[Tonpilot]

Hi List!

Has anyone out there ran out of gas in the attempt of trying to stretch that last ounce of fuel? Or for any other reasons?

I thought of this before I last topped my tank. I was trying to get the most miles out of the tank. Finally, the last light bar on the fuel gauge disappeared and I got concerned! I though it would be really embarrassing to call AAA for fuel for a ultra-hybrid like our beloved Insight!

 

[Braxus]

From my experience, you usually have at least another 40-50 miles when the last light goes out before you really run out of gas.

 

[Resist]

I have run out of gas in my Insight, pushing it to the limit. I was at a stop sign on an up hill incline. I started to go and lost power, to my surprise the car kept going on electric only. It was very under powered but enough to keep me moving off the road and into a parking lot (that was also up hill). Once there I shut off the car and tried to restart it. As long as the gas engine tried to start (and died), the electric motor engaged and allowed me to repark my car. But if you are bone dry and the gas engine won't turn over a little, the electric motor won't work. Granted this isn't good for your car, but it's nice to know you can at least get off the road if you do run out of gas.

 

[Bill]

That's quite interesting "Resist" so while you were cranking the starter the electric motor added torque, which was enough to move the car?

 

[Allnighte]

I think I hold the record for running out of gas. I think (I lost count) I've run out of gas 7 times in 1 year of owning the car.

I've had the car for 1 year and 5 months now. So I'm getting better at filling up when the trip B reaches 450 miles. My gas gauge has been broken for about a year - I'm going to get it fixed soon, I promise!

I've only experienced the "electric only" once. And it was right when I desperately needed it to get off the road on a no-shoulder off ramp and to the gas station.

I do have a AAA member ship. Everytime i've run out, i've been close to work/home. so my dad has come with the gas can a few times. I think i've called AAA 3 times now.

 

[Bill]

Alnighte:

What's wrong with your fuel gauge? Is the sender unit on the blink or is it more local to the LCD display? Please bear with me if I'm be-laboring an already previously well-explained point.

 

[Motty82]

I too have gotten the car to move with electric torque only. I am not the best at that first shift from stopped to moving slow and I tend to either be too heavy on the gas pedal or too light. When I go too light, sometimes the cars stalls and I get a bucking feeling which I believe to be the electric supplementing the engine giving no torque.
~Martin
2000 5 Spd

 

[Resist]

That's quite interesting "Resist" so while you were cranking the starter the electric motor added torque, which was enough to move the car?

No no no. I didn't crank the motor at all. The engine was running then stopped (out of gas), and the electric motor kept the car moving (my ignition was still on), as I pushed the throttle down.

Again no cranking of the starter. As I said before, if the gas engine runs (or tries to run as it pudders out of gas), then the electric motor will work as the gas engine dies and you press your throttle down. But if your ignition is off and you turn the ignition on without starting the engine, then you will not get the electric motor to work on its own.

 

[Allnighte]

it's something with the sensor (i think).
if i fill up the tank, i get about 3 bars on the LCD display. then the bars will disappear over about 50 miles, and it just shows empty for the rest of the time.

it happened after i was rear-ended

i have a CVT, btw

 

[bfivelover]

I know the electric motor won't start the car if the battery is dead. Found that out one morning when I left the ignition switch on all night.

 

[Resist]

That's because you wouldn't have any power for the ignition with a dead car battery. But if you didn't have any electric motor power, then your car battery would use the conventional starter to turn the engine.

 

[Macwarrior]

Hmm...exactly how well does the car drive with the electric-only? I've never experienced this.

I imagine it must be really cool to just have an electric "aura" around you - many electric cars, when you start them, have a "feel" about them, like the air itself around the car becomes charged. A little disconcerting but very cool.

10KW can't be enough to drive the car at more than about 10 mph, and it must drain the IMA battery really fast. Eh?

 

[Resist]

Macwarrior,

It's very under powered and goes less than 10mph and yes drains the batteries fast but, remember the Insight isn't designed to be driven in electic only mode.

I really wish the Insight was more like the Toyotas Prius. Electric only in low speeds and reverse.

 

[tphamc]

My mechanic recomends to fill up when the light is on or definitely try not to run out of gas because it makes the gas pump works harder and risk to be worn out. That's all.

 

[Berk]

Running outta gas

Haven't run out, but with 2 bars showing on the gauge, it took 10 gallons to fill 'er up, so it was down to a couple of quarts. (Means it would've been on fumes, in just another thirty miles.)
Berk, used 2000 ~ 58 mpg in mtns.

 

[collwjhcwu]

How far do you think you could go on electric only (assuming flat surface)? Anyone tested it? :lol:

 

[joecvt]

Mike Dabrowski could probably be the best qualified person
to answer that question using the MIMA project. He has driven
around parking lots using electric only with the engine only idling so
the gas usage is minimal. Assuming a full charge, he could probably
tell you how long and how far you could go. Although if you get the
engine running by restarting and it stalls during MIMA, I wonder if it
will get on going?...

JoeCVT - Just your average CVT owner

 

[Resist]

I ran out of gas once in my CVT Insight. The car was very under powered and moved maybe only 10 to 15 miles per hour. It would burn through the batteries juice in no time!