Automotive

How much further you can go when the gas range hits 0km?

  • Last Updated:
  • Jun 6th, 2018 8:13 am
Deal Expert
Aug 22, 2011
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derass wrote: From when the light comes on, until the needle reads zero, it's unlikely that anything will happen to the fuel pump.

It's if you continue to drive with the needle below zero that you are now running on the reserve capacity and starting to push your luck.
I know, but it's something that can be easily avoided.
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Apr 26, 2004
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When I get the warning light, I have approx 100 km left.
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Mar 17, 2006
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Burlington
vkizzle wrote: Not so much the engine, but you'll burn out the fuel tank, as fuel keeps it cool.
I usually set a price mark for the cars. If prices hit that low and there's no one in the queue, I'd go in and fill up.
Otherwise 1/5 - 1/4 is when I'd start filling up
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Aug 22, 2011
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konsensei wrote: I usually set a price mark for the cars. If prices hit that low and there's no one in the queue, I'd go in and fill up.
Otherwise 1/5 - 1/4 is when I'd start filling up
I'm fortunate to live near a Costco gas station and also generally doing errands around another station further away.
I just fill up every week I go for groceries at Costco and there are no line ups in the AM.
Sr. Member
Aug 18, 2014
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Markham, ON
I was anticipating these replies so I already purposely state on the very first sentence it is not something you should do to your car on purpose... :facepalm:

just a curiosity question I thought someone who (unfortunately) has experienced it would know, or maybe a techie in the industry might. (I am sure one of the engineer who designed the car knows where they put the sensors, hence how much actual fuel would be left when it say 0km)

And I am not talking the fuel light. I know most car has 50km+ range when the light comes on. (e.g. my car fuel light comes on when the range remaining hits 50km)
Just curious when the range says 0km. Does that mean I have less than few km left? or maybe another 20km?


Situation I thought this info might be useful.
You are running late for an important events (meeting/dinner/wedding/whatever, or you have to go to hospital urgently)
You are 30km away from the destination.
The car range say 15km left.
Going to the gas station means extra time & detour, and you will be even more late.
If you go straight to the events you can make it on time, but obviously if you run out of gas half way you will be extra screwed.

now if you know you still have extra 20km after the range hits 0km, you'd go straight to the events.
And if you know you can't make it w/o refueling than obviously you won't try and get yourself even more stuck.
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Mar 23, 2008
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It's a meaningless question, since every car is different.

C
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Sep 8, 2017
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GTA
How about being more prepared in life? You're late AND out of gas?
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Dec 17, 2008
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Ontario
peteryorkuca wrote: Most of the time, you can't see what you fill up at the station except for those pump that has small bubble window where gasoline travels through.

Over time, small particles and debris settles in the bottom of your gas tank and if you run your car til empty all the time, your fuel filter will get clogged and some particles may travel to your injectors where that may get clogged too and ultimately into your engine and that's a big repair bill.
The fuel pump intake openings are at the bottom of the fuel pump assembly so fuel is always used from the bottom of the tank.
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Dec 17, 2008
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EP32k2 wrote: I see this mentioned from time to time. I always run my cars till they are on reserve and I have yet to ever have a fuel pump die on me. Maybe I've been lucky who knows.
You have nothing to worry about. Pump is cooled by fuel flowing through it, not by the fuel around it.
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Nov 21, 2017
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Surrey BC
Ask Kramer and Rick the Saab car salesman.
Sr. Member
Oct 20, 2010
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on one of my vehicles, light comes on at 88-90kms of range left. i have gone 3km past 0 range and when i filled up, there was still roughly 3L left somewhere as i couldn't fill the amount the tank supposed to take. The other vehicle, light comes on below 80km range, i have gone down to 2km of range and upon fill up there was still 7L left in the tank

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