What do you do when there is no diesel fuel around?

What do you do when there is no diesel fuel around? Im sure at some point you went, oh crap I'm on empty and no diesel fuel in site.

 

Start reading the owners manual about using jet fuel or AV2 and the other fuels that can be used for a substitute. The other reason why I carry 70 Gals of fuel waytogo

 

if i am towing i dont let it get much below half a tank. if im not towing and i dont plan on going anywhere i let the lof fuel light come on. then i fuel up. there has been two or three times where i had to search for fuel, but i can go about 45 miles if i easy on the dodge once the light comes on.
Grant

 

I haven't traveled far enough to need to refuel outside of my area. I can go about 450 miles or so on a tank and thats not pushing it hard. I can probably get closer to 500. I always leave home full. The main thing is if you are on a main interstate than you should be somewhat fine as long as you don't look down with the light on and blinking. Most major interstates have truckstops, fueling stations that are fairly frequent and WILL have diesel. I would think as long as a guy starts thinking about fueling back up at 1/4 tank than he should always have enough range to get to diesel somewhere. Depends on what part of the country you are in also, I would imagine.

 

I carry 5 gallons around in a steel jerry-can. It'll get poured into the truck and replaced every couple of months. I learned that trick when doing travel work as a subcontractor, getting sent far into the wilds of Pa, Md, and Va, without knowing the terrain. 5 gallons worth of piece of mind!

 

I never take any chances when towing. If I'm below 3/8 tank and I see a nice station to stop at, I do. I won't stop at the little 2 pump hole in the wall places though, bad diesel is bad mmmmkay?

 

fuel

I just got my new truck but I can get about 600 miles and be at a quarter tank. I have often thought about this no diesel around thing when I bought my first diesel so i will interested in peoples responses. Then again I am in MN where it looks like many people on this site are in CA.

 

Well I guess at some point you will run out and be stranded :doah: :stir:
heheheh

I have been close before. I was on a road trip and the Cheveron station I knew was there (an exit I needed to take for were I was heading) did not have diesel I kept on track with my destination and I came upon a station that did have diesel. From then on I always try to fuel up anytime after 1/2 tank is gone unless I know exacty were I am going and were all the fill up possablities are.

I have found that when i am on E I still have 4-5 gallons in there so GM is gauging the E mark a bit early.
I have read if you run out of diesel you have to re-prime the fuel system to get it to start...

 

I try not to get that close to empty, but for those who are wondering - Ford's on board computer isn't lying about how many miles you can go before empty. I went down to like 5 miles until empty and put 39 gallons in a 38 gallon tank (filled all the way to the top of the filler), so it was definately super close to being empty.

 

Yup, been there. I drove to class one day and it said 8 miles till empty. I got out of class, started the truck, and it then read 0 miles till empty

Made it to the station and put in about 2.something gallons more than the tank's rated capacity :doah:

 

Wow your brave :doah: that was close...

 

What do you do when there is no diesel fuel around?

This seems to be the question I have been asked the most by the gasoline fueled crowd. I always tell them there are plenty of Diesel fuel stations around, but when you drive a gasser you just don't notice them. However like it was said, keep away from the small stations and look for the ones that move more fuel. When I'm traveling I stop at the truck stops (Flying J is my favorite), but I think most of us have enough capacity that we can stay away from the little out of the way places, that is as long as we keep an eye on the gauge

 

I can do about 1000 miles or so quite comfortably - went from basically Astoria (Oregon -Washington border on the Pacific coast) to Modesto on one tank, with a big comfort zone. I bet I could have gotten to Bakersfield before getting nervous. waytogo

Anyway, I try to fill it at about 1/2 of a tank for the sole reason that $150 fill-ups can cause heart palpitations.

Marc

 

Last year I was traveling on I-90 west pulling a New Holland LS180 skid steer to Pittsburgh PA. I nearly ran out trying to stertch it. :doah:
As my DTE is reading 0, I end up having to get off the highway at the first exit I come to. All I can find is this little mom and pop store. Luckly they had diesel. I thought I was going to have to put kerosene in it just to get me where there was some #2

 

Pull out the cell phone and call a buddy waytogo :doah:

 

I can squeeze about 675-700 miles out of a 31 gallon tank without running it dry if i have to(no trailer, of course), but i generally start watching for a station at the 500-550 mile mark. I would rather be safe than screw myself and airlock my truck in the middle of nowhere. I have run it down all the way to the point it took 31.3 gallons, and that was at 712 miles. WAY to close for comfort IMHO. And this is in a truck that just has a guage that isnt exactly accurate, no fancy computer telling me how much time i have left.

 

Put gas in it? :dunno:

 

I have never had a diesel but I heard that if you run a diesel out of fuel it does a lot of very expensive damage,i.e. needing to replace fuel lines and internal damage as well.Anybody else hear of that?The same person that told me this had a mid/late 80's ford dually diesel and said something about the increased pressure in the lines from the pump would cause an empty line to in a form,... crimp itself.

 

All that usually happens is the lines fill with air instead of fuel and the whole fuel system has to be bled to purge the air out. It can be hard on the injection pump depending on the type of fuel system and brand.