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It's not really that hard to fathom given that many people can't even tell you the state capital of where they live anymore. It's a sad state but is what it is. If the car was bought used there is a relatively good chance it didn't have the owners manual to give the benefit of the doubt to the OP.
Even still, most people don't read it from cover to cover. For many knowing the mpg's isn't important as they know they need to put gas it in when the car tells them to. If the check engine light comes on then it's time for an tune up or oil change. It's the culture we live in where we need to be told things that in the past we made effort to learn and understand.
Me personally, the first thing I do when I buy a new/used car is to read the owners manual from cover to cover, but I'd venture to guess to say that I'm the exception to the rule, or a nerd, or both.
+1
Not only do I read the Owner's Manual from cover to cover right after buying a new car, but periodically I will re-read sections of the manual on which my memory is hazy. However, like you, I'm sure that I'm the exception to the rule.
I realize that there are many, many people whose unofficial slogan is, "All I know is I put gas in it and it goes", but those are the same folks who will most likely wind up with...
a seized engine as a result of never checking the oil...
severe sludge deposits as a result of going too long between oil changes...
a clogged or rusted-out radiator, as a result of not flushing the system & changing the coolant on schedule...
damage to their AWD system because they did not rotate the tires on schedule, or because they replaced the tires in sets of less than 4...
a dead transmission because they never changed the trans fluid...
or any number of avoidable problems caused by ignorance.
And, the saddest part is that this type of ignorance could have been avoided by simply opening the glove compartment, taking out the manual, and actually reading it.
It's not really that hard to fathom given that many people can't even tell you the state capital of where they live anymore. It's a sad state but is what it is. If the car was bought used there is a relatively good chance it didn't have the owners manual to give the benefit of the doubt to the OP.
Even still, most people don't read it from cover to cover. For many knowing the mpg's isn't important as they know they need to put gas it in when the car tells them to. If the check engine light comes on then it's time for an tune up or oil change. It's the culture we live in where we need to be told things that in the past we made effort to learn and understand.
Me personally, the first thing I do when I buy a new/used car is to read the owners manual from cover to cover, but I'd venture to guess to say that I'm the exception to the rule, or a nerd, or both.
Well I've owned my share of older cars in my life, and I'm a non-mechanically-inclined female...but I still familiarize myself with the basics and yes, even read (at least parts of) the owners manual.
But to not even know what sort of mpg one's car gets seems sort of crazy to me. Like not knowing your own shoe size, or what operating system you're using on your computing devices, or what blood type you are. Easy enough to figure out mpg; just fill up, record mileage, run through most of a tank, fill up again and divide miles driven by gallons used.
Well I've owned my share of older cars in my life, and I'm a non-mechanically-inclined female...but I still familiarize myself with the basics and yes, even read (at least parts of) the owners manual.
But to not even know what sort of mpg one's car gets seems sort of crazy to me. Like not knowing your own shoe size, or what operating system you're using on your computing devices, or what blood type you are. Easy enough to figure out mpg; just fill up, record mileage, run through most of a tank, fill up again and divide miles driven by gallons used.
Possibly some folks wouldn't be able to do this calculation and that is why they have no idea how many mpg their car is getting! I think it's true and also sad!
Not only do I read the Owner's Manual from cover to cover right after buying a new car, but periodically I will re-read sections of the manual on which my memory is hazy. However, like you, I'm sure that I'm the exception to the rule.
I realize that there are many, many people whose unofficial slogan is, "All I know is I put gas in it and it goes", but those are the same folks who will most likely wind up with...
a seized engine as a result of never checking the oil...
severe sludge deposits as a result of going too long between oil changes...
a clogged or rusted-out radiator, as a result of not flushing the system & changing the coolant on schedule...
damage to their AWD system because they did not rotate the tires on schedule, or because they replaced the tires in sets of less than 4...
a dead transmission because they never changed the trans fluid...
or any number of avoidable problems caused by ignorance.
And, the saddest part is that this type of ignorance could have been avoided by simply opening the glove compartment, taking out the manual, and actually reading it.
You forgot not changing out the fluid in the differentials and transfer case for AWD vehicles. It's not that expensive and you really don't want to have to repair or replace any of them, especially a transfer case. Those can get pricey and quick.
You forgot not changing out the fluid in the differentials and transfer case for AWD vehicles. It's not that expensive and you really don't want to have to repair or replace any of them, especially a transfer case. Those can get pricey and quick.
You are correct, of course, and I also forgot to include regular checking of tire pressure!
Even if a car has a TPMS, that is really for warning the driver of sudden, catastrophic pressure loss, and most of them only signal the driver once a tire has dipped ~25% below the recommended inflation pressure. Thus, people who never, or rarely, check their tire pressure are likely to be running around much of the time on tires that are underinflated sufficiently to...
shorten the tread life of the tires...
cut their gas mileage considerably...
and, probably most important of all...
compromise the car's handling in extreme situations, such as when trying to avoid a collision.
A Good way to avoid these type of panic situations is to reset your trip odometer whenever you get gas. It only takes a couple of tanks to know your average MPG and then its easy to tell what you have left.
Even with the miles to go feature on the computer, this is useful, because typically they are very conservative. In my wife's Jeep, not only is it ignoring the last 2 plus gallons in the tank in its calculations, it stops showing at 40 (or maybe 35 I can't remember exactly) miles to go and just reads Low Fuel. Its essentially useless.
I had a company car (2011 Ford Escape) and for kicks, I tried to drive it down as far as I could, because I knew from calculations that I had plenty of gas left. It counted all the way to 0 miles left and stopped. I wanted to see negative numbers darn it!
And I don't really like to run cars down fumes all the time, but sometimes on an interstate or ay road really, having an accurate understanding of what you really have can be helpful. Maybe you are close to a state with much lower gas prices (pretty much any state abutting North Carolina) or in a particular area you would rather not stop in or just know there is a bit of a gap in stations ahead and want to know if you can make it with gas to spare or if you really do need to stop now.
If you know your vehicle and the gas gauge goes bad, you are not caught unaware. Having situational awareness is never a bad thing and fake gauges and lights going off when you have plenty of gas does not help that at all.
Just saw this thread today. OP, I hope you return & tell us what happened.
I've never been faced with this situation since I rarely let my gas gauge be that low. I'd just try to borrow at least $10 from someone at work. If no one at work could do it, try asking strangers for a buck or two & quickly give your explanation. You probably won't be able to pay strangers back, but hopefully there are still a few good people out there. If someone actually asked me for money for gas & was in a desperate situation, I'd give them a few bucks.
This is a good reminder to always leave a good amount of cash hidden in your car somewhere.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lux Hauler
Most likely, yes. Manufacturers factor in a buffer/"reserve" in the fuel gauge readout. You should have about 30-50 miles at the "Empty" mark.
Yes, I heard about this. I drive a 2009 car, but would older cars that are older than 10-15 years still have a reserve? I'm thinking yes, but maybe not as much of a reserve.
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