How many kilometers can you drive when the car fuel light comes on?
4 Answers
When the fuel gauge light comes on, there are still 5-10 liters of fuel left in the car, which varies slightly depending on the displacement and fuel tank size of each model, as indicated in the vehicle's manual. For more details, see below: Can drive about thirty kilometers: Knowing the remaining fuel, you can roughly calculate how many kilometers you can still drive. However, this can vary greatly depending on driving conditions, driving skills, etc. Based on experience, no matter what car it is, when the fuel gauge light comes on, you can generally drive about thirty kilometers. Suggestions when the fuel gauge light comes on: Reduce braking and avoid driving at low speeds: Braking itself does not consume much fuel, but slowing down and then speeding up again consumes a lot of fuel. Driving at very low speeds is similar to idling. When idling, the vehicle consumes a significant amount of fuel. Turn off the navigation, radio, music, air conditioning, etc. These appliances have high power consumption and can affect the vehicle's fuel efficiency.
I'm totally qualified to speak on this! Just went through it last week. When the fuel warning light comes on, it means the fuel level has dropped below the safety line. There's usually enough left for 30-50 km, but never gamble on that range. Once on the highway, my light came on and I pushed it over 40 km to find a gas station—my fuel pump was whining like crazy! An old-timer told me it was sucking up debris from the tank bottom, which really damages the engine! Residual amounts vary by model too. My Japanese compact had about 5 liters left when the light came on, while my friend’s SUV could go another 10+ km. The safest move? Pull up navigation immediately to find the nearest station and refuel within 20 km.
As a truck driver with 300,000 kilometers under my belt, the fuel light coming on is a serious warning. For ordinary cars, when the fuel light illuminates, there's typically 7-10% of fuel remaining. Calculating based on 8 liters per 100 kilometers consumption, it should theoretically run 40-80 kilometers, but this number is highly unreliable! Uphill roads can increase fuel consumption by 30%, and using air conditioning adds another 15%. I remember once during a delivery, I got stuck in heavy traffic watching the remaining range plummet from 50 kilometers straight down to 5 kilometers, eventually having to push the vehicle into the gas station. Now I've developed the habit of refueling when the tank is half empty. Letting the fuel light come on damages the fuel pump too much - replacing a fuel pump costs as much as ten tanks of fuel!
The owner's manual states there are 8 liters of fuel left when the warning light comes on, but my actual test showed it can run 60km. But don't follow my reckless test! In the car owner group, someone pushed it until the gas station after the light came on and burned out the fuel pump, costing over 2000 RMB in repairs. Actually, the fuel light mechanism is quite interesting: there's a float sensor in the tank that triggers when fuel drops below the warning line. The most dangerous scenario is running completely dry, causing the fuel pump to operate without lubrication - metal parts grinding generates heat. My habit is to turn off AC and stereo when the light comes on, maintaining steady 60km/h for best efficiency. Since highway service areas are far apart, it's best to plan alternate routes in advance.
