How Far Can You Drive Your Car on Empty?
My Dad used to give me a roasting! "Don't you ever let your car go below quarter tank!" He explained that the debris that collects at the bottom of the fuel tank, gets sucked into the fuel line when you drive a car on nearly empty.
Now years later, I realise he was correct. It was a bigger issue in the old days when
However even in newer cars, frequent driving on empty can do damage to your catalytic converter, which may then need to be repaired or replaced. Even the simple act of driving with a low amount of fuel in your tank can damage your fuel pump, as any debris or contamination in the fuel (which naturally settles at the bottom of the tank), will be sent through your fuel pump when the tank is nearly empty.
Cool, But How Far Can You Go?
However of even greater importance, especially in South Africa, is that you don't want to get stranded on a lonely, dark road with an empty fuel tank! Yeah - I'm guilty as charged on this count too 🙁
I've had friends bail me out on a couple of occasions when my car ran empty. Luckily it wasn't too far from civilisation and went without incident.
So we have a handy resource for you to keep in mind when driving. The chart below will give you an indication of just how far you can drive after your low fuel indicator lights up. The actual tests were done by American online car mechanic site: YourMechanic. Naturally, they surveyed cars from the American market. The likes of the Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra, which we're not so lucky to have in Mzansi. From their original
Make | Model | Fuel remaining | Kilometers remaining |
---|---|---|---|
Toyota | Camry | 9.8 lts | 104 - 140 kms |
Toyota | Corolla | 7.6 lts | 96 - 135 kms |
Honda | Accord | 9.8 lts | 112 - 149 kms |
Honda | CRV | 8.7 lts | 99 - 125 kms |
Honda | Civic | 7.2 lts | 94 - 128 kms |
Toyota | Rav4 | 9 lts | 91 - 119 kms |
Chev | Cruze | 7.5 lts | 90 - 135 kms |
Ford | Focus | 1/16th of tank | 56 - 128 kms |
Nissan | Sentra | 7.6 lts | 96 - 128 kms |
Subaru | Forester | 9.8 lts | 99 - 133 kms |
VW | Jetta | 7 lts | 91 - 136 kms |
Toyota | Prius | 6 lts | 122 - 130 kms |
Mazda | 3 | 8.7 lts | 111 - 151 kms |