Bizarre.....Where Did My Tankful of Shell Go?

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: John_Conrad
This is truly a mystery. The two things i thought of were 1. the engine burned the fuel and/or that 2. it was siphoned out. What else could it be? There is no evidence of leakage.

What about the possibility that the pump did not pump fuel prior to your arriving at the airport? The pump billed you, and your credit card statement shows it, but is it even possible? because I have never heard of a pump doing this. anyone on that possibility.



I think he would have noticed his gas gauge remaining on empty though. And he would have run out of gas parking it, as the car was bone dry.

 

[John_Conrad]

i was going to ask if he remembered to check his fuel gauge after fuel up.

although, i have arrived home one time with my needle pretty much on Empty and since the car was running fine, i thought I would be alright the next day to make it 2 blocks to fuel station,

but no go, it would not start. i guess i was on fumes.

and that is all i could think of in this truly baffling mystery!

 

[Cujet]

I'm thinking that you left the car running.

Many cars with keyless systems will continue to run when the key is not near the car. Once it ran out of gas, since the key was nowhere near the car, it turned off.

 

[dkryan]

Yes, I checked my fuel gauge and it was on "F."

Little did I know what "F" was going to stand for five days later.

I do not have remote start. I have a key fob and the Altima wants your foot on the brake and the fob inside the car before you push the start button.

If after the car starts you decide to exit the vehicle while it is still running, it will beep incessantly to let you know the key fob is "walking away" from a still running engine.

And besides, even with old school Ultra in the crankcase, that 2.5L ain't as quiet as I'd like it and I'm not deaf, either.

And the "lock/unlock" function on the door handles will not operate (it won't let you lock the car) if the fob is outside of the vehicle and the engine is still running.

Maybe I should park somewhere else next time?

 

[dkryan]

Originally Posted By: Cujet
I'm thinking that you left the car running.

Many cars with keyless systems will continue to run when the key is not near the car. Once it ran out of gas, since the key was nowhere near the car, it turned off.


In spite of my recent response, that is the only thing I can think of to explain how that fuel tank was drained to almost nothing. Poor fuel pump.

I don't know of too many people who can siphon a tank down to zero.

If I did, in fact, leave it running, at least I had Ultra and Shell in it!

 

[raytseng]

Originally Posted By: dkryan
Yes, I checked my fuel gauge and it was on "F."

Little did I know what "F" was going to stand for five days later.

I do not have remote start. I have a key fob and the Altima wants your foot on the brake and the fob inside the car before you push the start button.

If after the car starts you decide to exit the vehicle while it is still running, it will beep incessantly to let you know the key fob is "walking away" from a still running engine.

And besides, even with old school Ultra in the crankcase, that 2.5L ain't as quiet as I'd like it and I'm not deaf, either.

And the "lock/unlock" function on the door handles will not operate (it won't let you lock the car) if the fob is outside of the vehicle and the engine is still running.

Maybe I should park somewhere else next time?



still, as theories go, i'd still rank it as more plausible then magical gas thief who siphons cheap gas from your sedan for all the other reasons you gave.

Are you looking just to shoot down ideas? There are of course reasons why each could never have happened, but if that's the case then you're left with no possibilities.


Here's a better theory:
The plot of Terminator is real, and the future knew that your leaving the airport at a particular time would cause a car accident, which shakes up Sarah Connor enough that she decides to not become the mother of mankind's savior in the Future war against the machines.

Luckily by draining your fuel tank, they delayed your departure, prevented that accident, and successfully prevented that future timeline from occurring and saving humanity.

 

[dkryan]

I'll assume you read my second post that crossed paths with yours 14 seconds apart?

I wasn't looking to shoot down anything.

 

[JetStar]

It would be interesting to know if the car would shut the ignition off after the engine shuts down from running out of gas. I suppose you could pull the fuel pump fuse while it's running to see what happens (with the FOB out of range).

 

[raytseng]

Originally Posted By: dkryan
I'll assume you read my second post that crossed paths with yours 14 seconds apart?

I wasn't looking to shoot down anything.

fair enough!

Yea, i think if you want to run a test, see what happens now if you run away with your fob with the car running. And maybe despite the beeping it keeps running.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: JetStar
It would be interesting to know if the car would shut the ignition off after the engine shuts down from running out of gas. I suppose you could pull the fuel pump fuse while it's running to see what happens (with the FOB out of range).


Yeah this or else the radio would have run the battery flat, or at least been on when you approached the car. And you'd notice all the dummy lights on the dash.

 

[CBR.worm]

My (Nissan) FX will allow me to leave it running and lock the doors with the FOB or external door buttons from the outside. It will beep about 10 times, but then it just idles away happily.

 

[dkryan]

Originally Posted By: JetStar
It would be interesting to know if the car would shut the ignition off after the engine shuts down from running out of gas. I suppose you could pull the fuel pump fuse while it's running to see what happens (with the FOB out of range).


Really good point because the battery cranked that engine like it was brand new.

 

[dkryan]

Originally Posted By: raytseng
Originally Posted By: dkryan
I'll assume you read my second post that crossed paths with yours 14 seconds apart?

I wasn't looking to shoot down anything.

fair enough!

Yea, i think if you want to run a test, see what happens now if you run away with your fob with the car running. And maybe despite the beeping it keeps running.


Oh, it'll keep running! I've left it in the driveway in "park, " (obviously), set the parking brake, then strolled back into the house with the car just beeping away. But, only for a minute or so, not five friggin' days..

Thanks for the input, BITOGers!

 

[dkryan]

And while I'm the last person in that "line of perfection," in forty plus years of driving, that's a first for me!

 

[SatinSilver]

Well at least they didn't take the car.

 

[GiveMeAVowel]

Originally Posted By: dkryan
And while I'm the last person in that "line of perfection," in forty plus years of driving, that's a first for me!

I know what would give you some conclusive proof that it wasn't a thief, getting a scan tool and looking at the log for run times.

It keeps a log of run and shut off times.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Does you car track average fuel economy? Do you remember what it was before you parked? If you had left it running for several days, that average would have taken a dive.

 

[GMFan]

Another possibility is that someone broke into your car, started it and got spooked and left the car running in haste.

Maybe someone happened to have the same key fob, opened your car only to realize they were in the wrong car and accidentally left it running in embarrassment. I will admit I've gotten lost and walked around for 5-10 minutes in the pitch black at Charlotte airport trying to find my car. Lots of people get confused after parking there car for a week long trip and get disoriented as to where they parked.

 

[dkryan]

Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Well at least they didn't take the car.


Unlucky me! No, "dude, where's my car?"

 

[dkryan]

Originally Posted By: GiveMeAVowel
Originally Posted By: dkryan
And while I'm the last person in that "line of perfection," in forty plus years of driving, that's a first for me!

I know what would give you some conclusive proof that it wasn't a thief, getting a scan tool and looking at the log for run times.

It keeps a log of run and shut off times.


Nice idea and an even better one for justifying the purchase of a decent scan tool.

Anyone have a scan tool they would suggest? No Snap-on or Mac, please.