WHAT DOES A ‘LOW FUEL’ WARNING LIGHT REALLY MEAN?

How Far Can You Go On Empty?

Are you the type of person that likes to gamble with the amount of fuel in your tank? Do you often wonder how far you can go on an empty tank? Sometimes we get busy and errands like stopping for gas fall through the cracks and we’re suddenly left crossing our fingers that we can make it to the gas station without having to push the car up to the pump. A few of our product experts did a little homework to find out some estimated distances you’ll be able to travel when the needle is on E. Let’s take a look at some interesting information.

READ MORE: How Can You Get Better Fuel Economy?

Average Distance Vehicles Can Travel On Empty

According to industry experts, most vehicles will be able to travel between 50 and 80 km (30-50 miles) when the gas gauge is on empty. Our team used tankonempty.com to determine the ‘on-empty’ range of some popular models found at Southside Dodge. Each of the vehicles highlighted below is from a broad range of model years. This means that there are a lot of variables at play and the numbers should be viewed through that lens. There are many factors that could help or hinder a particular vehicle’s ability to travel when it’s low on fuel.

Jeep Wrangler
Avg. Distance: 67.08 km / 41.68 mi

Jeep Cherokee
Avg. Distance: 51.82 km / 32.20 mi

Jeep Grand Cherokee
Avg. Distance: 48.99 km / 30.44 mi

Ram 1500
Avg. Distance: 66.21 km / 41.14 mi

What Does Empty Really Mean?

A common misconception about an automotive fuel tank is that they are more or a less a regular square-shaped box. The truth is that fuel tanks are designed to fit among various other components, making them look a little strange. When a gas gauge says empty, the tank isn’t actually empty, there can be several gallons of fuel left in the bottom of the tank. The gas at the bottom of the tank is meant to be an emergency reserve to get drivers to the gas station.

Additionally, our service department wants to warn you about regularly draining your tank all the way to empty. When the fuel level gets this low, the floating pump can start to suck up sediment and other contaminants that collect at the bottom. Eventually, this will cause the fuel pump to fail, which can be a very expensive repair job.

Make an appointment with the Southside Dodge Service Department, today, if you need some help getting your car, truck, or SUV back into peak condition.