In Limp Mode, prevent an empty tank by matching the pump to the engine’s fuel, carrying a filled 10 L canister, and watching the warning that appears below 15% fuel. If the engine does stop, there is no automatic recovery: add fuel from a canister, siphon some from a wreck with a siphon hose, or arrange a tow from another vehicle.
Know what the vehicle consumes
Engines use either petrol or diesel. Oil, used oil, and coolant are separate fluids and must not be treated as engine fuel. Before stopping at a pump, identify the required fuel type rather than relying on the pump to prevent a mistake.
Consumption depends on how hard the engine is working. Strong acceleration and full throttle in a low gear use substantially more fuel than relaxed cruising. Releasing the throttle reduces consumption to the engine’s idle amount, but an idling engine still burns fuel and can empty the tank if left running overnight.
- Large engines, including V8s, use more fuel than small three- or four-cylinder engines.
- Diesel engines are the most economical.
- Boot cargo, spare canisters, and their contents increase vehicle weight. Fuel itself weighs approximately 1 kg per litre.
- A diesel’s healthy EGR valve adds about 5% consumption; when badly worn, its extra consumption can reach 40%.
- Worn injectors can increase fuel use by up to 30%.
Using a fuel station
- Bring the vehicle to a pump marked
PETROLorDIESEL, according to the engine. - Switch the engine off and leave the vehicle.
- Activate the pump with
Left clickorA. The character carries the nozzle to the filler cap. The hose reaches roughly 6 m and transfers about 1 litre each second. - Stop the flow with
Esc,B, or another click on the pump.
Free highway pumps contain only a limited supply. Town stations have a larger supply, but charge $3 per litre. If you do not have cash, use a cash machine before attempting to buy fuel. The pump accepts the wrong fuel, so checking the label is essential.
Carry reserve fuel
Keep at least one filled 10 L canister in the boot for remote trips. A canister occupies the same amount of space whether full or empty, and any canister can hold any of the listed fluids. Press I inside the car to change between the character’s inventory and the car’s trunk inventory. A full 20 L canister weighs about 45 kg, so reserve fuel also affects the load.
| Capacity | Inventory space | Stacking | Transfer rate without skill |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 L | 1.5 | Up to 4 | 0.1 L/s |
| 5 L | 7 | Up to 2 | 0.5 L/s |
| 10 L | 13 | Not listed | 1.0 L/s |
| 20 L | 25 | Not listed | 1.5 L/s |
Fill a canister
At a pump, right-click the canister in your inventory and select Fill at pump. You must be close enough for the hose. Alternatively, operate the pump while the vehicle is outside hose range. The canister does not need to be empty to occupy its normal inventory space.
Transfer reserve fuel to the vehicle
Stand in the yellow box at the front of the vehicle and press F or Y to open the workshop window. Choose Quick / service actions, then Fill Tank. Mechanic skill makes this pouring operation faster. The same service menu also contains actions for the oil pan and radiator, so select the tank action when using a fuel canister.
Recover fuel with a siphon
A Siphon hose and a container with available capacity let you choose Siphon from the workshop window. Fuel can be removed from a tank at 0.5 L/s with no loss, and wrecked vehicles may still contain a small amount. There is no direct canister-to-canister transfer. To move liquid between two canisters, put it into a vehicle first and siphon it back out into the destination container.
Siphoning also applies to an oil pan and radiator. Oil removed from an engine becomes Used oil; it can still lubricate the engine, but it does not count as an oil change. On foot, right-clicking an inventory container and choosing the emptying action drains it at 2 L/s and creates a puddle. Fuel puddles do not make tyres slip, whereas oil puddles do.
Avoid contaminated fuel
The game evaluates the proportion of incorrect liquid in the tank. The other fuel type is wrong, and oil or coolant in the tank is wrong as well. The consequences increase as that proportion rises:
| Wrong-fuel share | Result |
|---|---|
| Under 5% | No listed effect |
| 5% | Stuttering and code P0169, “Incorrect fuel composition” |
| 15% | Power can fall to 35% |
| 30% | Injectors take damage |
| 50% | The engine dies and only cranks |
Pure wrong fuel can destroy the injectors in about four minutes. A fuel-system additive converts up to 5 L of wrong fuel into the correct fuel. On a lift, the Drain fuel tank action requires a toolbox, takes 20 seconds, and discards everything in the tank. Siphoning the tank into a canister is another removal method. An OBD reader can clear the P0169 lamp, but it does not remove the contamination. If you install an engine designed for the other fuel type, the fuel already present becomes wrong fuel.
What to do after running dry
Once the engine stops, use the reserve canister if one is available. Otherwise, find a nearby wreck and siphon fuel from it if you have a hose, or have another car tow the vehicle. Planning the reserve before leaving matters because an empty tank does not trigger an automatic rescue service.