Everyone knows that their cars need fuel to function. Yet, many drivers let their fuel tanks run low on fuel or, even worse, until they're empty—why? If the low fuel light starts flashing, how far can you drive?
The distance you can drive with a low or empty fuel tank differs between car brands and models. There is no standard distance before the low-fuel light turns on. Some cars have a range as low as 20 kilometres left when the warning light illuminates, while others can have up to 80km.
Either way, it’s a reminder that a visit to the servo is in order.
Before you catch yourself on the road with anempty fuel tank, it’s a good idea to educate yourself using this guide. You'll learn how far your car can go on a low or empty fuel tank and what happens to your engine and other components if you regularly drive with too little fuel.
How Far Can I Drive with My Fuel Light On?
There’s alot of information out there about how far you can drive with your low fuel light on, but you can’t get a fixed answer to that. Car fuel tank capacities differ between makes/models. Moreover, the fuel level that triggers the light to turn on also differs between manufacturers.
For example, the low fuel level light might turn on in some cars when there’s only enough to drive another 20 kilometres. Meanwhile, the light on another car could mean it has a range of 80 kilometres or more remaining.
Quite rarely, some cars might have a display that shows you precisely how far you can drive with the remaining fuel in your tank.
As you can see, all these things differ between manufacturers and models.
One thing’s for sure, though. When you see the fuel light turn on, you must stop at the nearest petrol station and fill your tank up. Ideally, you’ll want to keep your tank full, but anything above half the tank’s capacity is good enough.
What Happens If You Drive Without Enough Fuel?
As long as it doesn’t happen too often, nothing is damaging about driving without enough fuel. However, habitually driving with the low fuel light on can negatively affect the vehicle’s components and your driving experience.
1. Disrupted Driving
Firstly, driving without enough fuel means you’ll have to make several stops at the petrol station. With the low fuel light turning on quite often, your daily commute and regular driving will be disrupted by the need to find the nearest servo.
2. Internal Fuel Tank Corrosion
Besides that, keeping your fuel tank less than full for extended periods will speed up the corrosion inside. That’s because the absence of fuel leaves space for air and moisture inside the tank, causing the fuel tank’s inner walls to rust more quickly.
3. Overheating Fuel Pump
Habitually driving with low fuel will negatively affect your fuel pump as well. The fuel pump is designed to sit inside the tank, submerged by the fuel around it.
However, low fuel levels will leave the pump exposed and prone to overheating. That will place added stress on the pump and cause it to fail prematurely.
4. Engine and Other Systems Shut Off
Suppose you continue driving despite being low on fuel. At some point, your car will consume the final drops of fuel available in the tank before the fuel system runs dry. Then, your engine will no longer receive the fuel critical to its operation.
Even if you’re driving at the time, the engine will simply die out. But that’s not the worst part.
Remember that your engine keeps belt-powered components running, like the power steering and braking pumps, among others.
So, moments after your engine dies out, so will the components that receive power from it. That means you'll experience problems like losing power steering, making it much more challenging to pull over safely.
If all that happens while driving at high speeds, you might find yourself panicking and struggling to bring your vehicle to a stop in a safe place. Unfortunately, while you try to do that, you also face an increased risk of getting into an accident.
Does Driving on Low Fuel Affect the Engine?
Yes, driving for extended periods with an almost-empty fuel tank can have adverse effects to the engine.
In normal situations, impurities inside the fuel tank settle at the bottom as sediment. However, if you keep driving on low fuel, the fuel pump can easily suck the sediments.
Yes, the fuel system has a filter, but even that will quickly become saturated with sediment. The filter can get clogged or allow sediment to pass through—either way spells a problem.
Sediment will affect the engine’s internal moving components. It won't take long before that triggers engine misfiring and other disruptions to the combustion process.
Anything that doesn’t get burned inside the engine’s chambers can also find its way out of the engine into your exhaust system, causing clogs and other issues.
Is It Better to Fill Fuel Tank to Full Capacity?
At this point, it should be abundantly clear that driving with low fuel levels for extended periods harms your car, the engine, and even the exhaust system. Keeping your tank half-full is good, but regularly filling the fuel tank to full is even better.
Here’s why it’s best to fill your fuel tank to full capacity regularly:
- Fewer petrol station visits: Firstly, you’ll reduce how often you visit the petrol station every month. That’s because you’ll make the most of each visit by topping your fuel tank back to full.
- Prevent air and moisture: The presence of fuel will displace any air and water inside your fuel tank, preventing rusting on the tank's interior walls.
- Better pricing: Fuel prices change often. Buying more fuel in one go could lead to significant financial savings in the long run.
- Keeps car ready: Lastly, habitually keeping your tank full will also keep your car ready for use, even at short notice. Whether you need your vehicle for an emergency, a long-distance trip, or a daily commute, you’ll always have enough fuel to stay moving.
You can learn more about your car and its problems by checking the CarpartAU blog. That website is frequently updated with informative articles to make you better informed as a car owner and driver!
By Ray Hasbollah
