Out of Gas in New Jersey: What to Do and How Fuel Delivery Works

Do

✓ Treat a quarter tank as your low point when driving long stretches with few stations.

✓ Tell the dispatcher right away if you suspect the wrong fuel went in, and that you have not started the car.

✓ Say if the vehicle is a diesel or a hybrid, so the technician knows the restart procedure.

✓ Turn the key to on for a few seconds before cranking after fuel goes in, so the pump can prime.

✓ Keep the receipt; many roadside plans reimburse a call made outside their network.

✓ Have the fuel gauge checked if it read higher than what was in the tank.

Don't

✗ Do not walk along a highway shoulder carrying a gas can.

✗ Do not start or even switch on the ignition after putting in the wrong fuel.

✗ Do not keep cranking an engine that ran dry; you will drain the battery too.

✗ Do not carry gasoline inside the cabin in an unapproved container.

✗ Do not smoke or use a lighter anywhere near the fuel filler.

✗ Do not try to charge an electric car from a portable gas generator on the roadside.

Out of fuel or something else?

Out of fuel: the gauge was low and the engine sputtered and lost power before stopping, then cranks normally but will not fire. If the gauge showed plenty and the car died suddenly, it may be a fuel pump, a sensor or the ignition, which fuel delivery will not fix. If the car will not crank at all, check the jump start guide.

Fuel delivery or a tow?

Fuel delivery fits an empty tank in a car that was running well. A tow fits wrong fuel in the tank, a diesel that will not bleed after running dry, gelled diesel, or a car that gets fuel and still will not start. For getting it to a shop, see the local towing guide.

Gas car, hybrid, diesel or electric?

A gas car usually restarts after fuel and a few key cycles. A hybrid may need a specific power-button sequence. A diesel that ran completely dry may need priming. An electric car that runs out of charge cannot be refueled on the roadside and goes on a flatbed to a charger or home.

The Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway

If you run out on the New Jersey Turnpike or the Garden State Parkway, the shoulder there is served by the Turnpike Authority's authorized garages, not by us. Call us anyway; the dispatcher explains how to reach them and books the rest with us, so we take over once the car is at the exit or the garage's lot. Stay with the car until the authorized truck arrives.

Service areas and stretches with no exit

Some sections of the Parkway and the Turnpike rely on service areas for fuel, and some lanes have long stretches between exits. On those roads, treat a quarter tank as empty.

Winter diesel

New Jersey cold snaps can be hard on diesel that was not treated for winter. If a diesel cranks, runs briefly and dies on a very cold morning with fuel in the tank, tell the dispatcher the temperature; it may need warmth and a tow, not more fuel.