# Fuel for favor **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 9, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779 "2011-02-09T17:27:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779/1 "2011-02-09T17:27:13Z")
You borrow a car from a friend or relative. This is a one-shot deal, not part of a regular give-and-take. What do you do about gas when you return the car? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779/2 "2011-02-09T17:30:31Z")
I goofed - I should have allowed multiple answers. Because personally, I’d put in $5 for a short use and top it off for a longer use. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779/3 "2011-02-09T18:07:07Z")
I would fill the tank no matter how much gas I used. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779/4 "2011-02-09T18:11:48Z")
I’d try to replace the gas used. At the price of fuel today my brother’s vehicle can take $150 to fill up, so that isn’t happening. I’m glad some people can afford that. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779/5 "2011-02-09T18:12:32Z")
I’m with **kayT** , I always fill the tank regardless of my usage. Only exception was once when the guy lent me a full-sized truck on E. I think I stopped at $35 because it was getting silly expensive and I only drove it a few miles. And that was back when gas was $2/gallon. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779/6 "2011-02-09T18:16:58Z")
Yeah, I used a friend’s recently for moving a couple of very short loads and filled it up afterwards. They fussed saying I didn’t need to do that but I’ll feel much more comfortable if I ever do need to borrow it again. Then again, I’m prone to err on the side of caution. ETA: Reading the amounts some have posted, I drove probably 12 miles and then filled one tank, about 26 bucks. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779/7 "2011-02-09T18:17:40Z")
Fill the tank, unless it’s a monster tank. Then I’ll put in more gas than I used. ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779/8 "2011-02-09T18:27:48Z")
To me, it depends on who I borrowed it from. If it were my parents, I wouldn’t out anything in and they would be insulted if I did. Anyone else, I would try to estimate what I used and put in about 50% more than that (or fill up, whichever is less). ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779/9 "2011-02-09T18:32:14Z")
Fill the tank, and I’d probably have the thing washed as well. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779/10 "2011-02-09T18:33:01Z")
I may have misunderstood the options. Anyway, if I drive it less than a few miles (say, up to the corner for a carton of beer), I don’t do anything. More than that, I bring it back full. (I mean, I guess there are exceptions, like borrowing my brother’s giant truck when I get it on E or something, but this is my general rule) ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779/11 "2011-02-09T18:43:25Z")
Replace all of what I used (plus a little extra, just in case), and wash it if appropriate. I wouldn’t feel obligated to fill it unless it was a circumstance where I was putting appreciable wear on the vehicle (like borrowing a truck to move furniture) and in that case I’d be more comfortable renting anyway. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779/12 "2011-02-09T18:52:18Z")
Return the car with a full tank, or at least noticable more full than when you got it. I would make an exception if your just taking your buddy’s car to the 7-11 to get more beer for a party. If you use it for a move or something like that you should return it with a full tank plus a six-pack of his favorite, the expensive stuff. Such buddies are rare. I know I quickly stopped loaning out my truck after a few “friends” failed to understand. ---
**Author:** ![Sally\_Mander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Sally\_Mander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sally_Mander)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779/13 "2011-02-09T19:18:40Z")
If I used the car for one quick trip, I’d put $5 or so back in as a thank you gesture. Any longer and I’d fill it up. I borrowed a friend’s car a while back for a few days when mine was in the shop. It had a half-tank when I picked it up, and I returned it with a full tank. And a plate of homemade cookies. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779/14 "2011-02-09T19:24:11Z")
Put gas in regardless of the distance. Maybe if they lent me a 20-gallon premium-guzzling SUV and I drove it only 10 miles, I’d only put in a few gallons… but it’d be dickish not to put _something_ in there. Alternately, thank them by doing something else material (a gift, treat 'em to lunch, whatever). ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779/15 "2011-02-09T19:37:16Z")
It would cost me about $26 to rent a car/pick-up for the day, so I guess that’s the reasonable upper limit. I would return it full unless it started to get too much over that. I used to have a wealthy friend who made a regular habit of borrowing the cars of his fellow college students, and returning them brim-ful. He was a good guy. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779/16 "2011-02-09T19:48:23Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > I would fill the tank no matter how much gas I used. Yep, every single time. If I kept it an hour or so I would run it through the car wash. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779/17 "2011-02-09T19:54:09Z")
My brother and my roommate both borrow my car every so often (maybe 10 times a year total) and I only expect them to fill up what they used. I showed my roomie how to use the trip odometer and told him I expect 1 gal for every 20 miles he goes. It’s been a hell of a long time since I borrowed anyone’s car. I think I’d work out ahead of time what they want me to do and then do it. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779/18 "2011-02-09T20:14:53Z")
I did mean to include a disclaimer about trucks with huge tanks. Our pickup takes (I think) 33 gallons - I’d only expect it to be filled if the borrower got it full. This poll was prompted by a recent occasion when a relative was picked up at the airport with my car, then given its use for a day before being taken back to the airport. Guess how much gas he put in. Go on, guess… :rolleyes: I know he doesn’t make as much money as I do, but $10 would have been nice. However, I fully expected that he’d not offer. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779/19 "2011-02-09T21:19:46Z")
Well, at the very least, I’d replace what I’d used, but that’s only if I used it for a very short time/trip. Otherwise, I’d replace more than what I’d used, and, if practical, fill the tank. The exception would be if I was really strapped financially, and the person I borrowed the vehicle from understood this. Under those circumstances, I’d try to think of something else nice to do for them! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779/20 "2011-02-09T21:42:46Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Guess how much gas he put in. Go on, guess… :rolleyes: I know he doesn’t make as much money as I do, but $10 would have been nice. However, I fully expected that he’d not offer. Check the glove compartment. Maybe he left you a baggie of weed or some blow. 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fuel-for-favor/570779.md?page=2)