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Subliminalism: was: Gas guage alignment?

To: Jeff McNeal <jmcneal@ohms.com>
Subject: Subliminalism: was: Gas guage alignment?
From: Mark Gardner <mrgrdnr@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Sun, 21 May 2000 10:39:32 -0700
Jeff McNeal wrote:
> 
> I learned the hard way this morning that even though my gas guage reads
> 1/8th of a tank left, I'm empty.  

No help, but a funny story - I ride a motorcycle almost everywhere I go,
and am always trying to coax a few more miles out of a tank.  My wife
drives the pickup truck and puts the gas in it.  I bought the spit for
those occassions when two wheels just won't do, but now I mostly use it
for my Saturday morning errands.  Since I don't drive it much lately on
long trips, and my wife handles the fueling duties for the truck, I've
somehow come to the conclusion that four wheel vehicles don't need gas. 
Four times in the year I've owned it I've run the spit out of gas. (The
fact that the wiper stalk blocks my view of the gas gauge doesn't help
any.)  Every time it's been the same.  I start out on the trip thinking
"I need to stop and buy gas."  Then I space until twenty or thirty miles
later when I realize I'm probably driving on borrowed time.  I assess
the situation, plan for the nearest station, and hope.  A couple of
miles later the car starts to stumble.  I squeak along the next mile or
two and coast into the station with no pushing required (and put 8.1
gallons in the tank).  So the question is this:  When I first realize
I'm in trouble, is it because the car is starting to exhibit symptoms of
running out of gas that are too subtle to conciously detect, or is it
just coincidence?  either way, I'm hoping not to try again.

Regards,

Mark Gardner
'79 1500 with an 8.1 gallon tank

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