little Hyundai Getz giving me 56mpg in Norway ... and having a range of maybe 800km, due to its small tank.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: Truvelo on February 21, 2013, 04:14:40 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 21, 2013, 04:03:01 PM
what kind of car?

It's a Ford Mondeo 2.2 diesel. There's a list here (http://www.buyyourcar.co.uk/car-data/ford/mondeo/2012/hatchback/mpg) of the different derivatives and the 1.6 diesel claims to have a range of over 1000 miles.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: Brandon on February 21, 2013, 04:23:53 PM
Quote from: Truvelo on February 21, 2013, 04:14:40 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 21, 2013, 04:03:01 PM
what kind of car?

It's a Ford Mondeo 2.2 diesel. There's a list here (http://www.buyyourcar.co.uk/car-data/ford/mondeo/2012/hatchback/mpg) of the different derivatives and the 1.6 diesel claims to have a range of over 1000 miles.

There's the main difference.  Most cars in the US and Canada are gasoline (and variations such as E85) instead of diesel.  Trucks (semis) on the other hand are predominately diesel (and biodiesel).  Diesel is also used in the US and Canada on rail locomotives.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: mgk920 on February 21, 2013, 06:33:42 PM
I'm not sure on the driving distance, but I've made it from an initial fill here in Appleton, WI to the first Ohio Turnpike service plaza a couple of times on roadtrips in the late 1990s and early 2000s.  I've also made it from Appleton to Effingham, IL on one fill, but that is not particularly far.  The cars had 50 liter (just over 12 US gallons) tanks.

My worst direct OTR car driving range?  In a 1994 roadtrip to the Denver, CO area, I just made it from Omaha, NE to North Platte, NE - bucking an incredible right to left 3/4 headwind the whole way along I-80 westward from just west of Lincoln, NE

Mike
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: agentsteel53 on February 21, 2013, 06:58:13 PM
Quote from: mgk920 on February 21, 2013, 06:33:42 PM
My worst direct OTR car driving range?  In a 1994 roadtrip to the Denver, CO area, I just made it from Omaha, NE to North Platte, NE - bucking an incredible right to left 3/4 headwind the whole way along I-80 westward from just west of Lincoln, NE

sounds like an experience my friend and I had in Argentina.  a similar 45 degree headwind on highway 3 in Patagonia, with steady wind speeds of about 50-60mph.

we had neglected to get gasoline in Puerto Santa Cruz, assuming that our 20mpg estimate would hold up, giving us 500km of range, and therefore an easy 240 or so km ride to Rio Gallegos, where the next gas station would be. 

soon we realized we weren't getting the 30mpg we would get ideally - nor the 20mpg which was our "worst case" paved roads estimate.  oh no, we were getting about 9mpg. 

between the terrible fuel consumption of driving into the wind, and the non-trivial amount we lost attempting to fill the main tank from our jerry can, we barely made it to Gallegos.  we had maybe 40km of range left.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: cpzilliacus on February 21, 2013, 07:55:22 PM
Quote from: corco on February 20, 2013, 05:36:58 PM
QuoteA former neighbor had the same truck, except with a gas V10 motor.  He got about half the miles per gallon using regular unleaded fuel.  So even though Diesel is not the cheap fuel it once was, I'm still ahead.

I drove a loaded E-350 Uhaul with that gas V-10 a month or so ago...managed a whopping 9.3 MPG with as much torque as my grandma generates when she turns a crescent wrench from Arizona to Montana, the whole way wondering why Uhaul doesn't have diesel vans.

That Ford V-10 truck motor was described by my former neighbor as being a "pig."
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: cpzilliacus on February 21, 2013, 07:57:39 PM
Quote from: djsinco on February 21, 2013, 02:27:00 AM
U pay for gas, they pay for the cheapest engine they can get.

Yep.  A Diesel engine is an option that costs many thousands of dollars more than an "equivalent" gasoline motor.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: corco on February 21, 2013, 08:00:24 PM
Won't a diesel last a lot longer though? Although I guess Uhaul probably gets such a good fleet discount it doesn't matter
Title: Re: Longest you\'ve gone without stopping for gas
Post by: cpzilliacus on February 21, 2013, 08:05:35 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 21, 2013, 12:52:20 PM
I'd rather drive a gasoline truck than a diesel truck in the cold winter anyway.  Gelling up is no fun.

I have never had a problem with Diesel fuel gelling up in the winter (about the coldest ambient temperature I have experienced with my truck is about -10°F (-23°C)).  I have had problems starting it (when the block warmer was not plugged-in) on extremely cold mornings, though it usually fires up (though it sounds like the motor wants to jump out of the engine compartment when it starts, and clouds of nasty particulate exhaust are produced until things start to warm up).

Post Merge: February 22, 2013, 10:55:44 AM

Quote from: corco on February 21, 2013, 08:00:24 PM
Won't a diesel last a lot longer though? Although I guess Uhaul probably gets such a good fleet discount it doesn't matter

I have 296,000 original miles on my truck, still going strong.

Post Merge: February 22, 2013, 10:55:40 AM

Quote from: Truvelo on February 21, 2013, 04:14:40 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 21, 2013, 04:03:01 PM
what kind of car?

It's a Ford Mondeo 2.2 diesel. There's a list here (http://www.buyyourcar.co.uk/car-data/ford/mondeo/2012/hatchback/mpg) of the different derivatives and the 1.6 diesel claims to have a range of over 1000 miles.

Wish Ford would offer a Diesel motor in the Transit Connects it sells in the North American market (it has thus far declined to do so, probably thanks at least in part to lingering bad memories of the horrendously unreliable General Motors Diesel engines (in Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs and Cadillacs) of the late 1970's and early 1980's).

Though at long last, Ford will be selling the Transit van in the U.S. and Canada (it has never done so in the past), and apparently that will be available with a 3.2L Turbo Diesel.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: agentsteel53 on February 21, 2013, 08:21:11 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 21, 2013, 08:19:55 PMlingering bad memories of the horrendously unreliable General Motors Diesel engines (in Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs and Cadillacs) of the late 1970's and early 1980's).

you'd imagine Ford would play that up completely, given that GM is their marketplace rival.  "Ford Mondeo: it's not your grandpa's Oldsmobile"
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: cpzilliacus on February 21, 2013, 08:21:57 PM
Quote from: Truvelo on February 21, 2013, 04:00:54 PM
Looks like I have all of you beat. My car has an 18 US gallon tank and the most I've achieved is 730 miles on a very steady run. I'm shocked at how the vehicle in the post above has a tank twice the size but has a shorter range. Try driving that thing over here where it would cost you $250 to fill up.

It also has a much larger engine displacement - 7.3L V8. 

Compared to its gasoline/petrol-powered peers, it is an econobox.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: cpzilliacus on February 21, 2013, 08:37:46 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 21, 2013, 08:21:11 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 21, 2013, 08:19:55 PMlingering bad memories of the horrendously unreliable General Motors Diesel engines (in Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs and Cadillacs) of the late 1970's and early 1980's).

you'd imagine Ford would play that up completely, given that GM is their marketplace rival.  "Ford Mondeo: it's not your grandpa's Oldsmobile"

That might be a good line, especially given  that GM abandoned the Oldsmobile nameplate quite a few years ago (I rather liked some of the last of the Olds cars - but the GM Diesel engines for passenger cars ranks right up there with the Chevrolet Vega,  Chevrolet Chevette, the Chevrolet Citation (and its idiotic twin, the Cadillac Cimmaron) and the Pontiac Aztek as some of the worst things that the company has ever put on wheels). 

What was especially strange about the GM Diesels for cars was that (back then) GM owned Detroit Diesel, which had been building robust (and robustly reliable) Diesel engines for trucks and buses for many decades, yet it seems that GM management did not bother to talk the design of those new Diesels for passenger cars over with its in-house Diesel engine experts.  What GM did was to try to adapt gasoline engines for use as Diesel, starting with the 350 cid gas motor as a basis for a Diesel (the gas 350 was long a mainstay at GM).  But the clowns at GM apparently did not understand that a Diesel engine has a much higher compression ratio than a gasoline burner, so cylinder head failures or cylinder head bolt failures (after a very few miles) happened to nearly every one of those vehicles.

Also curious that Ford has never bothered to use the Mondeo nameplate in North America for some reason. 

The current Mondeo is sold west of the pond as the Ford Fusion (IMO, not a bad looking car either).
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: Brandon on February 21, 2013, 09:29:59 PM
Quote from: mgk920 on February 21, 2013, 06:33:42 PM
My worst direct OTR car driving range?  In a 1994 roadtrip to the Denver, CO area, I just made it from Omaha, NE to North Platte, NE - bucking an incredible right to left 3/4 headwind the whole way along I-80 westward from just west of Lincoln, NE

Mike

My worst was just Tuesday morning from Joliet to Pekin for a job site.  Fought a 30 mph wind the whole way there along I-55 and I-74 and literally watched the gas gauge move from full to half by the time I got there.  :verymad:

Headwinds suck, crosswinds suck even more with a trailer.  Did that Monday in Nebraska and Iowa.  The car got a mere 11-12 mpg through that crap while barely able to safely maintain 65-70 mph.  Finally got over 16 mpg in eastern Iowa once I got out of the flipping wind.  Same wind caught back up to me Tuesday morning.  X-(
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: djsinco on February 22, 2013, 03:03:17 AM
Quote from: Truvelo on February 21, 2013, 04:00:54 PM
Looks like I have all of you beat. My car has an 18 US gallon tank and the most I've achieved is 730 miles on a very steady run. I'm shocked at how the vehicle in the post above has a tank twice the size but has a shorter range. Try driving that thing over here where it would cost you $250 to fill up.

I say "shenanigans." You live in the UK, and have a tank that is measured in US gallons?
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: djsinco on February 22, 2013, 03:11:35 AM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 21, 2013, 06:58:13 PM
Quote from: mgk920 on February 21, 2013, 06:33:42 PM
My worst direct OTR car driving range?  In a 1994 roadtrip to the Denver, CO area, I just made it from Omaha, NE to North Platte, NE - bucking an incredible right to left 3/4 headwind the whole way along I-80 westward from just west of Lincoln, NE

sounds like an experience my friend and I had in Argentina.  a similar 45 degree headwind on highway 3 in Patagonia, with steady wind speeds of about 50-60mph.

My friend rented a U-Haul to go from Denver to Lompoc, CA. He filled the tank in Green River, UT, and ran out of gas on the 8-mile downgrade just before Salina. There was a fierce headwind the whole way, in addition to the tough pulls. The fuel mileage on the trip westbound across UT was under 5MPG. The next day, to add insult to injury, the engine blew up just past Baker, CA on the way back up. He had to offload all his belongings to the replacement truck in 100 degree heat.The tow truck showed up with the new truck for him after only 14 hours (from Barstow.) Guess who will never rent from U-Haul again?  :banghead:
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: Truvelo on February 22, 2013, 04:22:26 AM
Quote from: djsinco on February 22, 2013, 03:03:17 AM
Quote from: Truvelo on February 21, 2013, 04:00:54 PM
Looks like I have all of you beat. My car has an 18 US gallon tank and the most I've achieved is 730 miles on a very steady run. I'm shocked at how the vehicle in the post above has a tank twice the size but has a shorter range. Try driving that thing over here where it would cost you $250 to fill up.

I say "shenanigans." You live in the UK, and have a tank that is measured in US gallons?

The tank is 70 litres but for the benefit of people on this forum I converted it into US gallons.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: agentsteel53 on February 22, 2013, 09:40:32 AM
Quote from: Truvelo on February 22, 2013, 04:22:26 AM

The tank is 70 litres but for the benefit of people on this forum I converted it into US gallons.

I've been mixing units pretty badly too - distances in Argentina in kilometers, fuel capacity in liters... consumption in miles per gallon.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: agentsteel53 on February 22, 2013, 09:43:56 AM
I do wonder why more US research in diesel motors has been neglected, especially given the anecdotal consensus that diesel motors run "forever".

<conspiracy>because they want you to buy a new car every 100,000 miles.</conspiracy>
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: corco on February 22, 2013, 10:39:05 AM
I've gotten down to 9 or 10 MPG in my Jeep Liberty heading westbound from Cheyenne to Laramie, and that's even keeping the speed down to 60-65 because I felt like I'd blow the transmission up if I tried to go faster- headwinds can be gnarly.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: Brandon on February 22, 2013, 10:55:09 AM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 22, 2013, 09:43:56 AM
I do wonder why more US research in diesel motors has been neglected, especially given the anecdotal consensus that diesel motors run "forever".

<conspiracy>because they want you to buy a new car every 100,000 miles.</conspiracy>

1. Diesels are perceived as heavy duty engines for big rigs.
2. The bad experience of the GM diesels of the 1970s-1980s that did not work properly.
3. Diesels are also perceived in small cars as the realm of either europhiles (Jetta, Golf) or hippies who make fuel out of vegetable oil.
4. Let's be honest, it does get colder in the US and Canada overall than in most of Europe.  Who wants to gel?

That pretty much sums it up with the GM diesels leaving the worst impression overall.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: 1995hoo on February 22, 2013, 11:24:33 AM
In addition, the average American consumer looks at the price per gallon and sees that a gallon of diesel usually costs more than a gallon of gasoline (regardless of grade) and thus considers diesel "too expensive" (regardless of whether the increased fuel economy might negate the price-per-gallon differential in actual driving).

I'd cite the higher sticker price for many diesel models (a price differential whose benefit in fuel savings takes a lot longer to occur in your daily driving), but I suspect most people don't get as far as looking at the sticker because they just automatically rule out diesel cars.

There's also a perception that a lot of filling stations do not carry diesel. I'm sure some don't, but just based on my observations when I pull up to the pumps it seems to be a lot less of an issue than it was 30 years ago.

I drove a right-hand drive VW Passat turbodiesel with a five-speed manual as a rental car in Scotland a few years ago and loved it; depending on reliability ratings, that's absolutely a car I'd consider for purchase someday (though no doubt the model has changed since then). I've also driven a Vauxhall Vectra diesel in England; while my impression of the car itself was less favorable, I thought the fuel economy was outstanding (and it had no trouble hitting 100 mph on the M4).
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: formulanone on February 22, 2013, 11:46:39 AM
Unless you generate extra power (through turbocharging), diesels are generally slower than their petrol equivalents; the added torque doesn't matter if you're giving up 50% of the power. But enthusiasts aside, a diesel will give back more fuel mileage, but as long as fuel costs keep at the levels they're at (with diesel being more expensive), then hybrids are going to be more popular choices. The one thing a hybrid motor with electrical-stop/start battery-generation power can do, that others can't (save fully-electric cars) is not run its engine at all during a full stop or at very slow speeds.

Diesels have slightly higher maintenance costs, although in the long-run, hybrid battery and electrical motor costs will surpass lots of maintenance costs, since those aren't serviceable items. The anecdotal stories about them (or really any make/model) living forever are biased by the enjoyment, pride, or attitudes the owners have towards keeping and maintaining them.

Do a search for Ford F250 diesels and see what pops up...for every proud owner, there's plenty of stories filled with smoke and woe.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: cpzilliacus on February 22, 2013, 12:44:35 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 22, 2013, 09:43:56 AM
I do wonder why more US research in diesel motors has been neglected, especially given the anecdotal consensus that diesel motors run "forever".

<conspiracy>because they want you to buy a new car every 100,000 miles.</conspiracy>

As I think I mentioned upthread, my truck has about 296,000 miles on the meter.  Aside from changing the oil and filters, I have never done anything to the engine.

Others with similar trucks (including Dodge with the Cummins engine and Chevy/GMC with the Isuzu Duramax)  have told me that 500,000 miles or more is not unreasonable if the engine is maintained correctly.  Fun conversations near the Diesel pumps while filling up.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: cpzilliacus on February 22, 2013, 12:56:12 PM
Quote from: Brandon on February 22, 2013, 10:55:09 AM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 22, 2013, 09:43:56 AM
I do wonder why more US research in diesel motors has been neglected, especially given the anecdotal consensus that diesel motors run "forever".

<conspiracy>because they want you to buy a new car every 100,000 miles.</conspiracy>

1. Diesels are perceived as heavy duty engines for big rigs.

Correct.  Also exotic.

Quote2. The bad experience of the GM diesels of the 1970s-1980s that did not work properly.

Correct.  Those GM Diesel cars stranded people when the engines suffered their catastrophic failures, which is one reason why the  memories linger even decades after the last of them went to the junkyard.

Quote3. Diesels are also perceived in small cars as the realm of either europhiles (Jetta, Golf) or hippies who make fuel out of vegetable oil.

Fair comment.

Quote4. Let's be honest, it does get colder in the US and Canada overall than in most of Europe.  Who wants to gel?

I must disagree with that.  Diesel automobiles, SUVs and pickup trucks are popular in all of Finland and Sweden, where the winters get plenty cold (I don't think I have seen a gasoline-powered taxicab there in at least 20 years). 

Biggest issue during the winter is starting the engine in the morning - but it's a non issue in most places, because there are outlets for plugging-in the engine block warmers near many parking spaces (and most Diesel and gasoline-powered cars there have block warmers, which also reduces vehicle emissions, since it warms to the correct operating temperature much more quickly).

QuoteThat pretty much sums it up with the GM diesels leaving the worst impression overall.

I think GM deserves most of the blame. 

But when people drive a modern Diesel car, I think many people come away impressed.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: cpzilliacus on February 22, 2013, 01:02:21 PM
Quote from: formulanone on February 22, 2013, 11:46:39 AM
Unless you generate extra power (through turbocharging), diesels are generally slower than their petrol equivalents; the added torque doesn't matter if you're giving up 50% of the power. But enthusiasts aside, a diesel will give back more fuel mileage, but as long as fuel costs keep at the levels they're at (with diesel being more expensive), then hybrids are going to be more popular choices. The one thing a hybrid motor with electrical-stop/start battery-generation power can do, that others can't (save fully-electric cars) is not run its engine at all during a full stop or at very slow speeds.

And the hybrid probably has to keep the internal combustion motor running in the winter to provide heat for the passenger cabin.

QuoteDiesels have slightly higher maintenance costs, although in the long-run, hybrid battery and electrical motor costs will surpass lots of maintenance costs, since those aren't serviceable items. The anecdotal stories about them (or really any make/model) living forever are biased by the enjoyment, pride, or attitudes the owners have towards keeping and maintaining them.

Have the hybrids been on the road long enough to have run-up enough miles to need the entire battery pack replaced?

QuoteDo a search for Ford F250 diesels and see what pops up...for every proud owner, there's plenty of stories filled with smoke and woe.

Two problems that I am aware of:

(1) The 6.0L engine, which it came out, was extremely trouble-prone.  That's not the engine that Ford is using in new trucks now.

(2) The automatic transmissions were not designed for the enormous amount of torque put out by the Diesel engines, and were pretty failure-prone (a non-issue for me, as I have a standard transmission).  But here again, I understand  that Dearborn is using a much more robust automatic today in the F250/F350 and other Diesel trucks.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: agentsteel53 on February 22, 2013, 01:16:22 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 22, 2013, 12:44:35 PM
As I think I mentioned upthread, my truck has about 296,000 miles on the meter.  Aside from changing the oil and filters, I have never done anything to the engine.

:wow:

I'm used to my gasoline engines having all kinds of small things needing maintenance, like spark plugs, and various gaskets which leak oil.

the spark plugs are not something found on diesel engines - but don't you have gasket breakdowns over the years?  also, stuff like timing belt/water pump?  (okay, maybe not timing belt, but doesn't a diesel engine have a cooling system similar to that of a gasoline engine?)
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: formulanone on February 22, 2013, 01:19:02 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 22, 2013, 01:02:21 PM
Have the hybrids been on the road long enough to have run-up enough miles to need the entire battery pack replaced?

Probably not that many; I know Honda and Toyota warranty the hybrid equipment (starter, rechargeable batteries, motor-generators, power transfer computers) for 8 years/100,000 miles. I've seen a number of them be "goodwilled" by factory warranty and the dealers if they kept up the maintenance after the fact. That's typically for those who exceeded the warranty by a short distance, but still "under the time limit" (or vice versa), but not by an extra hundred-thousand miles.

The battery packs have come down in price compared to when they first arrived on the scene, when they were about $5000 each; they're still about $2-3k. That's the price of a typical cylinder-head gasket job on an average (non-luxury/non-performance) car.

Still, diesels get the short-shrift attitude in America, but supposedly VW is going to provide a few models (the Golf TDi, for one) to these shores soon enough. Slower than a GTi, but quicker and more nimble than a petrol Golf/Rabbit. The eventual pricing is what will matter a lot.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: Truvelo on February 22, 2013, 01:30:13 PM
Diesel gelling is a bit of a misnomer. Fuel here has an anti-gelling additive added during the winter. During the last few winters temperatures have got down to well below -10c (14F) and the only difference when starting the engine is waiting a few seconds for the glow plug light to go out.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: kphoger on February 22, 2013, 05:09:57 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 21, 2013, 08:05:35 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 21, 2013, 12:52:20 PM
I'd rather drive a gasoline truck than a diesel truck in the cold winter anyway.  Gelling up is no fun.

I have never had a problem with Diesel fuel gelling up in the winter (about the coldest ambient temperature I have experienced with my truck is about -10°F (-23°C)).

I used to drive Isuzu cab-over box trucks in southern Illinois, and our 2003 model year truck had a nasty habit of gelling up in the coldest weather.  The first (and not the only) time it happened to me was on I-55 near Litchfield, IL–a good 140 miles from the warehouse, not including any of the stops I still had to make; that truck's usual driver complained about the same problem.  Interestingly, our 2001 and 2002 model year trucks didn't have the same problem (though they did have their own respective problems...).
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: cpzilliacus on February 22, 2013, 07:07:38 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 22, 2013, 01:16:22 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 22, 2013, 12:44:35 PM
As I think I mentioned upthread, my truck has about 296,000 miles on the meter.  Aside from changing the oil and filters, I have never done anything to the engine.

:wow:

I'm used to my gasoline engines having all kinds of small things needing maintenance, like spark plugs, and various gaskets which leak oil.

Never had an oil leak.  Yes, it has gaskets.  So far, have never needed a new one.

Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 22, 2013, 01:16:22 PM
the spark plugs are not something found on diesel engines - but don't you have gasket breakdowns over the years?  also, stuff like timing belt/water pump?  (okay, maybe not timing belt, but doesn't a diesel engine have a cooling system similar to that of a gasoline engine?)

No spark plugs - compression ignition.

There's a timing chain, no belt. I think that chain lasts as long as the engine does.

Water pump, yes. And that did wear-out, as I observed a little bit of engine coolant leaking from the bearings (I replaced it at about 275,000 miles).
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: djsinco on February 22, 2013, 07:16:12 PM
Quote from: Truvelo on February 22, 2013, 01:30:13 PM
Diesel gelling is a bit of a misnomer. Fuel here has an anti-gelling additive added during the winter. During the last few winters temperatures have got down to well below -10c (14F) and the only difference when starting the engine is waiting a few seconds for the glow plug light to go out.

Perhaps in the UK it is a misnomer, but you almost never experience the winter temperatures like we do here in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, etc. The fact is, that in temperatures under about 10 degrees, any contaminants (water, condensation, residue in the fuel tank, filter, or any other part of the fuel system will occlude. This causes return fuel pressure to drop, which in turn causes fuel in the tank to become susceptible to "gelling." Obviously, not everyone who tries to drive in such temperatures will experience such an issue. Combine sub-zero (Fahrenheit) temperatures with any of the above, become stranded 50 miles from the nearest town in a blizzard, and then tell me it is a "misnomer." There are lots of preventative steps which one can take, but in the end buying bad fuel can trump all the preventative measures available.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: cpzilliacus on February 22, 2013, 07:20:32 PM
Quote from: Truvelo on February 22, 2013, 01:30:13 PM
Diesel gelling is a bit of a misnomer. Fuel here has an anti-gelling additive added during the winter.

Diesel sold in the colder U.S. states also has that additive during the colder months.   I once spoke with a guy who had purchased fuel far enough south that there was no anti-gelling additive (perhaps South Carolina), and he ran into problems when he drove almost straight north on  I-95 on a cold winter day. But bottles of anti-gel additive can usually be purchased at service stations that sell Diesel fuel, and I have added one when very cold weather is forecast.

Quote from: Truvelo on February 22, 2013, 01:30:13 PM
During the last few winters temperatures have got down to well below -10c (14F) and the only difference when starting the engine is waiting a few seconds for the glow plug light to go out.

It's no fun starting my 7.3L engine when the ambient temperature is below about 20°F or -7°C.  It will start, but it takes several cycles with the glow plugs (Ford has a "Wait to Start" light that goes out when the plugs are finished).  So I nearly always use the engine block warmer if the overnight temperature is forecast to be less than about 32°F or 0°C, which also eliminates that nasty cloud of smoke that comes from the tailpipe of a vehicle with a cold Diesel engine.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: cpzilliacus on February 22, 2013, 07:25:37 PM
Quote from: djsinco on February 22, 2013, 07:16:12 PM
Quote from: Truvelo on February 22, 2013, 01:30:13 PM
Diesel gelling is a bit of a misnomer. Fuel here has an anti-gelling additive added during the winter. During the last few winters temperatures have got down to well below -10c (14F) and the only difference when starting the engine is waiting a few seconds for the glow plug light to go out.

Perhaps in the UK it is a misnomer, but you almost never experience the winter temperatures like we do here in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, etc. The fact is, that in temperatures under about 10 degrees, any contaminants (water, condensation, residue in the fuel tank, filter, or any other part of the fuel system will occlude. This causes return fuel pressure to drop, which in turn causes fuel in the tank to become susceptible to "gelling." Obviously, not everyone who tries to drive in such temperatures will experience such an issue. Combine sub-zero (Fahrenheit) temperatures with any of the above, become stranded 50 miles from the nearest town in a blizzard, and then tell me it is a "misnomer." There are lots of preventative steps which one can take, but in the end buying bad fuel can trump all the preventative measures available.

I am pretty careful when it comes to making fuel purchases. 

Close to home, I usually only buy from a select few stations that I know don't dispense water or algae with their Diesel fuel.

If I am on the road, I try to make Diesel fuel purchases from truck stop chains, or, if I am driving on toll roads, from turnpike service plazas, since selling tainted fuel would presumably tend to put them out of business pretty rapidly.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: djsinco on February 22, 2013, 08:16:39 PM
As a former truck driver, there is still an element of faith involved, no matter where you buy it.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: roadman on March 11, 2013, 05:46:30 PM
The longest I've gone without stopping for gas was in 2005, when I was travelling from seeing my best friend in Minneapolis to my brother's house in North Carolina.  On one segment, I traveled from my sister's house in Savoy, Illinois to just west of Wheeling, West Virginia (I-70/I-77 junction) before re-fueling.

As I recall now, I traveled 422 miles on 13.5 gallons (just over 31 mpg).  Car was my 1999 Ford Contour, which I'm still driving today.  Once the needle dropped below the 1/4 full mark, I decided I should gas up before getting on I-77, and started to look for stations.  I do recall getting a bit worried when I wasn't seeing any "GAS" BBSes approaching exits on I-70.

About the time the fuel light came on (2 gallons left), I found an exit with a Marathon station that took at least four turns to get to and was almost exactly at the MUTCD three mile limit for services.

It was a fun exercise with a good outcome, but at the time, I swore I'd never push the envelope that close again when driving.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: ftballfan on March 18, 2013, 07:43:57 PM
I set my trip for each time I get gas in my 1996 Buick Park Avenue (16 gallon tank) and the farthest I got was 421 miles, over multiple trips. The farthest I remember on one trip was South Haven, MI to Indianapolis, IN and back to Rochester, IN on one tank of gas (and I did some driving around Indianapolis and Rochester had the cheapest gas in a 60 mile radius, so I could have made it close to South Bend otherwise)
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: SteveG1988 on March 18, 2013, 08:09:52 PM
In my 2006 focus, 350 mi was the farthest i ever did on my trips to NJ from ND, i never let it get much below 1/4 a tank (did not want gunk to get sucked into the filter) I could have gone nearly 400 mi, but i did not want to chance having an empty 14 gal tank
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: Ace10 on March 19, 2013, 10:53:50 PM
My best so far is 551.4 miles on one tank. That was from Winter Garden, FL to Ocean Springs, MS driving nonstop from mid-morning to mid-afternoon in September last year. My tank is around 19 gallons but that was on 16.6 gallons. That was also my best recorded MPG: 33.215 miles/gallon. I've continually gotten 29+ MPG on the freeway, but that was the only time I've bested 33.

All this is on an automatic transmission 2011 Mazda 6.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: djsinco on March 20, 2013, 02:57:17 AM
When doing only freeway driving, I average between 31-33 mpg in my Lexus ES350.

All the comfort anyone could want, and up to 3 more mpg than my old (not so faithful) '66 VW bug... However, gas was only 60 cents per gallon back in the day  :-(
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: PHLBOS on March 20, 2013, 11:37:27 AM
I don't have the exact distance but the furthest I've driven between gas stops was somewhere between 450-500 highway miles on a trip in my '89 Caprice (circa 1993), which has a 25 gallon tank and I refilled it when the needle approached the 1/4 mark; after being stranded on empty 3 times over the years, I didn't want to take any chances.

On the subject of diesels: one reason why diesel-powered cars haven't really re-entered the U.S. market until recently that every poster overlooked thus far is due to more states (IIRC, 25 or 26 of them) adopting the more stringent California emission statutes (aka CARB) over the course of the last 3 decades.  Such statutes effectively banned the sale of new but traditional diesel-powered cars in those states compared to the late 70s/early 80s when only one state (CA) prohibited the sale of new diesel-powered cars.

The reason the statute banned diesel-powered vehicles under a certain gross vehicle weight was emission/smog related.  The diesel-powered cars got exceptional mileage for their sizes but were more polluting.

It is my understanding that the diesel-powered VWs offered in the U.S. over the last few years are of a clean-diesel type that indeed meets the more stringent CARB emission standards that many states have since adopted.

BTW, during the mid-80s Ford also offered a diesel engine options for its Escort and E-series vans and Lincoln offered a BMW-diesel-powered 6-banger as an option during the first few years of its Mark VII coupe.  While those models did not encounter the same issues as GM's diesels did; the fallout from those GM models accompanied w/falling gas prices and the fact that most if not all diesels back then were dirty and slow (0 to 60 in 20 seconds), essentially dried up the demand for diesel-powered cars in the U.S.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: Alps on March 20, 2013, 11:35:55 PM
How about time? I've gone an entire 13 hour day of solid roadgeeking without stopping for gas. I was on local streets, so only averaging 25-30 mph, and at 22-24 mpg that's doable with a large tank.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: Thing 342 on June 19, 2013, 09:26:42 PM
I have driven from Newport News to Atlanta (~600 mi) on one tank.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: cpzilliacus on July 05, 2013, 04:55:39 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 22, 2013, 01:16:22 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 22, 2013, 12:44:35 PM
As I think I mentioned upthread, my truck has about 296,000 miles on the meter.  Aside from changing the oil and filters, I have never done anything to the engine.

:wow:

I'm used to my gasoline engines having all kinds of small things needing maintenance, like spark plugs, and various gaskets which leak oil.

the spark plugs are not something found on diesel engines - but don't you have gasket breakdowns over the years?  also, stuff like timing belt/water pump?  (okay, maybe not timing belt, but doesn't a diesel engine have a cooling system similar to that of a gasoline engine?)

Timing chain is untouched.  Water pump was leaking a little at 250,000 miles and I replaced it.  Alternators wore out at around 200,000 and they were replaced.  The last such item to wear out was the AC compressor, which I replaced just recently at 300,000 miles. 

Gaskets have never been touched.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: sdmichael on July 05, 2013, 05:49:51 PM
I've gone 505 miles on a tank once... it was in my old 1994 Toyota Camry Wagon and that tank even had some dirt miles thrown in there. Filled up in Lancaster, CA and filled up again in Carlsbad, CA. It was a long trip.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: TEG24601 on July 06, 2013, 04:55:44 PM
369 miles from Dikinson, ND to Alexandria, MN in my '91 Taurus. 
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: msubulldog on July 21, 2013, 06:26:20 PM
In my own vehicle:  Over 400 miles from San Antonio to New Boston, TX in a 1993 Grand Am.
In a rented vehicle:  Approx 500 miles from Greensboro, NC to just west of Bessemer, AL in a late 90s-early 2000s F150.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: agentsteel53 on July 22, 2013, 01:32:52 PM
I just did 373 in my Taurus, on 13.6 gallons.  27mpg isn't astonishingly good, but it's a good 60 miles longer than I'd ever stretched it.  I just had a head gasket job (blew a gasket climbing I-8 a few weeks back... dang!) so I think the engine being taken apart and put back together again really helped the mileage.  my last trip, I averaged 27mpg instead of my usual 23.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: kphoger on July 22, 2013, 04:07:54 PM
On our most recent trip, which was to Branson, we used two tanks of gas, and each of them had more miles than I'd ever gone on one tank of gas.  That, at first, seemed pretty impressive, since the drive included air conditioning and Ozark driving.  However, each fill-up also took more gas than I'd ever put in the tank before.  I'd never put in much more than 17 gallons, and that's by going about 20 or 30 miles with the empty light on.  The most recent fill-up took 19 gallons, and the light had only just come on.  What would cause such an unexpected change?  Do gas gauges actually change like that, to where the empty light comes on at a different point?
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: J N Winkler on July 22, 2013, 09:24:19 PM
Quote from: kphoger on July 22, 2013, 04:07:54 PMI'd never put in much more than 17 gallons, and that's by going about 20 or 30 miles with the empty light on.  The most recent fill-up took 19 gallons, and the light had only just come on.  What would cause such an unexpected change?  Do gas gauges actually change like that, to where the empty light comes on at a different point?

Your gas gauge might be getting old.  Mine was well past "E" on the latter part of the Wichita road meet drive despite the trip odometer (reset at the last fillup) reading just 154 miles--and I usually get at least 270 miles on a tank even with heavy A/C use.  The needle moved to a more reasonable level the next time I started the engine.

Owner's manuals tell big fibs too.  I was driving a 2009 Honda Fit over Labor Day weekend last year when I encountered a 70-mile fuel desert on US 64 in northern New Mexico driving east.  (I could have filled up soon after starting out in Farmington, but none of the service stations I passed looked like it had easy in-and-out, pay-at-the-pump, or was on the right side of the road, etc.)  When I finally filled up at Dulce, which is the first opportunity to refuel after Bloomfield, I put close to 12 gallons in a tank for which the owner's manual listed a nominal capacity of 10.5 gallons.  It had been over 570 miles since the last fillup.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: agentsteel53 on July 23, 2013, 12:36:35 PM
Quote from: J N Winkler on July 22, 2013, 09:24:19 PMnone of the service stations I passed looked like it had easy in-and-out, pay-at-the-pump, or was on the right side of the road, etc.

I see your standards are the same as mine.

I also sometimes add "bathroom accessible without key".  I've been known to walk up and say "you want me to beg to use your bathroom.  you just lost a customer."
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: formulanone on July 23, 2013, 03:00:11 PM
Quote from: kphoger on July 22, 2013, 04:07:54 PMDo gas gauges actually change like that, to where the empty light comes on at a different point?

There's probably no pre-determined point, except for the one set by the manufacturer of the fuel metering unit. If it's warning you at totally variable points on the gauge, or giving false readouts, it's gone bad.

I've heard of Car & Driver mentioning that some models just have lights warn you earlier than other cars, but I can't recall for the life of me what that might be. Some economy cars eschew the light, so you have to pay attention...

Every car I've owned with a low fuel warning light tends to light up with about 1.5 gallons to go. My Scion shows the tank in a LCD display of eighths, and the last eighth blinks slowly at first, then quickly a few miles later, and then every half-second if you're really stretching it! If I encounter that last scenario, only about one-half gallon of fuel remains, the second one means I've left about one gallon and a little change.

There's one notable exception I've run into, and that's our minivan. The Mazda 5 tends to light up the warning light and display 1/12th remaining, but when we "fill" the tank, roughly 12.5-12.7 gallons are required. The manual shows 15.9 gallons. We had the fuel tank replaced due to an unrelated issue, and filled the very-nearly empty tank up with 15.7 gallons. So the fuel warning light seems to go off about 3 gallons early!
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: agentsteel53 on July 23, 2013, 03:02:54 PM
I once had a rental Chevy (either a Cobalt or an Aveo) suddenly drop its "estimated fuel left" digital readout from 47 miles to 1 mile, with no intermediate value ever shown.  I was near a gas station, so I stopped...

I had about 4 gallons left.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: 1995hoo on July 23, 2013, 03:09:59 PM
Some people on the Acurazine forum were complaining that the "miles to empty" display in the third-generation TL displays a zero reading well before the car runs out of gas. I've never tried to push it, but it makes sense that they'd have it display zero ahead of time for a couple of reasons. The main one I see is that any such computer-generated statistic is only an estimate and can never be more than that. The computer has no way of knowing when you might hit traffic or something else that will radically change your fuel consumption–for example, you're driving along averaging 25 mpg and then you hit a traffic jam where an overturned truck blocked the road and you sit there averaging 0 mpg (let's assume it's too hot outside for you to turn off the car). Obviously, the "miles to empty" readout from before the traffic jam will no longer be accurate.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: formulanone on July 23, 2013, 03:15:54 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 23, 2013, 03:09:59 PM
Some people on the Acurazine forum were complaining that the "miles to empty" display in the third-generation TL displays a zero reading well before the car runs out of gas. I've never tried to push it, but it makes sense that they'd have it display zero ahead of time for a couple of reasons.

Same on my Scion (it warns of between 0-10 miles left at the moment the gauge reads 1/8-remaining) and apparently most Toyotas/Lexuses; I've heard the concern dozens of times from my customers. Like you said, I think it's trying to be cautious to the point of not inconvienencing the driver, although I usually leave my multi-function computer on either miles/trip/tank fuel economy (not that instantaneous one).
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: 1995hoo on July 23, 2013, 03:34:10 PM
Quote from: formulanone on July 23, 2013, 03:15:54 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on July 23, 2013, 03:09:59 PM
Some people on the Acurazine forum were complaining that the "miles to empty" display in the third-generation TL displays a zero reading well before the car runs out of gas. I've never tried to push it, but it makes sense that they'd have it display zero ahead of time for a couple of reasons.

Same on my Scion (it warns of between 0-10 miles left at the moment the gauge reads 1/8-remaining) and apparently most Toyotas/Lexuses; I've heard the concern dozens of times from my customers. Like you said, I think it's trying to be cautious to the point of not inconvienencing the driver, although I usually leave my multi-function computer on either miles/trip/tank fuel economy (not that instantaneous one).

I don't look at the "miles to empty" all that often either. I've had the car since 2004 and so I generally have a pretty good sense of when I'll need to fill the tank regardless of what the display says or whether the idiot light is on. The other thing is, as I said somewhere prior in this thread, I've kind of reached the point where I'm less interested in seeing how far I can make it on a tank than I am in minimizing the number of stops, so I just fill up when I stop for lunch (if we're on a long drive) or prior to leaving (if we're going more than 100 miles roundtrip). Perhaps that might shift again in the coming years as I reach a point where an extra stop or two to stretch my legs or back becomes a necessity!

I usually have the display set to show the main odometer, trip meter "A" (unless I'm driving for business in which case I use trip meter "B" to keep track of what I need to write down for tax reasons), and the outside temperature. Speaking of which, the outside temperature also tends to be an estimate. Last Thursday it showed 109°F at one point after I'd stopped to buy beer; about ten minutes earlier, I'd made another stop and the display flatlined as "---°F," which is what it does when it determines the temperature is over 111°F. Neither reading was accurate, of course; the high was only in the high 90s.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: kphoger on July 24, 2013, 12:50:03 AM
Quote from: formulanone on July 23, 2013, 03:00:11 PM
Quote from: kphoger on July 22, 2013, 04:07:54 PMDo gas gauges actually change like that, to where the empty light comes on at a different point?

There's probably no pre-determined point, except for the one set by the manufacturer of the fuel metering unit. If it's warning you at totally variable points on the gauge, or giving false readouts, it's gone bad.

Right, I get that there's no predetermined point between different vehicle models.  But it strikes me as odd that the light always used to come on at about the point I could fill the car up with 16.5 gallons, where as now the light in the exact same car, twice in a row, came on at about the point I could fill it up with 18 gallons or more.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: MrDisco99 on October 15, 2013, 01:49:40 PM
I think the longest I've gone was Key West to just north of the end of the FL pike.  According to Google that would've been 433 miles.  2006 Corolla LE, 13 gallon tank
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: Jardine on November 02, 2013, 11:25:40 PM
Back in the 80s we had a Chevy pickup, dual gas tanks, and an LP kit.  We could go 1500 miles with out refueling.

The LP setting didn't have as much power as the gasoline, but on level ground you wouldn't notice.  Pickup started much easier on gasoline, once it was all warmed up you could switch to LP and drive all day.

When we traded off the pickup, we kept the special LP equipment, but never put it on another rig, it wasn't compatible with, IIRC, fuel injection and maybe the newer electronics.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: vegas1962 on November 07, 2013, 06:04:33 PM
In the spring of 1982, my father and I did a week-long golf trip to Myrtle Beach with two neighbors, driving round-trip from metro Detroit.  We rode in our neighbor's mid-1970s era Olds Ninety-Eight, which had had the catalytic converter removed to allow it to use regular gas.  Leaving the NW suburbs of Detroit, our first gas stop was in Lake City, TN, approximately 493 miles by Google Maps.  Considering we were four guys in a car not known for high mileage, plus four golf bags + luggage in the trunk, I was impressed.  Gassed up in Lake City, then drove to Laurens, SC (230 miles) and stopped for the night.  Filled up the next morning, went the remaining distance to MB, did all our driving around MB on that tank and didn't gas up again until the day we left to drive home.

On the return trip, leaving Myrtle Beach with a full tank, we drove to Jefferson City, TN for dinner with my grandparents who lived there at the time, then made our planned overnight stop back in Lake City, TN (about 440 miles total) again with no gas stop.  We filled up in the morning and returned home to Michigan without another fill-up.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: PHLBOS on November 11, 2013, 12:02:33 PM
Quote from: vegas1962 on November 07, 2013, 06:04:33 PM
In the spring of 1982, my father and I did a week-long golf trip to Myrtle Beach with two neighbors, driving round-trip from metro Detroit.  We rode in our neighbor's mid-1970s era Olds Ninety-Eight, which had had the catalytic converter removed to allow it to use regular gas.  Leaving the NW suburbs of Detroit, our first gas stop was in Lake City, TN, approximately 493 miles by Google Maps.  Considering we were four guys in a car not known for high mileage, plus four golf bags + luggage in the trunk, I was impressed.  Gassed up in Lake City, then drove to Laurens, SC (230 miles) and stopped for the night.  Filled up the next morning, went the remaining distance to MB, did all our driving around MB on that tank and didn't gas up again until the day we left to drive home.

On the return trip, leaving Myrtle Beach with a full tank, we drove to Jefferson City, TN for dinner with my grandparents who lived there at the time, then made our planned overnight stop back in Lake City, TN (about 440 miles total) again with no gas stop.  We filled up in the morning and returned home to Michigan without another fill-up.
Assuming that the Olds Ninety-Eight you were in was likely a '75 model; it obviously was not equipped w/the 455 V8 but rather the smaller 400 V8; oddly, the '74s & '76s are listed as only having w/the 455.  The Olds Nintey-Eights of that era also had a 26-gallon gas tank.  Couple that with your listed miles and such would yield 16-18 mpg (assuming all highway miles).  Doable w/the 400, not so much w/the 455.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: ARMOURERERIC on November 12, 2013, 04:19:13 PM
Columbia SC to Chesapeake VA (Western Branch), 1985 Olds Toronado, April 1992
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: roadman65 on November 12, 2013, 05:47:55 PM
Orlando, FL to somewhere in the Lower Keys of Florida.   300 plus miles, but this was back in 97 with a Ford.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: I94RoadRunner on March 10, 2014, 01:24:08 PM
Lake Delton, WI (I-90/94 at US 12) to Taylorsville, IN (I-65 at US 31): Went via US 12 (wanted to drive the new Baraboo bypass) through Madison, then I-39/90 south, continued on I-39 to Bloomington-Normal, then east on I-74 to I-65 south
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: Pete from Boston on March 10, 2014, 02:02:52 PM
About 525 miles in my then-11-year-old 1987 Honda Accord.  Probably could have kept going – it got 36 mpg highway. 
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: jpi on March 14, 2014, 01:28:46 AM
Most recently, Steph had to go to PA solo for a family issue ( I could not get time off) She drove our 09 Kia Spectra, left Lebanon, TN with a VERY full tank and made it to Troutville, VA (exit 150 of I-81) and was on empty. A distence of around 425 miles.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: I94RoadRunner on March 14, 2014, 10:58:13 PM
Another long distance was just last week on my road trip back from Florida: Riverview, FL (just south of I-4 on I-75) to just west of the FL 87 exit on I-10 (just east of Pensacola). Not sure if it beats the Delton Lakes to Taylorsville, however still a respectable distance
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: leroys73 on March 15, 2014, 12:30:54 AM
Over 1000 miles in my Chevy 1/2 ton Pick up. On a trip from Lawton, OK to Canada I left home with one tank holding 20 gallons of gasoline, the other holding 36 gallons of gasoline, and another holding 62 gallons of propane for a total of 118 gallons of fuel. Too bad I did not have one of the larger propane tanks.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: ZLoth on March 15, 2014, 01:32:27 AM
Last Fall, I went from Costco, Citrus Heights, CA to Costco, Roseburg, OR on a single tank, which was 416 miles. From there, I went to Costco, Sequim, WA, which was 389 miles. This was part of a road trip, and my car, a 2005 Chevy Malibu, was doing around 35 MPG on the freeway.

Go ahead and laugh at the Cosco-centric part of my trip. The Roseburg Costco was 3.2 miles away from the Best Western hotel, and I made sure to top off the night before as I was on the road again at 7 AM the next morning.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: catch22 on March 18, 2014, 09:15:32 AM
Western Detroit suburbs to Charlotte, NC - about 635 miles, back in 1984.  I had a Ford Ranger pickup, equipped with V-6, 5-speed manual, and the aux gas tank.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: PenguinXL2 on March 19, 2014, 07:22:25 AM
I think I've drove from PA to TE.(not Texas)
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: CNGL-Leudimin on March 19, 2014, 10:38:08 AM
Quote from: PenguinXL2 on March 19, 2014, 07:22:25 AM
I think I've drove from PA to TN.

FTFY, I suppose.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: sammi on March 19, 2014, 02:17:56 PM
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on March 19, 2014, 10:38:08 AM
Quote from: PenguinXL2 on March 19, 2014, 07:22:25 AM
I think I've driven from PA to TN.
FTFY, I suppose.
FTFY again. :-D
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: Alps on March 19, 2014, 06:25:22 PM
Quote from: sammi on March 19, 2014, 02:17:56 PM
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on March 19, 2014, 10:38:08 AM
Quote from: PenguinXL2 on March 19, 2014, 07:22:25 AM
I think my parents have driven from PA to TN.
FTFY, I suppose.
FTFY again. :-D
Closing in on the answer.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: JKRhodes on March 22, 2014, 12:36:39 AM
On a really good day I can stretch about 340 miles out of my F150, and a fillup is about $70 with current gas prices. We take my wife's vehicle on longer road trips  :D
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: TEG24601 on March 23, 2014, 01:02:40 PM
394 Miles from Dickinson, ND to Alexandria, MN in January 2006.  Driving my 1991 Ford Taurus, on 12 gallons, getting about 32 MPG.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: Gnutella on February 28, 2015, 12:57:27 PM
Exactly 400 miles in a 2000 Dodge Dakota (V-6 engine) from a gas station in Brookfield, MO to a gas station in Paducah, KY.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: CtrlAltDel on February 28, 2015, 01:32:32 PM
The last time I got gas was on December 23. I should be able to make it three months before I'll need more.


For a nonjoke answer: My car has a 13 gallon tank and gets 38 miles to the gallon, so the maximum distance I could get is just shy of 500 miles. I have never gone nearly that far, though, since I am loath to go below half a tank. My record is a whopping 312 miles or so, from Cheektowaga NY to Lapeer MI via Canada (90-QEW-403-401-402-69), where I did in fact let the tank get below half full in order to avoid having to pay higher Canadian gas prices.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: slorydn1 on March 01, 2015, 10:47:24 AM
I'm assuming we are talking about during a trip and not sitting in the driveway unused for months, right?

During my driving years, 483 miles from the Shell station on GA-40 in Kingsland Ga (I-95 Exit 3) to the Shell station near my house in New Bern NC. I did it 4 times in my 2004 F-150 (only about 19 mpg but that 27 gallon tank really gave me range-albeit with a sore wallet).

When I was a kid charting my dad's trips, I do remember 615 miles (roughly) from somewhere around Cleveland Ohio to the Springfield/Union New Jersey area in an 86 Caprice Classic (a 25 gallon tank and we were getting 25+ MPG that day). I wish I could still access my 5.25 inch floppy disk with my old trip info on it, I hate giving un-exact numbers, lol.

My current Mustangs only have 16 gallon tanks, and even though I range from 24-28 mpg on the highway I have never really been able to get farther than 365-370 miles on a tank so far.

Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: mrfoxboy on March 02, 2015, 01:10:02 AM
The longest I've really gone in one shot was through Québec, in about 40 liters, in March of 2014, in the 2014 Matrix 1.8L 5-speed.
From Rivière Beaudette, QC to Edmunston, NB, via A-20, A-30, A-20, A-85/R-185, works out to approx 600KM. (I hate giving rough numbers, this was before I used Fuelly).
Typically I can touch 6.0 to 6.2 L/100KM in that car in the summer.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: jmd41280 on March 06, 2015, 07:44:45 PM
Longest I went was 419 miles, from I-77 Exit 65 (Richburg, SC) to I-68 Exit 10 (Morgantown, WV) in my Elantra.  If I recall correctly, I still had a little under 1/4 tank left when I made it to Morgantown.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: SquonkHunter on March 08, 2015, 04:46:25 PM
V-8 1/2 ton pickup with a 34 gallon tank. Longest trip on one tank of gas: Grand Prairie, TX to Van Horn, TX; 501 miles. Still had another 9 gallons (180 miles) left. More than enough to make El Paso. That was one hell of a long ride considering I hit the Great Abilene (TX) Blizzard of Good Friday 1996 on the way. Over 18" of snow and total whiteout conditions between Abilene and Sweetwater. None of which was forecast, of course.  :-/
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: CNGL-Leudimin on March 21, 2015, 11:45:25 AM
I'm currently planning a 350 mile round trip which I'll attempt to do in one tank. I did a 250 mile one which consumed a little over half a tank, but it was expressway all the way, while this planned trip takes a considerable amount of regular roads, so I expect fuel consumption to be lower.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: I94RoadRunner on March 23, 2015, 03:33:45 AM
Just yesterday I filled up in Lexington, KY and made it to Galesburg, IL including a loop in Cincinnati to clinch I-471 ..... Probably over 500 miles total
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: mrfoxboy on April 10, 2015, 04:00:26 AM
Since my last post I managed (with cautious speed control and relatively flat terrain) to drive 645.8 KM in the Matrix, from Lancaster, ON, through Montréal rush hour traffic, and on to Edmunston, NB. Driving for 40+ KM with the  low fuel light on wakes you up (only used 41L of a 50L tank o.O
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: PHLBOS on April 16, 2015, 03:41:26 PM
Quote from: slorydn1 on March 01, 2015, 10:47:24 AMMy current Mustangs only have 16 gallon tanks, and even though I range from 24-28 mpg on the highway I have never really been able to get farther than 365-370 miles on a tank so far.
Unless you're running that 'Stang on fumes on those 365-370 runs (which would yield about 23 mpg with a 16 gallon tank); I'm assuming that you still have 2 to 3 gallons in your tank at the time of your fill-ups.

Not sure what year your car is; but on my 2007 model, the 50 MILES TO EMPTY indicator warning shows up when there's about 3 gallons remaining.  During one of my trips to MA; I let that indicator drop to as low as 2 or 3 miles to empty & my fuel gauge lighting turned red (mine has the MyColor feature that allows one to change the color of their instrument panel lighting).  While I did make it the gas station (I forget how many miles were driven from the previous fill-up); I'm not going to push that envelope again.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: CNGL-Leudimin on April 19, 2015, 03:00:04 PM
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on March 21, 2015, 11:45:25 AM
I'm currently planning a 350 mile round trip which I'll attempt to do in one tank.

Just returned from this one. I managed to go 390 miles and still have 1/4 of the tank left. Since my car has a ~12.4 gal tank, I got an astounding 42 mpg in this trip.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: J N Winkler on April 19, 2015, 10:43:22 PM
This afternoon I ended up filling my tank a little earlier than planned when I went out on a two-hour, 104-mile roadtrip with the needle just barely on E.  There were stiff 45° crosswinds nearly all of the way.  About 35 miles into the drive, the needle bottomed out completely.  After a further 47 miles of driving, I felt uncomfortable about going any further, so I stopped for fuel at a Dillons supermarket clear on the other side of town from the one I would ordinarily have used.

I pumped 11.681 gallons into a tank with a book capacity of 12.8 gallons and when I dumped GPS tracks and calculated mileage (I use GPS tracking on my phone since the odometer is nonfunctional), I discovered I had gone 405.3 miles on the tank, so I had gotten 34.6 MPG.  (354 out of the 405.3 miles were highway miles, the remaining fifty or so consisting of city errand-running.)

This is pretty much as far as I like to go on a single tank, since I prefer not to go much below one gallon left in order to keep the fuel pump from burning out.  My all-time tank distance record on this car is 406.1 miles and I have only two other recorded tanks over 400 miles.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: CNGL-Leudimin on April 23, 2015, 03:57:44 PM
Quote from: CNGL-Leudimin on April 19, 2015, 03:00:04 PM
Just returned from this one. I managed to go 390 miles and still have 1/4 of the tank left. Since my car has a ~12.4 gal tank, I got an astounding 42 mpg in this trip.

Since I haven't filled up yet, today I have hit the 400 mile mark with only one tank :sombrero:. Still a bit less of a quarter tank...
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: slorydn1 on April 29, 2015, 03:16:01 AM
Quote from: PHLBOS on April 16, 2015, 03:41:26 PM
Quote from: slorydn1 on March 01, 2015, 10:47:24 AMMy current Mustangs only have 16 gallon tanks, and even though I range from 24-28 mpg on the highway I have never really been able to get farther than 365-370 miles on a tank so far.
Unless you're running that 'Stang on fumes on those 365-370 runs (which would yield about 23 mpg with a 16 gallon tank); I'm assuming that you still have 2 to 3 gallons in your tank at the time of your fill-ups.

Not sure what year your car is; but on my 2007 model, the 50 MILES TO EMPTY indicator warning shows up when there's about 3 gallons remaining.  During on of my trips to MA; I let that indicator drop to as low as 2 or 3 miles to empty & my fuel gauge lighting turned red (mine has the MyColor feature that allows one to change the color of their instrument panel lighting).  While I did make it the gas station (I forget how many miles were driven from the previous fill-up); I'm not going to push that envelope again.




Wife's 2012:


http://www.allfordmustangs.com/forums/garage.php?do=viewvehicle&vehicle_id=1082 (http://www.allfordmustangs.com/forums/garage.php?do=viewvehicle&vehicle_id=1082)


My 2014:


http://www.allfordmustangs.com/forums/garage.php?do=viewvehicle&vehicle_id=1074 (http://www.allfordmustangs.com/forums/garage.php?do=viewvehicle&vehicle_id=1074)


Their fuel logs:
http://www.fuelly.com/driver/slorydn1 (http://www.fuelly.com/driver/slorydn1)


I have found that when my distance to empty indicates 50 miles (when the low fuel alarm first activates) that I actually have 50 miles plus 2 gallons distance (my 2014 shows fuel consumed in the LCD display and it seems to hit 50 to go right at 12 gallons burned, + or - a few tenths).


I don't like to go inside the 2 gallon buffer so I try not to unless absolutely necessary, although I have done it 3 times in my car and once in my wife's.


My old F-150 was like that too, when I reached zero to go on the monitor I had 2 gallons left (I had quite a few 25+ gallon fuel ups on that 27 gallon tank on long trips through the years)  :biggrin:
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: J N Winkler on April 30, 2015, 10:27:16 PM
Refueled this afternoon, after a 41.5-mile drive to, among other things, check out the small hamlet of St. Mary Aleppo in western Sedgwick County.

The damage:  411.3 miles (a new tank record), 34.2 MPG, 12.002 gallons (first fillup to break the 12-gallon barrier, which--for the fuel pump's sake--I prefer not to exceed by much).
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: Atomica on May 02, 2015, 03:44:27 AM
In my case it is somewhere in the neighbourhood of 425mi from Wichita Falls to Jeff Davis County Texas, or maybe it was Pecos TX to Lawton OK, roughly the same distance, in either case, it  was rather impressive for my 2000 Cadillac Seville, Northstar V8, which crossed the 100 000mi mark on the way back from a concert in El Paso.
Title: Re: Longest you've gone without stopping for gas
Post by: CNGL-Leudimin on May 03, 2015, 11:52:36 AM
And finally filled up after 435 miles (I prefer it in metric, which gives the round figure of 700 km). Since I know there are still ~2 gal in the tank when the bar drops to zero, I may have gotten as far as 52 mpg in my last roadtrip!