It is without a doubt extremely exhausting to push your vehicle all the way to the refuelling station when it runs out of fuel. Luckily, automobiles have a fuel warning light that saves you from such troubles. When the fuel level falls to the critical level, the fuel warning light comes on as a reminder that you need to get your vehicle refueled before it plods to a halt.
Now imagine that you are in the midst of a journey and the fuel warning light comes on. The first question that comes to mind is: How far can you drive with fuel light on? As fuel efficiency varies from one brand of car to another, the answer depends on the vehicle you are driving.
How much fuel is left when the fuel warning light come on?
Different cars have different fuel tank capacities. However, automotive experts state that fuel warning light comes on when the vehicle’s fuel limit falls to 10-15 percent of the tank’s capacity. For instance, if you are driving a vehicle with a fuel tank capacity of 60 litres, the fuel warning light will come on when only 6-9 litres of fuel is remaining in the tank. Similarly, if you are driving a vehicle which has a fuel tank capacity of 40 litres, the fuel warning light will come on when there is only 4-6 litres of fuel in the tank.
How far can you drive with the fuel light on?
If you take a look at your car’s fuel gauge, you’ll notice the letters E and F opposite each other. While on one hand, ‘F’ indicates that the tank is ‘full’, and the needle points towards ‘E’ when the fuel tank is ‘empty’. As mentioned above, the fuel warning light comes on when fuel is only 10-15% of the vehicle’s fuel tank capacity.
In other words, this is the point when the needle on the fuel gauge points towards ‘E’. Although you can drive upto 48 till 80 kilometers even after the fuel light comes on, it is not recommended to drive with fuel light on and push your car until it completely runs out of fuel. Doing so would cause the fuel pump to overheat, which as a result can damage the pump as well as the charcoal canister and coolant pump.
What to do if the fuel warning light comes on even after you get your vehicle refuelled?
It is worth bearing in mind that fuel warning light does not always indicate low levels of fuel. Oftentimes, drivers face the problem of having their vehicle’s fuel light switched on despite getting their vehicle refuelled. In such a case, it might be a faulty fuel sending unit causing the fuel gauge to show an incorrect reading. Or, it might be due to a faulty fuel gauge that the accurate fuel reading is not showing on the instrument cluster.
A faulty Evaporative Emission Control System (EVAP) can also cause the car’s fuel light to blink. In order to save yourself from the strain of getting stranded without fuel, you need to make sure that there is at least a quarter tank of fuel and that you pay heed to the warning lights on the dashboard.
How can you maximize fuel efficiency of your vehicle?
With the UAE producing vast amounts of oil and its fuel production being second to none in the whole world, it is not surprising that there are plenty of amazing fuel delivery services in UAE with ADNOC’s MyStation and CAFU to name a few.
There are various fuel efficient cars available in the UAE but well-maintained modern cars can travel more distance when the fuel gauge needle points towards E as compared to obsolete vehicles because cars become less fuel-efficient over time.
Here are some ways which can help you to save your vehicle fuel and maximise the efficiency of your car’s fuel consumption:
- Turn off your engine when not in use: The engine will consume fuel as long as it is turned on. Turning off the engine before getting out of the car is a simple way to save fuel. Engine idling can adversely affect your vehicle’s fuel tank.
- Remove unnecessary bulky items from your vehicle: The more weight your vehicle carries, the more fuel it consumes. Therefore, removing excess weight is a good way to save fuel in your car.
- Make sure tyres are not under-inflated: Driving a vehicle with under-inflated tyres can negatively impact a vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Hence, it is recommended for drivers to keep the tyres of their vehicle inflated to the level recommended by the manufacturer of their vehicle.
For more information related to cars, stay tuned to UAE’s top blog to keep abreast of everything that’s happening in UAE’s automobile industry.
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