I learned something

[scottb]

Yesterday evening I had a chore to do. FInished that about 7:30 and headed home. I glanced at my trip odometer and noticed that it said 204 miles. Hmmmmmmm...... need gas. Headed for the gas station. Got to within 1/4 mile of the station and the car started coughing and sputtering. Hit the 4 ways and coasted up to the pump. Now the Fiero Gods' have a sense of humor and start laughing at me...... the gas station AINT GOT NO GAS!!!!!!!! Fortunately I was only about 4 miles from my parents house, a phone call and a 10 minute wait got me enough gas to get 600 feet up the road to a station that had gas.Im still laughing this morning.

Lesson learned: when it gets close to 200 miles GET GAS NOW!

now that's funny, I don't care who you are.

[Fierofool]

When I got the first 85, I had several of those close encounters, being accustomed to driving other vehicles right down to the empty mark before refueling.  I once chugged it into a station, and another time when starting out from a traffic light, it bucked badly and started sputtering.  I made a quick U turn in the road and went back to a station I'd just passed.  Never did have to walk,.

As I learned more and more about the Fiero, I started resetting my trip odometer on each refill.  It's very very seldom that I ever get less than a full tank of fuel.  I joined Freddy Clarke's Fiero Newsgroup in my search for information and help and soon learned of the "1/4 tank or 150 mile, whichever comes first" rule.

The experience with the gas station could have been worse as happened to me and TopNotch.  On the Polar Bear Run, he and I both needed to hit the restroom really badly.  We buzzed into one in Jasper, hoping to get out and make a mad dash inside.  You know how it is that the urge gets very urgent as you get closer to a restroom?  Well, the station was closed but fortunately there was a Walgreen's across the street.  Neither of us walked as we made our way to the back of the store. 

Figure your gas mileage on every tank for about a month, average it then multiply by 8.  That should give you a ballpark figure of how far to drive before refueling. 

[TopNotch]

The Fiero fuel gauge sender can be cleaned and tweaked to be pretty accurate, but since you have to drop the tank to do it, it's not something you are likely to do. But put it on your "to do" list for the next time you have to change your fuel pump. I think there's a good thread on Pennock's about refurbishing your fuel gauge sender.

[pgackerman]

I filled up once a week when I learned the Fiero only had an 11 gallon tank.
Figured I did 20 miles a day, 5 days a week, equaled 100 miles at 20 mpg == 5 gallons.
Close enough to half a tank.

[Fierofool]

The 87 and 88 had the larger tank.  I think it was 12 gallon with about 10 useable.  The 84-86 had 10 gallon tanks with about 8 useable.  Given the differences in tank sizes and the variation of mpg between 5-speed dukes and the V6 automatics, I think a lot of people settled on the 150 miles as being safe for all.  Of course, if your gas gauge is correct, the 1/4 tank rule is good.  If you're getting 20mpg, on a 10 gallon tank, that's cutting it close if the gauge doesn't work. 

[GTRS Fiero]

No idea how a gas station would be out of gas.  No shortage, recently.

[montegut]

Bought my 85 GT new just before I met my wife. She wasn’t too impressed but tolerated my toy. Then we ran out of gas on an up ramp on I-10 crossing the Mississippi River in New Orleans. The walk down the bridge/ramp was not fun. We are still married but she has ridden in a Fiero only once since then. I haven’t run out of gas since!

[GTRS Fiero]

I can picture the scene.  As the Fiero sputters to a stop, you pull to the side of the road.  Looking deeply into here eyes, you tell her, "Well, it's you and I.  I thought we'd just park here for a bit.  Presently, we'll take a romantic walk down the bridge.  Later, we'll go out to eat."

Probably not good timing for the line from the Love Bug.

[Fierofool]

I can just hear my wife  "You don't need to pull that old 'We're out of gas' trick.  We're married, now."

[GTRS Fiero]

Truth.  No vehicle has never tun out of fuel while my mother was in the vvehicle.  How do I know?  Because my mother and I shared a vehicle while I was in high school.  The next day, I always had to fill up, because the car would not start.  I used to keep a 5-gallon container of fuel in my shop.

After I got my own vehicle, my mother drove my dad's car somewhere.  The next time he went to start it, no fuel.  So, he asked me where the fuel can was.  The next time he asked, the can was empty, because he didn't re-fill the can.  30 years later, he bought my mother an electric car that plugs in at the house.  Problem solved.