Fuel light gambling

[mnkiboy]

So I set off to work this morning with '29 miles remaining' showing on the computer. Somehow I've managed to drive 12 miles, and get to work with '6 miles remaining'. By the time I get home, I should be on minus 6 miles.

I doubt it's going to leave me stranded at exactly zero, but how far can I push it? 5 miles, 10 miles? 50 miles? Ease my stress on the journey home please!

Car is a 2.0D X-Type, if it matters.

[Garlick]

50 miles easily.

Good luck

[STW2010]

It depends on your driving style!! It will run a bit richer from cold, so that removes a few miles straight away.

The closest I've ever taken mine was 4 miles to empty. That was a one-off; my light comes on with around 60 miles remaining, so it rarely gets below 40 miles.

[PMKeates]

YMMV, but I once tested this in my old E46 330i. I drove on to a part of the M25 where I knew there was a hard shoulder, petrol can in the foot well, and cruised. The miles remaining dropped to 3, 2, 1, 0, -. It sat at - for over 20 miles!

[CypherP]

I'm sure you can get away with doing a few miles once the counter reaches 0, but wouldn't exactly condone it. Dad has an X-Type and the fuel counter seems to fluctuate a lot more than in my E46 325. Start it later, let the engine warm before setting off and drive like an 80 year old pensioner for a few miles until you reach the pumps.

Just to clarify, I won't be offering to push you to the nearest forecourt later if you happen to get over-zealous on your journey home!

[Slinky]

I left the house with 90 miles showing on the range indicator the other day, arrived at my destination, 16 miles away, with 115 miles showing...

I made fuel!

[Boba Fret]

my old 155, and I understand most 155s, had truly comical fuel gauges!!!

You could be on 3/4 of a tank, go round a tight right hander and the light would come on. Managed nearly 100 miles on the light once! Just to see!

[anonymous-user]

Pah! You haven't really pushed your luck until you take it down to '---'

[ewenm]

The fuel gauge in the Caterham is intermittent at the moment, and I can't remember when I last filled it up so I'm gambling every drive

[mnkiboy]

Just to add I don't usually run it this low. I was trying to see if I could get 600 miles out of a tank of fuel. I've made it to 580 and managed to put myself in this silly situation. What a twit I am.

[ewenm]

mnkiboy said:

Car is a 2.0D X-Type, if it matters.

Wasn't it a Jag Diesel that Clarkson drove from Geneva to Blackpool on one tank of fuel and the "distance remaining" readout was extremely cautious?

You'll be fine to hit 600 miles.

[manic47]

My wife is adamant it's a man-thing.


I've only ever run out of fuel once despite tempting fate many times...
I ground to a halt on the A45 at Northampton whilst attempting to get to the BP garage, luckily a police X5 towed me the last half mile to the garage.

[CypherP]

Slinky said:

I left the house with 90 miles showing on the range indicator the other day, arrived at my destination, 16 miles away, with 115 miles showing...

I made fuel!

I love it when that happens! Regular occurence when travelling to Chester from Guildford to see family! I can regularly make an extra 100+ miles. If only..

[PaulB81]

Careful, my 320td compact ran out of fuel at 29 miles remaining!! Fortunately it was in a supermarket carpark with a petrol station at the other end and it was late at night so there was no-one around to laugh at me pushing my car 100m to get fuel

[Robatr0n]

I'm sure you'll be fine.

I tend not to risk playing fuel light bingo in my own cars but I do try and use every last drop of fuel if I'm driving a hire car and have prepaid for the tank of fuel. I once hired a Corvette and on the return leg to the aiport the fuel gauge was showing about 130 miles left to the tank and we were only 40 miles from the airport. By the time we got to the airport the trip computer was reading '0 miles left'. Perfect!

I'll never be able to match by brother though. Every hire car always gets returned running on fumes and almost everytime I borrow his car there is next to no fuel in it. It's quite a talent actually!

[mnkiboy]

ewenm said:

Wasn't it a Jag Diesel that Clarkson drove from Geneva to Blackpool on one tank of fuel and the "distance remaining" readout was extremely cautious?

You'll be fine to hit 600 miles.

I think it was the XJ 2.7D they used.

Actually it's lovely and sunny today so I might take a trip to Tesco's petrol station at lunch time. Fuel level is so low I bet this will be a £75 fill up, just before pay day. Ouch.

[Matt UK]

I never see the point in chasing most miles per tank.
I just fill up at the next convenient time as soon as I get down to about 1/4.

[markcjd]

Just made it 26 miles in a tdci mondeo showing 0 miles remaining the whole way! It didn't start spluttering or appear to be in the final gasps but i'll not chance it on the way home!

[neil_bolton]

Careful chaps, running the cars super low on fuel can cause the fuel pumps additional stress if they're not actually pumping anything - my M5 lost it's fuel pump as a result of my nearly running out of fuel

Not sure it's the same all round but the M5 fuel pump is cooled by the fuel, so if it's low, it's not being cooled, and thus can overheat and fail if near the end of it's life.

[944fan]

I got my A6 down to 0 once. The tank must have been drier than Gahndi's flip flop.