Nobody likes when the fuel warning light comes on because you need to go to the petrol station and refuel your vehicle. However, some people like to look at this warning as a challenge rather than a reminder, and they want to see how far they can still drive.
However, if you decide for such a move, you should know that petrol can run out at any moment and you can cause road disruption and traffic jams just because you wanted to experiment. The light does come on from time to time, but how far can you go from that point?
First of all, this depends on the type of the car, as well as the size of the fuel tank, your speed, the road you are driving on and some other factors. A majority of people thinks that you can go for another 40 to 50 miles after the light turns on, but is that an accurate estimate?
An insurance company LV surveyed the ten most popular vehicles two years ago. They concluded that a Vauxhall Astra would go 26 miles before it ran out of gas completely, whereas the Corsa would reach 29 miles after the light is on. Meanwhile, the American models such as Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus would get another 37 and 40 miles respectively.
Some of the other cars which were tested were the Volkswagen Golf that would go extra 42 miles whereas the VW Polo would stop after 39 miles. MINI Cooper could reach outstanding 45 miles, whereas Nissan Qashqai and Audi A3s would barrel along for another 43 and 42 miles respectively. The model that could cover the longest distance was the Mercedes-Benz C-Class with the result of 46 extra miles.
However, we don’t recommend you driving until there’s fuel because you can be fined for clogging the traffic, and that is not all as serious damage to your engine and vehicle can be caused. When you run out of the petrol, the catalyst converter can be destroyed, whereas your fuel pump can run dry and you would have to visit a mechanic.
