How long to go when the fuel light comes on

[Ash1]

Having once driven until the car conked out i am interested to know if there is an official figure for how much fuel there is remaining in the tank once the light shows. Is it a specific number of miles or is it an amount of fuel? What are peoples experiences?

[Shaw Tarse]

42

[Urik Hunt]

I thought it was 43?

[John D.]

44.4444444

[Ash1]

Won't that depend on driving style?

[NiceCupOfTea]

Check the handbook - it will tell you how many litres you have left.

[mikeyr]

If the light comes on you are already out of fuel. The car is running only on the battery at this point hence the light. All depends on the state of your battery so a good one could last you up to 100 miles just like a Prius. Give it a go...

[crofty1984]

Usually about a gallon left. Though if I ever see the fuel light come on when I'm driving I get curious as two who's car I've stolen as mine doesn't have one.

[Fastra]

I have 5 litres left in my Astra before its starts flashing.

And if I've got it up on ramps, facing up my hilly drive, then it definitely won't start - as I found out last week!!

Edited by Fastra on Monday 17th May 20:59

Edited by Fastra on Monday 17th May 21:01

[Pothole]

30 miles

[anonymous-user]

The orange light comes on at around 60 miles on the trip computer for my BMW. I have on one (very scary) occasion taken it for a further 12 miles after the fuel distance thing read 0 miles because there weren't any fuel stations near by.

[Tonberry]

About 30 miles or 5 litres in the Mondeo.

OP:

You do realise it's going to be completely different for every car?

[Ash1]

Tonberry said:

About 30 miles or 5 litres in the Mondeo.

OP:

You do realise it's going to be completely different for every car?

I just thought perhaps there might be an approximate value (seems to be 30-40miles).

Edited by Ash1 on Monday 17th May 21:22

[Steameh]

Mine seems to come on for fun. Needle on E? Fuel light. Needle on 1/4 tank? Fuel Light.

Sometimes I can see it warming up at just under 1/2 a tank, then thinks better of itself and switches off again.

[Ash1]

Steameh said:

Mine seems to come on for fun. Needle on E? Fuel light. Needle on 1/4 tank? Fuel Light.

Sometimes I can see it warming up at just under 1/2 a tank, then thinks better of itself and switches off again.

Haha sounds like my cinquecento! Light comes on when i corner too fast or go uphill for too long!

[Ritchie335is]

Usually roughly a gallon, or 4.54 litres. Translate this this into the usual mpg you get. Could be 35, could be 15.
Dont make the mistake I did and etch in your mind that you can make it to work with the light on in your e30 325. Fine until you fit a 3.5 into it and run out of fuel halfway there.

[vit4]

Steameh said:

Mine seems to come on for fun. Needle on E? Fuel light. Needle on 1/4 tank? Fuel Light.

Sometimes I can see it warming up at just under 1/2 a tank, then thinks better of itself and switches off again.

Complete opposite of mine, which is fantastically optimistic



Fuel light comes on now....... car stops........... now.

[Aviz]

When the fuel light came on in my Vectra the trip usually said about 30 miles left.

Once the trip got down to 0, i would then do at least another 20 before filling up (If the trip says 0 in the morning when i set off, there's no way i'm stopping until i'm on the way back from work)

Never caught me out. Sold it now, so i can't jinx myself. I'm just using the GF's car at the mo, who will panic at the first sight of a fuel light, so i just leave it, knowing she'll cave in way before i do

Edited by Aviz on Monday 17th May 22:09

Edited by Aviz on Monday 17th May 22:10

[alfa pint]

7 litres in my spider. An old fashioned gallon in my MG when the needle's in the red.

As someone above said, check the owners' manual!

[davepoth]

When the needle is resting on the stop I have one gallon left.