I've had my low fuel light come on more often recently, because of changed driving habits.
Are there any [good] reasons Not to carry a gas can in the trunk, all the time?
marc
- posted
10 years ago
reasons Not to carry Gas Can in vehichle?
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- posted
10 years ago
I suspect the "good reason" responders will cite the fire hazard. Or that you can use your AAA benefit to have someone bring gasoline to you.
The "no good reason" responders think it's rough to run out of gas.
The "big picture" responders will remind you to fuel up on schedule, and keep your tank full.
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- posted
10 years ago
I suggest you change your habits back to those you originally had as storing gas in your trunk is dangerous.
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- posted
10 years ago
I didn't mean storing a Full gas can, and empty can only
thanks marc
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- posted
10 years ago
I don't have AAA or anything like it. I think my car insurance does pay part of my towing but the one time I tried that, ..... I'll save that for later, but it was bad.
I've run out of gas about 17 times. I came in second in a national contest for people who have run out of gas. First prize was an all-expense paid vacation for 2 to Las Vegas, where I would have been in some forum or stage presentation of some sort. But I lost. The guy called me personally to tell me.
Surprisingly, I was never seriously inconvenienced by running out of gas, even in rural areas. Only once did it take more than 10 minutes to get more gas, and that time, a woman stopped after about 2 minutes and she went and got the gas for us, so all we had to do is wait. It might have taken her 15 minutes.
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- posted
10 years ago
Well, that changes the question a lot. Empty gas can should be no concern at all.
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- posted
10 years ago
No problem with that...just make sure it's an approved type.
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- posted
10 years ago
Now days, fuel pumps are in the tank. They are cooled by the fuel around. Running out, leads to fuel pump over heat and damage.
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- posted
10 years ago
In my teenage years, I knew someone who ran out of gas. The only container I had was washer fluid jug. I tried filling that at the station. The guy came running out of the booth, snatched it from me, and poured the gas back into his station's fuel tank. He looked rather upset with me.
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- posted
10 years ago
Service stations used to lend a gas can to someone for free, but too many deadbeats didn't return the can and at least in some areas, cities?, they want a deposit for the can, sometimes way more than the price of the can. Of course you shouldn't run out of money either, so that might be okay, but otoh, that's a real service station. IIRC, some mere gas stations, maybe with a convenience store, don't have a gas can to lend, deposit or not. Maybe some convenience stores at gas stations sell them but I don't know.
I don't see a problem with carrying an empty can. Just leave the cap off when its empty for several days so that most of the gas vapor can escape. For that matter, carrying an empty anti-freeze bottle or even a plastic milk carton, a gallon, made of that milky plastic, might be enough for a one time use. and until then you can use it for other things, like when I was at Riis Park, I gathered up a gallon of sea water to keep the snails in that I was also gathering up. Unless you live in a state where the gas must be pumped by the attendant. Otherwise, just pump it yourself and what is anyone going to say? You can't have it, even though you paid for it? You're only going to use it once and you're probably going to walk to the car.
I'd check to make sure the plastic milk carton doesn't dissolve in gasoline. I doubt it -- in fact I'm pretty sure I checked at least one bottle -- but some plastics do. It would be really bad if you get a ride back to the car and a gallon of gas pours out the bottom of the bottle on the way.
More things you should know. When the car seems like it's running out of gas, pull over stop the engine immediately. Leave as much gas in the car as possible, so that when you add a gallon, you'll have enough to reach the gas pickup in the tank and drive to a gas station. And don't try to restart it. Wastes gas. Of course if you're not out of gas and you assume you are, that's bad too. Never happened to me.
(Maybe this was more important with carburetors. When I didn't do this with carburetors, I'd have to pour most of the gas in the tank but same a quarter cup or so to pour down the carburetor. When I turned off the engine immediately, all I had to do was pour a gallon in the tank. Maybe someone else knows more about this for fuel injection.)
Recently heard a terrible story of someone priming his engine with gasoline, blew up in his face. (Of course this could't happen to me because I was usually alone and had to get back in the car to start the engine. I think one time I did backfire, set fire to and melt my brand new foam air cleaner, but that's another story.) Maybe you should prime the car with starter fluid, in an aerosol can, but then my feeling is you really have to run to start the car quickly before the ether disperses. . Although I haven't run out of gas since I've had fuel injection and haven't' had to find a good place to spray it. .
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- posted
10 years ago
The attendant meant well, too bad about him not putting out his cigarette first!
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10 years ago
I wondered about that. I didn't know why the fireball and three alarm response. Maybe that's it. All these years, and I never thought of that. You're such a friend.
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- posted
10 years ago
I've only run out of gas a couple of times.
The first time I was on top of a hill and there was a gas station at the bottom...so I just coasted in.
The other time, I was in college on the way to a final exam and ran out. I was in a panic so I flagged down a cab and directed him to the nearest station I could think of. When we got there, it was being torn down.
Eventually I got to the exam and only ten minutes late. Because I did not have time to get there early and try to cram...I did not have the extreme anxiety I usually had at exam time and ended up doing very well!
After that I always got to my exams just a couple minutes late and found from then on I did better.
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10 years ago
Safety Last:
formatting link
Quite well done especially considering it was 1923
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10 years ago
NO, it MUST be an approved container.
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- posted
10 years ago
That's good.
Wow. Your bad luck day.
LOL
ROTFLOLWTIME.
Still laughing.
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- posted
10 years ago
Just the fire potential in an accident or the small if it spills.
OTOH, yhou are better not running out as fuel injected cars can be difficult to start if they run out. I try not to get under 1/4 tank so the internal fuel pump is also protected.
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- posted
10 years ago
Aside from the explosive fumes.
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10 years ago
Per snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com:
I would expect to be doused with gasoline if/when I got rear-ended.
Anybody recall the Ford product where people were incinerated in minor rear-end collisions because Ford's accounting department decided it was cheaper to settle the lawsuits instead of spending something like $2.89 per vehicle to mitigate the hazard?
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- posted
10 years ago
Per micky:
It wasn't running out of gas, but the most convenient vehicle failure I ever had was on the way to work at the Honolulu airport.
Radiator hose split wide open on my '55 4-door Ford with the roof sawn off. I realized what had happened just in time to coast into a gas station that just happened to have a replacement hose.
Wasn't even late to work.