...a dime's more worth of gasoline and I would have made it....

[Dans 68]

Well, I took the '68 out for a quick spin today and to fill it up.    I had recently had all the gauges rebuilt, and replaced the float in the gas tank, so I had (or so I thought) a very good idea of where empty actually was on the gas gauge. The gas station is only a bit more than a 1/4 mile from my house so I was not even thinking about an empty tank. The gas gauge was reading about 1/8 full so I figured that there was at the very least a gallon left in the tank. Remember, the gauges were recently rebuilt and they were not exactly calibrated to register empty when the gas was all gone, and I had not yet fully filled the tank to see how much fuel was left at the indicated fuel reading. A truly ill advised move as it turns out.

So I'm driving. Beautiful day. Windows down and the normal appreciative stares from John Q. I get to the train tracks and wait in the left turn lane for the green turn light. I get the light, start to let the clutch out, and kill it.    I couldn't believe it. I, who has flawlessly driven the hills of San Francisco in a Hurst equipped 3-speed on the floor Chevy Nova, killed the engine on a 0.5% grade by improper clutch application. Unthinkable. So, sheepishly, my ears starting to turn red, I hit the starter to get her going. She just turns over. And over. Nope, she 'aint starting. Cars are now honking. Pressure is building. "Did I flood it?" I'm thinking? "Why me?" was another fleeting thought. After about 15 seconds of steadily turning the car over it dawns on me that the gas tank is empty. I can see the gas station, 50 yards away, across the intersection, mocking me. I can't believe it. You have got to be kidding me.  

So, I get out of the car, running a slalom course over to the sidewalk to avoid 3 lanes of oncoming traffic, and briskly walk over to the gas station to see if anyone there will give me a push. The mechanic on duty graciously lends a hand. We walk back to my stranded Charger and get in position, he in the rear pushing and me holding the wheel through the open window. The turn light turns green and we start pushing. Hard. It is a bit of an uphill to crest the road crown. In the middle of the intersection the light goes red. Thankfully the other drivers could see what was happening and didn't try to go around/through me.  With my heart rate approaching 150 bpm we make the driveway of the gas station. My park job next to the pump is not the best (think of a 45 degree angle) as I'm steering/pushing the car over the crown of the road, down to the entry of the driveway and on up to the pump. All with manual steering and no brakes. The fill up, thank God, was uneventful. I was half-expecting my credit card to be declined....

Ten cents. That's all it would have taken.

Actually, the worst part of the whole episode was leaving my Charger in the middle of the road all by herself. I kind of feel I let her down. I thought everyone was laughing and making fun of her....  


So, any other Charger fuel deprived (depraved?   ) stories out there?   And yes, I had a good time writing this.  

Dan

[Bob T]

Charger abandonment          


Actually,   my fuel guage dosent  work, its on "the List" so Im "Mr Lets just put another $50 in before we go anywhere "
Im sure it the inevitable will happen oneday tho, always counting the mileage   ..
Hey , at least the guy gave you a push 

[69bronzeT5]

So, any other Charger fuel deprived (depraved?  ) stories out there?  And yes, I had a good time writing this. 

Dan

As you mentioned it....

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,72494.0.html

[Belgium R/T -68]

Just waiting for it to happen. You pay 900$ for a perfectly restored cluster (lilwendal) and
that POS sendingunit destroys it all.

Per

[ChargerSG]

Thats sucks. I never trust any gauges, and most of all the fuel one
Restord and and unreastord i have never had a gasgauge that show better than like 90% correct, and its the both ways but luckely right now all mine show less than it is

[mikepmcs]

how about sediment in the fuel filter after being empty and cranking it?  maybe you should change the fuel filter just to be sure.

[doctor4766]

So I'm at the gas station for my first fuel up ever in the Charger a couple of years ago, wondering what the hell size tank is actually in this thing.
Eventually I get to the point of "have no more cash to fill her up more than I already have" so I stopped pumping.
Go inside and pay the amount owing and on my way out a guy says to me "Hey is that your car over there? Cos there's a heap of fuel on the floor underneath her"
Turns out the sender unit wasn't locked into the tank properly and for the last minute or so most of what I was pumping in was coming out the tank and onto the ground.
Well ya shoulda seen the comotion.
They shut down the whole station while they cleaned up the spillage and I had to push the heaviest car I've ever owned out of the way on my own.

[elacruze]

how about sediment in the fuel filter after being empty and cranking it?  maybe you should change the fuel filter just to be sure.

Brought the car out of storage in 2001, after sitting for 8 years. Took two days getting ready, then about a half hour from home it stalls. Starts right back up, goes another 15 seconds and stalls again...wait 30 seconds and it restarts. No problem driving 35mph for a minute or two...quits again. Won't start for 1/2 hour...under the hood I find the fuel filter plugged up with fine rust from the gas tank. Eventually made it home by taking the filter out and accepting a carb clean/rebuild for it. 

[bakerhillpins]

Im not so sure I could have pushed the car with the door closed. I would have been paranoid of it starting to take off and not being able to jump in and hit the brake.

how about sediment in the fuel filter after being empty and cranking it?  maybe you should change the fuel filter just to be sure.

Yea, I was thinking the same thing.  

[CharcoalCharger]

Many, many years ago (about 16) I had a similar situation in my Dart.  I was driving along heading over to my uncle's farm to help out.  Gas guage shows 1/4 tank, and before this day I never had any trouble with it.  I was going along and all of the sudden the car shuts off.  I throw it in N and coast for almost a quarter mile or so.  Tried to restart it, but nothing.  I kinda knew I wasn't going to make it to the gas station though.  Just passed the turnpike overpass is the gas station.  Unfortunately, it is uphill.  I knew I wouldn't make it to the farm either, because I would have had to make a right at the overpass and it is uphill from there, too.  There is a pull off where people park to go fishing at the creek that runs by there.  I pull in there, walk up to the gas station only 50 yds away, call my uncle and he comes down with some gas to get me to the station.  It was quite embarassing.  The gauge didn't work right for quite a few months after that.  I would fill the tank and it would say I only had 3/4 tank.  Then, it wouldn't go down passed 1/4.  I never did anything with it.  Eventually it start working right again and to this day it still does.

[mauve66]

damn old cars on the road breaking down and taking up space........................everyone should have a Prius/Volt........

[Finn]

Ive ran out of gas 4 times...in my neighborhood.   
Actually just heading out to get more gas now! Yay for mopars!

[CB]

Actually, the worst part of the whole episode was leaving my Charger in the middle of the road all by herself. I kind of feel I let her down. I thought everyone was laughing and making fun of her....  

Dan, I think you need help  


When I do my local cruising I always fill more fuel then I expect to drive. Braking down in the middle of traffic or city centre is my no1 nightmare.
Lets see, I stranded one time when the upper rad hose got ripped. 5 miles from home. Another time the fuel pump decided to give up, again a few miles from home but I was still on the highway, just before to get off the next exit. Then one time a valve on the old carb got loose, car died instantly Had to call dr Hook.
I got some brake downs in the pastso that's why I need to invest in getting her reliable...

[bull]

Well, Dan, next time put $20.10 worth of gas in it instead of $20.

[CidE]

This happened to me once, but I had my sister in the car to steer and I pushed it by myself. It was not fun.

[Hudson Hornet !]

I live in a rural community and was running on fumes one day when I approached the gas station for a fill up. While waiting in line ( I was the next car)  The two guys at the pump decided to have a nice conversation while clogging up the pumps for everyone else.  I calmly asked the fellow in front of me if he could move his car out of the way because mine was ready to die, and I got the finger and some unkind words for my trouble.  So I put the old girl in 1st gear and PUSHED his foriegn crap pile out of the way! Yes my car is a GL and yes it has a fully functional push bar on the nose and I must say it worked well!  The fine was expensive, but darn it made me feel good!

[1BAD68]

I only got stranded 3 times.
Once when my Carter carb float decided to stick.
Once when My Pertronix ignition lost its ground, couldn't figure it out and had to tow it home.
And once the first time I drove with the headlights on and found out how bad my alternator was when my battery was dead at the gas station.

[Neal_J]

The same thing has happened to me twice.  The first was while driving my daughter to middle school (imagine how red/embarrassed she was) and the second was in the middle of a 6 lane intersection.   

Now, I won't let the gauge get below 1/2 tank just to be SURE it don't happen again.

[PocketThunder]

Im not so sure I could have pushed the car with the door closed. I would have been paranoid of it starting to take off and not being able to jump in and hit the brake.

Duh!    Its a second gen Charger, you just jump in through the windows!!!!!!       

[rp23g7]

LOL Fuel gauges on Chryslers.  None of mine have worked, with the 880's worked for 20 yrs and quit.

I would fill it up every 200 miles, it had a 23 gallon tank, ran out once, cause i wasnt paying attention, and found out no one cares when you run out of gas.  That was the last time that happened.

The Scamp, slant 6, fuel gauge never worked, 15 gallon tank, filled it up every 150 miles, that thing got bad milage for some reason.

67 Satellite, gas tank had a leak, so i put 5 gallons in everytime i drove it.

69 Coronet, 19 gallon tank, fill it every 100 miles, so i have at least 9 gallons to goof around with.  The 440 averages 10-14 miles a gallon.  Yesterday i drove 140 miles, most of it at 75-80 on the freeway, only put 8 gallons in it when i was halfway home. woot, one of these days, that one is getting fixed though.

[Chargerrtforme]

Not sure at today's prices if ten cents would of done it?  I wonder if you could of pulled the clutch switch wire and jumped it out and cranked the car over in gear to help move it?  I'm sure at the time you were way to stressed to come up with anything besides PUSH!!

[69bronzeT5]

I live in a rural community and was running on fumes one day when I approached the gas station for a fill up. While waiting in line ( I was the next car)  The two guys at the pump decided to have a nice conversation while clogging up the pumps for everyone else.  I calmly asked the fellow in front of me if he could move his car out of the way because mine was ready to die, and I got the finger and some unkind words for my trouble.  So I put the old girl in 1st gear and PUSHED his foriegn crap pile out of the way! Yes my car is a GL and yes it has a fully functional push bar on the nose and I must say it worked well!  The fine was expensive, but darn it made me feel good!