The low-fuel light came on somewhere around the Wade Avenue merge, you meant to stop at the gas station on Harrison, and now the engine is sputtering on US-1 with the next exit still a mile away. Running out of gas is embarrassing, common, and easy to handle well if you know what to do. This guide covers how to coast to safety, why you should not keep cranking, how fuel delivery works in Cary, and how to make sure it never happens again.
Recognize it before the engine quits
A car running out of fuel gives you a few seconds of warning: the engine surges and stumbles, especially on hills and curves as the last fuel sloshes away from the pickup. That moment is when you need to act. Signal, move right, and use every bit of momentum to reach the shoulder, an exit ramp or a parking lot. Once the engine stops, you lose power steering and power brake assist after a pump or two, so steer decisively while you still have it.
Stop cranking
The instinct is to keep turning the key, hoping for one more mile. Do not. Modern fuel pumps sit inside the tank and use gasoline to cool and lubricate themselves. Running the pump dry, over and over, is one of the fastest ways to kill it, and a fuel pump replacement costs many times what a can of gas does. Once you know the tank is empty, leave the key off until fuel arrives.
Where to stop safely
- On US-1, I-40 or I-540: the right shoulder, as far right as you can get. Hazards on, stay in the car, seat belt on. Do not walk along the highway for gas. The shoulder is the most dangerous place you can be on foot, and it is a long, hot walk to anything.
- On Cary Parkway, Kildaire Farm Road, Tryon Road or Davis Drive: a parking lot or side street is better than the curb lane. If you can coast into a shopping center, do it.
- In a neighborhood: pull to the curb, away from intersections and driveways.
Gas can or fuel delivery?
If you have a friend nearby with a can and you are in a safe parking lot, a gallon or two will get you to a station. In every other situation, delivery is the safer call. Fuel delivery from the featured provider, WTF Towing, brings enough fuel to your location to get you to the nearest station, whether you are on a highway shoulder or in a driveway. You never leave the car, you never walk on the highway, and you never carry a can of gasoline in the trunk of an Uber. If you drive diesel, say so when you call; putting gasoline in a diesel is a much bigger problem than an empty tank.
A few points that surprise people:
- Some cars need a little coaxing after running dry. Turn the key to “on” without cranking for a few seconds, two or three times, to let the pump re-prime before you start it. The provider’s drivers know the trick for cars that are stubborn about it.
- If the car still will not start after fuel goes in and the pump has primed, the pump may have already been damaged, or the problem may not have been fuel at all. In that case a tow to your shop is the next step, and the same truck can do it on the same visit.
- Fuel delivery covers the fuel, not a full tank. It is enough to get you to a station, where gas is cheaper.
Electric vehicles: out of charge is the same problem
An EV that runs out of charge on I-540 has no equivalent of a gas can. It needs a flatbed tow to a charger, and it must be a flatbed; dragging an EV with the drive wheels on the ground can damage the motor. If you drive electric, treat a range estimate under 20 miles as a warning, not a plan, and remember that highway speeds and air conditioning eat range faster than the dash predicts.
Why it happens to careful people
- Fuel gauges are approximate. The last quarter tank often goes faster than the first, and the “miles to empty” reading resets its guess based on your last few miles of driving.
- A failing fuel sending unit can read a quarter tank when the tank is empty. If your gauge has been acting oddly, believe the trip odometer instead.
- Detours. A wreck on I-40 sends everyone through Cary on Chapel Hill Road and Maynard, and the extra stop-and-go miles add up.
- Borrowed or rental cars with unfamiliar gauges and range.
Preventing the next empty tank
- Refuel at a quarter tank. It is also better for the fuel pump, which runs cooler when it is submerged.
- Know your car’s real reserve. Most cars have two to three gallons left when the light comes on, which is 40 to 60 miles for a typical sedan, but far less for a truck or SUV towing something.
- Reset your trip odometer at every fill-up. It is the most reliable gauge in the car.
- If you commute I-40 through Cary, fill up on the way home, not the way in. Morning traffic is where the sputter tends to happen.
What to tell the dispatcher
- Your location: road, direction, nearest exit or cross street. On the interstate, the small green mile markers are the fastest way to be found.
- Gas or diesel, and the make and model.
- Whether you are on a highway shoulder or somewhere safe. This affects how the driver approaches.
- Whether anyone in the car needs help beyond fuel.
Call (919) 230-4498. The featured provider, WTF Towing, delivers fuel and provides towing throughout Cary, Apex, Morrisville, Holly Springs, New Hill and RTP, 24 hours a day. Details on the provider’s fuel delivery service.
Frequently asked questions
How much fuel do they bring? Enough to reach a station comfortably. If you are far from one, tell the dispatcher so they can plan for it.
Can running out of gas damage my car? Repeated cranking on an empty tank can shorten the life of the fuel pump. Running dry once and stopping promptly rarely causes harm.
I put the wrong fuel in. What now? Do not start the engine. Call for a tow to a shop that can drain the tank. Starting it is what turns a nuisance into an expensive repair.
Is fuel delivery available at night? Yes. Dispatch answers around the clock.
WTF Towing – 24/7 towing and roadside help in Cary, NC.
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