My Prius has optional screens to show different kinds of data via the dashboard. Whenever I’m on the last couple dashes of gas, I tend to set it to the view displaying how many miles the computer thinks I have remaining in the tank. I often refuel Vixen (my car’s nickname) when it’s around 10 miles or so.
Yesterday, I was under 20 and as I headed south on the MoPac feeder towards Parmer to work, the computer said I had 16 remaining and then POW! it plummeted to zero! Then the alarm started squawking. Obviously I was thinking, crap! crap! the last thing I need is to be that guy blocking all the traffic while calling Somara to get me some gas. Fortunately, the computer wasn’t correct or there was a reserve/forgiveness amount…or Vixen knows how to hang in there on fumes. I made it to the first gas station I spotted on Parmer to save the day.
Ugh. I hate a big scare in the morning. Vixen has only sounded the alarm one other time, when I was waiting forever at the drive-thru with our local Jack in the Box. But then the car had around five or fewer miles to go.
Still, it’s a cool car and it’s my favorite.