Driving on empty: How far your car can go with the gas light on

[upflying]

Originally Posted by Sir Nuke

This is easy guys/gals.....depending on whether you have a V8 or V6.....but this is will work no matter. for the amount of gas you have left will very from one car to the next......but this WILL work.

Our cars have a 19 gal. tank.....fill it up to the top, or where ever you typically stop. drive it till the gas light comes on and pull into the nearest gas station and fill up like normal. then just do the math...... how many gallons did you put in..... subtract that from 19 and you will know how much you have left.....then multiply that by your gas milage and you will know how far you can go. PIECE OF CAKE.

Except the entire 19 gallons may not be usable. There may be a small quantity of gas left in the tank even after you ran it dry.

[Gary B]

I pushed it, and it bit me! City/highway, going back and forth to work, I average 18+ a gal. Round trip to and from work is about 40 miles. My light cam on just as I left for work one day....about 100 yds from the gas station, I ran out in the middle of a BUSY street, it was not a pretty site! Two guys driving a Dodge truck jumped out and helped me push it to the station. 2012 LS3. So I say 35 miles and you better start seeing a gas station soon!

[solo40oz]

Originally Posted by tramtwo

Sometimes I am embarrassed to be a member here.... :(

tramtwo posted this on the go

Well said

[RSloth]

I thought the first page was hilarious...
I was crackin' up!

[solo40oz]

Some of the nay Sayers might want to check this out.....good explanation of why low fuel is hard on the pump.

http://www.agcoauto.com/content/news/p2_articleid/195

Quote from the article

Fuel flowing through the fuel pump cools and lubricates the internal components

One of the leading causes of fuel pump failure is*running the fuel tank low. This is particularly critical on*late model*vehicles without a fuel pressure return system. Running such a vehicle out of fuel one time can permanently damage the fuel pump.

When the fuel level is low, the pump has to work much harder to produce the same pressure. This is because the reduced fuel weight no longer pushes fuel into the pump. Instead the pump must draw the fuel in.*There is*also less fuel to dissipate*heat and the overworked pump*is likely to be damaged.

[vinman]

Fuel tanks in newer vehicles are more like a bladder and contract into themselves as they empty which keeps the fuel pump always submerged in fuel as to avoid overheating

[solo40oz]

Originally Posted by Sir Nuke

This is easy guys/gals.....depending on whether you have a V8 or V6.....but this is will work no matter. for the amount of gas you have left will very from one car to the next......but this WILL work.

Our cars have a 19 gal. tank.....fill it up to the top, or where ever you typically stop. drive it till the gas light comes on and pull into the nearest gas station and fill up like normal. then just do the math...... how many gallons did you put in..... subtract that from 19 and you will know how much you have left.....then multiply that by your gas milage and you will know how far you can go. PIECE OF CAKE.

Don't forget to take the derivative of the angle of the dangle and then integrate from 0 to 60 to compensate for flux capacitor loss

[SSGUNNER]

Op: how bout you try it out to find out what the #'s are and let us know what the results are. I will try this when the raiders go to the Superbowl!!!

[TJ91]

Originally Posted by TRWhite

I'm in a 2LT, and I hit the low fuel mark at the 30 mile fuel range. And I am averaging 24 mpg combined.

[Caitlin&Caroline]

This is actually the first that I had ever heard of people filling up with a quarter or half tank still remaining. At least on a car in perfectly good condition. My dad had a POS that would stall with less than a quarter tank (sediment).

I've never run out of gas, and I have only pushed the SS about 15 miles after the light came on (distance to the next gas station). The Subaru's light comes on with what the DIC says is 60 miles to go. I've driven it another 30 without harm. My old Tercel didn't have a light, so I just filled up near E. After 15 years of that, when I sold the car, little to no sediment in the tank and a healthy fuel pump.

This is my first GM car though, my first Camaro, and my first car that gets less than 25mpg, so maybe the E is closer to danger than my very, very few past experiences.

[firestone_ss]

[QUOTE=Cheveey57;6089787][QUOTE=firestone_ss;6089738]

Originally Posted by Warpaint69

People who use catch cans are dumbasses? I guess I don't see how adding that on to a car is a poor idea. On one hand you defend the OP and with the other you blast people for totally off subject things. Why?

So they shall be called a Service Technician? Does it make that big of a difference? Your pretty quick to pigeon hole a bunch of people as ignorant fools because your irritated over a thread about purposely running a car out of fuel.[/QUOTE
if I have to explain the huge difference from mechanic to technician you are indeed ignorant.Simply stated most of the silly crap owners do to there cars in regards to catch cans and t-stats has no effect whatsoever,but im not going to try and win an argument with somepeople who seem to know my job better than me,still think this thread should go away[/QUOTE

I've been a mechanic for 30 years.
The difference between us and " technicians " is
Technicians are prima donnas ( lighten up. Francis)
Technicians wear latex gloves to diagnose your auto
Technicians get paid way more than they're worth.
Technicians wear coveralls that never get dirty.

Disclaimer this is not meant for all techs just the "Francis types"

hah!! you have proved my point,ignorant! But hey im 43 and retiring this year ill leave you at it mechanic guy

[Warpaint69]

[QUOTE=firestone_ss;6090815][QUOTE=Cheveey57;6089787]

Originally Posted by firestone_ss

hah!! you have proved my point,ignorant! But hey im 43 and retiring this year ill leave you at it mechanic guy

ask yourself how would sludge get in the tank?Whats most entertaining here is hearing all the "experts"tell how it is yet they dont service vehicles for a living.Its like telling the docotor you know more than he does because you read it on the internet,and for the record anyone who uses the term mechanic to describe the person who sevices vehicles is very ignorant, as to what it takes to service and repair your own damn car most of you have no clue,to all the morons who put catch cans ,160f t-stats and all the other crap from 40 years ago into your 21 century car all your doing is wearing a big flag on your head that says your a dumbass,this guy asked a pretty straight foward question and some of you took your supposed knowledge of automotive systems and act like he murdered someone,screw you guys sorry for the attitude but i deal with morons like some of you everyday and somebody needs to tell you your an idiot.Mods should just pull this thread

You call people ignorant, but look at your post. See anything wrong with it?

bakayaro

[Warpaint69]

[QUOTE=Cheveey57;6089787][QUOTE=firestone_ss;6089738]

Originally Posted by Warpaint69

People who use catch cans are dumbasses? I guess I don't see how adding that on to a car is a poor idea. On one hand you defend the OP and with the other you blast people for totally off subject things. Why?

So they shall be called a Service Technician? Does it make that big of a difference? Your pretty quick to pigeon hole a bunch of people as ignorant fools because your irritated over a thread about purposely running a car out of fuel.[/QUOTE
if I have to explain the huge difference from mechanic to technician you are indeed ignorant.Simply stated most of the silly crap owners do to there cars in regards to catch cans and t-stats has no effect whatsoever,but im not going to try and win an argument with somepeople who seem to know my job better than me,still think this thread should go away[/QUOTE

I've been a mechanic for 30 years.
The difference between us and " technicians " is
Technicians are prima donnas ( lighten up. Francis)
Technicians wear latex gloves to diagnose your auto
Technicians get paid way more than they're worth.
Technicians wear coveralls that never get dirty.

Disclaimer this is not meant for all techs just the "Francis types"

I know the difference. Thanks

[i2disturbedSS]

Lol only read the first page but
...
ive seen/read about 30miles left with easy driving-I never ran out of gas in my SS but pretty sure came close to it.