As prices go up, more people run out of gas

Stranded on freeways or beached on surface streets, increasing numbers of motorists are running out of gas and seeking aid from auto clubs and towing services.

In a sign of just how much gas prices have escalated, one California Highway Patrol officer said some drivers are actually counting on that sip of free octane from freeway service patrols or auto clubs.

At West Sacramento-based Sierra Hart, a state contractor that sends out 19 drivers daily to offer free aid to stranded motorists on Sacramento-area freeways, manager Bill Luna said: "It's at least doubled over the last year."

AAA of Northern California reported out-of-gas calls rose 6.5 percent in April from a year earlier and 3.6 percent in May.

Transportation officials and auto clubs in other parts of the country have experienced more dramatic increases, including the doubling of calls in the Philadelphia area, according to AAA.

"As our gas prices go higher, we're going to see people trying to stretch their gas tanks as much as they can before they fill up," says Michael Geeser, a spokesman for AAA of Northern California. The auto club charges basic members the market rate for enough gas to get them to the nearest service station. Its AAA Plus members receive up to 3 gallons free.

Sierra Hart, though, dispenses a free gallon to any motorist who rocks the big "E." Self-serve regular gas currently costs an average of $4.51 a gallon in Sacramento, up $1.20 from this time last year.

"We're out there to get them off the highway and keep traffic moving," said Rick Hart, Sierra Hart's president. "If a gallon of gas does it, that's what we do."

Hart knows that sinking feeling. He has run out of gas – on a Los Angeles freeway.

"I can sympathize," he said. "Today, you don't want to go to the gas station; it's depressing."

California Highway Patrol Officer Lizz Dutton said the CHP doesn't keep records of specific reasons for freeway stalls.

"Anecdotally, I've seen people running out of gas," said Dutton. "Some of it is age group. Younger people tend to put in five or 10 dollars worth of gas."

Dutton once ran out of gas, too.

"I went to San Jose to a hockey game and ran out on the way home," she admitted. "I called AAA. My advice is: Watch your gas gauge."

Yes, watch the gas gauge, but trust it as you would the pizza guy to deliver in 30 minutes. Fuel sensors go bad, resulting in false readings, a perplexing problem that NASA engineers dealt with during the two-month delay of the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis in February.

"When the fuel light comes on, that means get to the gas station," said Mike Blanchard, owner of Barber's Shop Automotive in midtown Sacramento. "Some cars, when you hit empty, you're walking within a short while. Modern cars are more reliable than the older cars, say 15 or 20 years old."

Dutton said most people in the Sacramento area who are out of gas already have a friend, family member or auto club on the way by the time a CHP officer arrives.

Other motorists, she added, deliberately try to score free gas from the freeway service patrol. Repeat offenders aren't given another gallon but instead get a ride to the next station. Most often, Dutton said, they just start their cars and drive off.

Running out of gas invites a headache more serious than a free gallon of gas can cure. When your engine hiccups and the car rolls to that ignominious stop, the electric fuel pump inside the gas tank could also go kaput. The fuel pump overheats when the tank runs dry.

Nathan Snell, service manager for John L. Sullivan Chevrolet in Roseville, said there's been a recent increase in fuel pump failures, though not all customers will admit to running out of gas.

"You're looking at a thousand dollars," he said. "Maybe you could run out of gas a couple of times before anything happens, but it also depends on the age and mileage of the vehicle."

Other repairs are also associated with running out of gas: Cleaning fuel injectors ($150) or replacing fuel filters ($100 to $150).

"It's not good to suck the bottom of the tank," Snell said. "You're pulling all the crap off the bottom."

About the writer:

• Call The Bee's Dan Vierria, (916) 321-1119.