Low fuel controversy

Posted: September 25, 2008

Do you wait until the last minute to fill up on gas? Please weigh in.

A big debate on the WRAL Morning News set today - do more men than women drive their cars and trucks until the fuel warning light comes on? Lynda Loveland is pushing the theory that it is a "man thing." Veteran crew member Patrick Marrow keeps driving until his Camaro coughs on the final fumes in the tank. I typically wait til the amber light glows in my Honda Pilot because I know I still have a lot of wiggle room.

Lynda surveyed many of our news staffers and concludes that men tend to wait a lot longer than women when it comes to filling up. Here are her statistics. 75% of the men surveyed wait until the fuel light glows before pumping gas. Only 35% of women polled wait until the last minute. Lynda argues that women are better planners and perhaps are more in tune with family safety issues.

I would like to get your opinion and comments.

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39 Comments

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Bill--My wife says the gas light is there for all men and she wishes that the same light was installed strategically throughout the house. I do, for the most part wait for the light to come on before fueling up and sometimes I push it to see if/what shades of orange the light will turn and if I can beat the number of miles I had gone the last time it came on. (I will not do it with the oil light and have the oil changed regularly...which confuses my wife to no end) HA.

flyfishNC
September 25, 2008 8:27 p.m.

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I always stretch it as far as I can and it drives my husband crazy. He's fills up once it hits 1/4 tank, I wait until the light is on and then some. :) I know I should not do this, but I just do. HOWEVER, if my children are in the car, I will not wait until the light comes on, I'll put gas in so I won't have to worry about running out with two small children in the car.

jwstevens04
September 25, 2008 8:06 p.m.

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I always fill up when I get just above half a tank. Doing so reduces condensation in the tank and makes sure you have enough gas to bug out in any emergency without worrying about needing to fill up the tank.

Steve Crisp
September 25, 2008 7:40 p.m.

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I try to fill up before the light comes on. Like Lynda said about women planning, I usually go get gas when I am conveniently already shopping and have the time to spare. Now, as for my teenage daughter,---ha, last week she waited until the light came on and the needle was all the way down before getting gas. She has a job, but does not like spending her hard earned money on gas until she absolutely has to. But she learned a lesson the week we got Tropical Storm Hanna, The first two stations she went to in Raleigh were all out of gas. I noticed this week that she bought it before the light came on! We drive Honda's, they are great on gas.

owlady
September 25, 2008 6:45 p.m.

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Before I met my now husband my car never got under a half a tank of gas, now its always on E! I never let the light get on because there may be an emergency that I have to go some where and Im not going to stop to get gas. He on the other hand leaves it so when I get in it to go to work the light comes on and I fill it up on the way. Out of our joint checking account I might add!

At Work
September 25, 2008 5:33 p.m.

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I fill up when the tank reaches 1/4 full. It's a habit from living up north - when being stuck in traffic was an everyday occurence, and it was a bad thing for your tank if you let it get too low during the winter. My husband on the other hand, waits for the light to come on.

pulstar40
September 25, 2008 4:44 p.m.

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My truck has a 35-gallon tank. I usually try and fill it about the half-tank level.

shutterbug
September 25, 2008 3:59 p.m.

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MY uncle taught me a a long time ago to fill up whenever I get to one half on my gas. I have always filled up when it gets to one half so it is a habit now. I have tried to instill this in my daughter but am not sure she does this on a regular basis!!

tennispro
September 25, 2008 3:21 p.m.

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I fill up when my gauge is on E. Don't want to waste any more of my life in gas stations than necessary.

Yellow Rider
September 25, 2008 2:43 p.m.

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I typically try to fill up when I am at a quarter tank. However, last Friday when the gas prices hit $4.50 +, I was coasting on fumes trying to find a place. Paid $4.19 but was limited to a certain amount of gallons. Not a problem- I got enough to get me for a few days until the prices came back down.