petrol warning light-how many miles?

honeybear

Entering driveway this evening and the warning light for petrol came on (audi a3 1.6l). How many miles should I expect to get out of tank (i.e. should I fill up before work?)

Alanstrainor

Jaysis, how are we supposed to know! If in doubt, but some petrol in! No need to fill if things are tight/.

kippy

honeybear wrote: »

Entering driveway this evening and the warning light for petrol came on (audi a3 1.6l). How many miles should I expect to get out of tank (i.e. should I fill up before work?)

Have you read the manual?
It usually advises how many litres/miles are left when the light somes on.

I know from a previous experience that one of the golfs I looked at a few years ago estimated 50 miles left......and this info was from the manual.

Edit:
"The Audi A3 96-03 definitley has 7 litres left when the fuel pump sign comes on. I know this as I bought an A3 on Monday and read the booklet! lol"
From here:
http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/archive/index.php/t-113836.html?

tossy

Generally there is roughly a gallon left in reserve, so if you are getting 26mpg you will have 26 miles left, to be safe take 5/6 off that and be left with 20.

Senna

I always take it that there is at least a gallon left, so if the car does 40mpg, then 40 miles left. But it's not good to run it too low, but it'll get you to the next petrol station.

Greenmachine

Believe you should have about 4 litres left. How far you gets depends on how you drive and the car of course.

Focus_sligo

Out of the 3 focuses I have /had I got 43 miles or so regularly on the light

Mint Sauce

honeybear wrote: »

Entering driveway this evening and the warning light for petrol came on (audi a3 1.6l). How many miles should I expect to get out of tank (i.e. should I fill up before work?)

How far to work?

endacl

Focus_sligo wrote: »

Out of the 3 focuses I have /had I got 43 miles or so regularly on the light

As did I. The regularity cost me a new fuel pump last month though...

:embarrassed:

christy02

Playing Russian roulette with the low fuel light is always good fun lol

Atlantic Dawn

30 or 40 miles of normal driving conditions would be the norm. Petrol is about €1.50 a litre, running out of fuel and knowing you require a tow truck is priceless.

coylemj

There is no 'typical' number, it depends.

I once owned a Volvo 340 and pulled over at a newsagent in Moate to buy a paper when driving to Athlone. Just as I came to a halt outside the shop, the petrol warning light came on. I put it down to the surge in the petrol as the car came to a halt and reminded myself to buy petrol as soon as I got to Athlone. I ran dry one mile out the road!

Bpmull

My dad once drove from cork to clonmel on the light so around 110km and the gauge was still of 0. But still I wouldn't see the point of driving around on the light it's not like it save you money or anything. It's as easy to fill the car when it reaches 1/4 tank as to leave the light come on.

CiniO

I think in most cases cars are designed to do 100km (62miles) after low-fuel light comes on.

SamAK

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

running out of fuel and knowing you require a tow truck is priceless.

Or you're a clever bastard like me and you keep a fuel can in the boot so all you need is a thumb to hitch to the nearest petrol station and back again.

Or, you're in a diesel and need to bleed the system...:D

Sam Kade

honeybear wrote: »

Entering driveway this evening and the warning light for petrol came on (audi a3 1.6l). How many miles should I expect to get out of tank (i.e. should I fill up before work?)

Reset the mileage to zero fill a gallon of petrol put it in the boot hop in start driving when the car stops check mileage, that's your answer. The gallon of petrol will get you back home again

seamus

I'd usually assume at least 30km left, but no more than 50km.

yawhat!

Drove 30 miles in the trust oul Punto once. Probably get about 45 I'd say

honeybear

Thanks all. Usually, I never leave refill till warning light-20 miles to work tomorrow. Should be ok. Won't happen again.

yawhat!

If it just came on ull be graaand!

GvidoR

My car doesn't even have a fuel warning light.

Sobanek

45 miles on reserve and filled up with 60 litres of petrol, so still had three left in theory.

2004 E46 320ci.

kryogen

Mine estimates it for me, warning light comes on at 140km left, it gives me a constant update on the dash thereafter.

Depending on how you are driving etc the estimate goes up and down

ShaunieVW

I had a 2000 volvo s40 diesel that I drove for days with the light on. Was a great yoke! My 1.8T A3 shows about 40 miles till empty according to the FIS when the light comes on but I never chance it. Too much crap at the bottom of the tank!

ciarashauna

My Audi A3 1.6 had a faulty fuel gauge which overestimated, so once the warning light came on I was way down in the reserve already. (Apparently lot of the older models had the same fault?). Had only had the car a few days so didn't know it was broken, ended up cutting out just as I left my estate, wasn't embarrassing at all

visual

Its a good game but I didn't win

said I had 26km left then cut out.

GvidoR

visual wrote: »

Its a good game but I didn't win

said I had 26km left then cut out.

I don't trust those XX amount of KM left displays.

Riskymove

CiniO wrote: »

I think in most cases cars are designed to do 100km (62miles) after low-fuel light comes on.

the light in my car comes on when it suggest around 80km remaining

tossy

Riskymove wrote: »

the light in my car comes on when it suggest around 80km remaining

There is no one size fits all, you have a gallon give or take and will get what ever you get to the gallon and then run out

Caliden

I've heard a few people say that letting it get that low too often isn't good for the car as any particulate/grime will collect nearer the bottom of the tank.

Any truth in this or is it a myth?

Riskymove

tossy wrote: »

There is no one size fits all, you have a gallon give or take and will get what ever you get to the gallon and then run out

well yes, hence why i said what happens with my car

tossy

Riskymove wrote: »

well yes, hence why i said what happens with my car

Very good

Alanstrainor

Caliden wrote: »

I've heard a few people say that letting it get that low too often isn't good for the car as any particulate/grime will collect nearer the bottom of the tank.

Any truth in this or is it a myth?

All cars have fuel filters to take care of that, unless the filter is goosed I would think it's a myth.

ofcork

Clarkson drove an A8 once with the fuel light on for a while,scotland to London iirc.

Bpmull

My old mk2 focus 1.6tdci would cut out if you let it run under 1/4 tank or 200km. It was a pain but you would just get use to it it's a very common fault on them. No lift pump on the tank so it was all vacuum. Made changing the fuel filter a pain. So I never seen the fuel light come on on that yoke. It would just cut out no juddering or advanced warning. Happened me at 70mph on a motorway when i didn't know about the issue. Then it wouldn't restart as it got air locked . Ford also decided not to put a manual primer bulb on them. So you couldn't pump the fuel up to the filter yourself. My current golf will run normally but I still always fill up when it gets to 1/4.