Running out of gas is a roadside emergency, even when nothing is broken. The car simply stops, and it tends to happen somewhere inconvenient. This guide covers what to do first, who can help, and how Axl Roadside brings fuel to drivers in Mountain View and nearby cities.
What should I do if I run out of gas on the road?
Get to safety first, then call for help. Here is the order we would follow:
- Turn on your hazard lights.
- If you can still steer, coast toward the shoulder, a side street or a parking lot, and get out of the traffic lane only if it is safe to do so.
- If you are on a freeway shoulder, stay buckled in the car or stay well away from traffic.
- If you are in danger at any point, call 911.
Once you are as safe as you can be, decide who to call. That depends on where you stopped, which brings up a common question.
Is emergency roadside help ever free?
Yes, in one situation. The Bay Area Freeway Service Patrol is free, but only on freeways and only during peak travel hours. According to 511.org, the patrol can give you a gallon of fuel, change a flat tire or jump a battery. To reach it, call 511 and say “Freeway Assist.”
The patrol does not cover city streets, parking lots, your home or your workplace. If you are stopped in one of those places, or on a freeway outside the patrol’s peak hours, call us instead. If you are not sure whether the patrol covers where you are, you can also just call us and describe your location.
Can someone bring fuel to me in Mountain View?
Yes. Axl Roadside is a mobile roadside assistance service, so we bring fuel to your vehicle wherever it stopped: at home, at work, in a parking lot or on the roadside.
We serve Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Redwood City, Atherton, Woodside and Portola Valley. Our hours are 7am to 8pm, 7 days a week. That means you can stay with your vehicle instead of walking to a gas station.
What do I need to tell you when I call?
Four things, so we know where to go and what we are dealing with:
- Your name
- Your location, such as a street address, cross streets or the name of the parking lot
- The year, make and model of your vehicle
- A short description of the problem
You can call or text us at (415) 712-4161. We don’t publish prices. When you call, we tell you the cost for your situation.
What if the problem is not fuel?
Tell us what the car did when it stopped, because a stopped car is not always an empty one. A weak or dead battery, for example, can look the same from the driver’s seat. If the gauge was low or the warning light was on before the car stopped, mention that. If you saw neither, mention that too.
Besides fuel delivery, we do jump starts, battery testing and replacement, flat tire repair (plugging a repairable puncture), spare tire installation and car lockout service. We don’t tow. If a car truly needs a tow, we tell you. Here is how to tell whether your car needs a tow.
How do I avoid running out of gas?
Refuel while you still have a comfortable margin, not after the low-fuel light comes on. A few habits help:
- Learn your car. How far you can go after the low-fuel light comes on differs from one vehicle to the next, so check your owner’s manual instead of guessing.
- Check the gauge before a longer drive, and top off before you get on the freeway.
- Take extra care in a borrowed or unfamiliar car, since you may not know how its gauge and warning light behave.
- Do not stretch a low tank to save a stop. A short detour to a gas station is easier than a roadside emergency.
Need fuel brought to you?
If you have run out of gas in Mountain View or a nearby city and need emergency fuel delivery, call or text Axl Roadside at (415) 712-4161, 7am to 8pm daily. Tell us where you are and what happened, and we take it from there. You can also find us at axlroadside.com.
