How many kilometers can a car travel with one bar of fuel?
2 Answers
Generally, a car can travel about 50 kilometers with one bar of fuel, but this also depends on the size of the car's fuel tank. Here is some relevant information: 1. Fuel gauge light: When the car's fuel gauge light comes on, there are still 5-10 liters of fuel left in the tank. This varies slightly depending on the engine displacement and tank size, and is usually indicated in the car's manual. 2. Not advisable to drive: If the fuel warning light comes on, it means the fuel level is below the fuel pump. The exposed fuel pump starts to overheat due to lack of fuel cooling. Continuing to drive at this point will expose more of the fuel pump and worsen the overheating. It is not advisable to continue driving when the warning light is on.
I've been driving for over ten years and found that the distance one fuel gauge segment can cover is far from fixed. My compact car has an 8-segment fuel gauge with a roughly 55-liter tank capacity, so each segment represents about 6.8 liters of fuel. Based on my driving habits, averaging 8 liters per 100 km, one segment lasts around 85 km. But road conditions vary greatly: in city traffic with frequent stops, fuel consumption spikes to 12 liters, reducing one segment to just over 40 km; on highways maintaining steady speed, it drops to 6 liters, potentially stretching to 110 km. Driving techniques matter too—gentle acceleration and minimal braking can extend one segment by 5-10 km. Bottom line: don’t gamble. Refuel when the low-fuel light hits—safety first, plus peace of mind and cost savings. Seasoned drivers know estimating a safe 60-90 km range per segment avoids risky situations.
