Seeing an illuminated low-fuel warning light on your dashboard can be stressful. Gas stations can be few and far between, depending on where you are. Getting stranded either on the side of the highway or in the middle of nowhere is scary. However, should you really worry about an empty gas tank?
How Far Can You Drive on Empty?
When it comes to your vehicle’s fuel levels, empty doesn’t really mean empty. You can still drive your vehicle even if the fuel gauge is indicating that it’s empty. This is also true even as your low-fuel warning light is illuminated. That begs the question, how far can you go on empty?
Your vehicle’s remaining range varies depending on the vehicle model. The low-fuel warning light typically illuminates when a vehicle’s fuel tank is around 10% to 15% of its maximum capacity. If a popular sedan like the Toyota Corolla has a 13-gallon fuel tank, then its low fuel warning light will illuminate when it has 1.3 to 1.9 gallons of fuel left. Since the Toyota Corolla can travel an average of 33 miles per gallon (mpg), you might still be able to drive anywhere between 33 to 63 miles. According to Wilsons.com, 49 miles is the average distance that cars will travel when they’re on empty. That’s still pretty far, assuming that you notice your vehicle’s warning immediately. This should give you ample range to go to the nearest gas station.
YouTuber Jruzzy Jeremy tested this out in his BMW M140i, a high-performance hatchback sedan. His car typically indicates its remaining range as a number on the dashboard. However, when the fuel gauge finally reached empty, the range indicator disappeared. They were only able to drive ten miles on the highway before their vehicle finally ground to a halt. You can check out their video below:
It’s also good to note that your fuel economy is dependent on how you drive your vehicle. A person who presses the throttle pedal aggressively will be less fuel-efficient than a person who is gentle on the throttle.
Many modern vehicles can estimate their remaining range and display this information on the instrument cluster. However, you shouldn’t completely rely on this information because it’s still an estimate that can be affected by many variables like road and traffic conditions.
What Does Empty Actually Mean?
Your vehicle will tell you that the fuel tank is empty before it actually runs out of gas. Car manufacturers have designed vehicles to do this to make sure you have ample warning before your vehicle grinds to a halt. So if your vehicle’s low-fuel warning is on, or if its fuel gauge is pointing at empty, it’s doing so merely as a warning. The tank isn’t actually completely empty. Nevertheless, you should immediately head to the nearest gas station to prevent your vehicle from completely running out of fuel and stalling.
Is Running on Low Fuel Bad for Your Vehicle?
While you can still drive for several miles even with your fuel gauge on empty, we don’t recommend doing so on a regular basis. You’re not just putting yourself at risk of being stranded in inconvenient places, you also risk damaging your engine and fuel pump. After some time, debris and contaminants from the fuel will settle at the bottom of your fuel tank. When your fuel level is low, these contaminants can enter the engine and damage it.
Running with low fuel levels can also cause the fuel pump to wear out faster. Electric fuel pumps rely on the fuel inside the fuel tank to cool the electric motor. When fuel levels are low, the fuel pump won’t be submerged in fuel anymore and it will be deprived of the cooling it needs.
As much as possible, you should immediately head to the nearest gas station once you notice that you’re low on fuel. You should try to be as efficient as you can to preserve the fuel that your vehicle has left. Traveling at slower speeds and accelerating at a slower rate can help you achieve this.
For your safety, you should also drive on the rightmost lane if you’re on the highway so that you can easily stop on the shoulder if you finally run out of fuel.
What to Do If You Run Out of Fuel
There’ll come a point where you’ll be unable to accelerate and your engine will sputter and stall. When this happens, you should use your vehicle’s remaining momentum to steer it to a safe place on the side of the road. Turn on your vehicle’s hazard lights so that you’re visible to other drivers.
Your next course of action will depend on whether you’ve stopped in an urban or remote area. If you’ve stopped in an urban area, try to get to the nearest gas station. Keep your vehicle’s hazard lights activated and lock the doors when you leave your vehicle. If the gas station has a jerry can that you can borrow, simply fill it up with some gas and return to your car to refill your tank. There’s a good chance other drivers will also stop to help you if you’ve stopped on a busy road.
If you’ve run out of gas in a remote area, then your only course of action is to seek assistance. If you can get mobile reception, you should try to contact roadside assistance. However, if that isn’t possible, then your last resort is to try to seek help from other drivers. You should take extreme caution while doing so. Take note that you might need to wait a while before someone stops to help you. You should avoid walking to a service station unless you’re certain there’s one nearby.
Stopping at a gas station can feel like a chore. But gassing up is part of your responsibility as a vehicle owner. After all, filling up your vehicle for a few minutes is much more convenient than running out of gas and being stranded for hours.
How Far Can a Diesel Truck Go on Empty?
Some diesel trucks have about three to four gallons of fuel left when the gauge hits E. With an average fuel economy of 30 mpg, you can assume that the truck might still go on for about 100 miles. However, smaller trucks might not last longer than 80 miles, so keep in mind these numbers are just estimates and should not be used as a guide. Try to refuel as soon as (or preferably before) your fuel warning light turns on.
How Far Can a Semi-Truck Go on Empty?
While several factors can affect this, such as the cargo, size of the engine, and style of the cab, most semi trucks can keep going for 200 miles thanks to a bigger fuel tank. The size of fuel tanks varies, but most semi trucks have two 110 to 150-gallon gas tanks, with around 30 gallons left in the fuel reserve.
When your semi truck’s low-fuel warning light comes on, it’s best to head to a gas station immediately.
Where to Get a New Fuel Tank for Your Vehicle
Driving with a leaking fuel tank can be the most frustrating thing that could happen to drivers. Aside from the need to get your car fixed, you continuously waste a good amount of money on leaking fuel.
Why spend more money on gas when you can buy an OE-grade fuel tank here at CarParts.com and restore your ride’s fuel efficiency?
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