Car wouldn't start when low on petrol (should I be surprised?)

[kevin118]

Hi
My car was about 1/3 into the red this morning - the MFD told me I had 30km of fuel to go. I was going to fill it up on the way to work but I couldn't get it started no matter how hard I tried. I was a little surprised. You?
ps
A quick trip in the other car to get a petrol-can full solved it and off I went.

[MurphyTheElf]

I playing Russian Roulette with my cars. I have a bad habit of running the suckers dry before filling up. A couple of times I've had 0km on the MFD and gone a significant distance before filling up. Those times I got 52 - 53 litres in the car at BP, which means there is only a couple of litres left in the tank. I will often fill up when the MFD says 0km.

Never had a problem starting the car.

[Idle]

Was the car on an angle such that fuel could run clear of the pickup?

[REXman]

Thats why I always have spare petrol in my wallet.

[limmy]

happened to me once...i had 50kms showing but parked on a slope and left it there for a bit. all fuel ran to the back half of the tank... couldnt reverse out onto a flat spot as the road was relatively long and steep as well!

[Cossor]

Many many years ago, when driving aircooled VW Combi's, golden rule was to fill up first thing in morning (No fuel gauge)
Twice it happened that I used up the reserve tank, and each time was able to just roll downhill to the service station. (Should have bought a lottery ticket!)

[kevin118]

actually the road is deceptively flat outside where the car is. oh well, live and learn!

[Idle]

Those of us old enough who remember the Ford "T" will sympathise.

The petrol tank was under the front seat and fed the carburetter by gravity — even with a full tank a long steep hill sometimes had to be climbed in reverse, which often resulted in having to wait 'til the motor was cool enough to top up the radiator when the (thermo-syphon) system boiled.

[Cossor]

Tank under front seat and gravity feed to carby? I seem to remember tank just under windscreen, at least for later model A Ford.
(Fantastic fire trap in accident)
My first car was 1928 Chev (Bought 1954) Petrol pump was called a "vacum tank" , operated via vacum line from intake manifold. On long hills
had to change gear and slow down, otherwise pump stopped working.

[Idle]

Yes the "A" Ford had the tank moved to the scuttle (I also had an Overland 4 and Triumph Super 7 (Super slow!) set up likewise) — first car was a 1923 Dodge, which had a vacuum tank (Stewart, from memory — your Chev National probably had a Delco), and you're right about the loss of vacuum running you out of petrol (they held enough in the feed section for a mile or so.)

For those familiar with milking machines, vacuum tanks worked very much like the releaser.