How Far Can You Go When Your Gas Light Comes on?
How far can your car go once the fuel light comes on?
There are different thoughts on how long a car can last when the gas light comes on. Is it 30 miles, or 40? Dare we say more than 50? We've got a website today that gives you a specific answer for your car.
Tank On Empty is a great website where people can report exactly how long their car lasted once the light came on. That way, you can look up your make and model and see the average distance it has lasted for other people. According to the site my, Jeep should be able to go 40.86 miles once the light comes on and a Toyota Corolla can go 47.37 on average.
Here are a few more models. The numbers might surprise you:
Honda Accord 46.61 miles.
Honda Civic 43.38 miles.
Ford F-150 39.02 miles.
Chevy Silverado 33.07 miles.
But don't get overly brave by the data and run your car on fumes because doing so on a frequent basis can wear out the fuel pump. Most modern vehicles use an electric fuel pump, which is inside the fuel tank and relies on the gasoline to keep it cool. Most car manufacturers want you to keep at least a quarter tank full to prevent premature wear.
Plus, there are some limitations to the tool. The data doesn’t distinguish between different model years so an aging Toyota Corolla with a bad oxygen sensor could skew the results against a new one that just rolled off the dealership. And since the data points don’t reflect how much further the cars could’ve gone, they’re more an insight into driver's refueling habits than a reflection of a car’s on-empty range.
(Via Take On Empty)