In an episode of "Seinfeld," Kramer and a car salesman vowed to drive a Saab 900 "into the slash" just to see what would happen. Kramer said he had done it once but blacked out and woke up in a ditch with a full tank of gas. There's now a website that would have benefited from Kramer's experiment. Tank On Empty is collecting stories and experiences of how far each model of car can go past the slash before running out of fuel.
So let's say you drive a Dodge Intrepid. According to Tank On Empty, the most mileage after the low-fuel light has come on is claimed to be 99. The least is zero and the average is 36.4. Unfortunately, there are no distinctions made for any difference in engines, model years, options or geographical location. And, it turns out, 99 is the most miles users are allowed to enter and drivers are not required to push their cars until they're dry.
The site has a good idea trying to compile this kind of data. But it's fatally flawed methodology offers results that are, unfortunately, completely worthless.
Instead of a light, what we need is to go back to the system Volkswagen once used. Until 1962, VW Beetles didn't have a fuel gauge. Instead, when your car's tank ran empty and sputtered to a stop, you flipped a lever that activated a small fuel reserve that would hopefully give you time to find a place to refuel. Classic VW owners quickly learned how to calculate their remaining travel time.
[Source: tankonempty.com via gumball144.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Ligor @ May 7th 2008 8:34PM
hey, my G35 has a 20gal tank, and when I fill it up it only takes 14-15mpg
I average ~21 on the thing, so I theoretically can reach ~105miles before I need gas
I'v only taken it 45miles past the empty light
AMcA @ May 7th 2008 10:00PM
My Dad always had a ritual with a new car. He'd go and fill up a gas can, put it in the trunk, then drive the car until it ran out of gas. Just to see how far it would actually go.
But he was always ready with the can of gas in the trunk. And was always, thereafter, armed with secure knowledge of how far down he could go on the gas gauge.
Shiftright @ May 8th 2008 12:08AM
One of the cars I own is a Honda Element, which has the most pessimistic fuel gauge of any car I've ever owned. After the low fuel light comes on, it has about 80 miles left! Ironically, because of this, I've stupidly pushed it, and have run out of fuel twice in the the three years I've had it. D'oh!
PauloBecker @ May 8th 2008 7:37AM
@AMcA
Incidentally, he was also armed with a potentially dangerous bomb in his trunk =P
Cole Mitguard @ May 7th 2008 8:35PM
That has always been a question of mine, Ive heard everything from it depends on your reserve tank, to some cars just go on way too early to warn you and make sure that you don't try to run the engine with no gas as its bad for the engine. That being said... I have from time to time tempted my fate after the light comes one, especially with gas prices the way that they are today, I just want to stay off the hit to the wallet of filling up a 17 gallon tank in a place like SF (Highest gas prices in the US)
VP @ May 7th 2008 8:36PM
My maxima is so damn old that it falls past the empty mark with atleast a quarter left and the light never comes on. So i just fill up whenever i go past 300 miles. :)
havoc @ May 7th 2008 10:06PM
how old is your maxima? my 87 Z31 had the "last quarter" meter, which was actually 3/4 of a tank. so after about 100 miles my main gauge showed last 1/4, but that last quarter would last at least 250 more miles (5spd, exhaust, 19 gallon tank, mostly highway). i'm sure some signal wiring was just backwards... but it freaked me out the 1st time i filled it up and drove anywhere!
VP @ May 7th 2008 11:05PM
Mine is a 1991. I mostly do just highway & by the time i get 150 miles i am past the 1/4 mark. Kind of got used to it though.
havoc @ May 8th 2008 12:29AM
yeah those VGs came with large tanks, my 19 gallon would get me to 400, but if i had to take an off ramp i might stall on the bend
Big J @ May 8th 2008 10:04AM
I own a 2005 Maxima which I have driven about 50 miles after the gas light came on. It has a 20 gallon tank and the most I have ever been able to squeeze into it is about 17 gallons with topping off.
Torrent @ May 7th 2008 8:39PM
My mom says when it hits E, she has at least a guaranteed 20 more miles until it's really empty. But I've seen her go past 40 miles.
Ford Wannup @ May 7th 2008 8:43PM
so I have an Escape Hybrid as a company car...if I literally run out of gas, will the car still move under electric power for me to crawl to a gas station? anyone?
Seminole @ May 7th 2008 8:55PM
Depends, I dunno if the Escape Hybrid is capable of running in electric only mode like the Prius. Even if it is, I think the Prius only can run about 1-2 miles before the batteries go dead, so I doubt the heavier Escape could do much better.
That One Person @ May 8th 2008 5:42AM
Escape can run on battery only. Not sure for how long though...
Look it up!
Anyways, I usually fill up at the 260 mile mark. My fuel guage is so out of whack, I am never 100% sure how much I have left. But I usually never go over 280 miles.
Yes, that doesn't seem like a ton of miles. But my car averages 16 mpg.
Joe K. @ May 8th 2008 9:18AM
The system that Ford uses is the same synergistic approach as the Prius, The system does not recognize a "Hey we're out of fuel, let's run on electric only" kind of situation. It may by chance be getting ready to coast already and by some great bit of luck you will run out of fuel at the same time the engine sleeps, so you could then get some distant after, but the car is not advised to run without gas in the tank do to confusion it will cause when it keeps trying to restart the engine. Plus have fun getting it started again once you do fill up, it is a finicky little system...
Ford Wannup @ May 8th 2008 5:47PM
The Escape Hybrid usually kick into electric-only mode for a "few" miles at a time during Atlanta traffic jam (i.e. stop and go cruising under 40 mph). Thus, my wondering whether it will still be capable of crawling if it runs out of gas. Even if it's a couple of miles, it'd be interesting/helpful.
mk @ May 7th 2008 9:00PM
Yeah, I don't think I want my car sputtering to a stop. It is bad enough that my motorcycle does that.
fill up from the Empty mark, subtract the gallons that you filled from the rated capacity of the tank, and multiply by your mileage...
easy general estimate of how far past empty you can go.
G_Money @ May 7th 2008 9:04PM
08 TSX here,
The Need gas warning comes up on the MID at 30 miles left. I have taken this up to 32 miles PAST THE ZERO.
IK47 @ May 7th 2008 9:08PM
07 e90 335i
60 liter tank
gets about 12.9l per 100km on sunoco ultra94
but that's because I drive it like I stole it
It's never been to E before since I fill up when it gets to quarter tank remaining
IK47 @ May 7th 2008 9:11PM
btw, I keep the transmission in DS mode 60% of the time
the throttle is a lot sharper in this mode, and the upshifts are delayed.
also, the car engine-brakes a lot more aggressively