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Monkey with a mouse
 
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Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: SoCal
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"How far can you go after the gas light in your car comes on?"

Ever pushed your car way beyond the empty "slash", after the low gas light illuminates?

Here's a site that attempts to find the limits of many cars via submissions from folks who have ventured into the unknown:

http://tankonempty.com/

How far have you gone beyond "E"?

*I found the above site on Autoblog.

Best,

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Old 05-07-2008, 10:10 PM
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All the time. My Toyota goes well past empty. At least 40 miles. It's like a game.
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Old 05-07-2008, 10:14 PM
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Great idea for a site. Working in the motor trade for 20 years, I dunno how many times I have driven cars way past where they should have dumped me by the side of the road with nothing. Our big rule in fuel light roulette was no spare tanks allowed, the stress was a killer. The upside is I now win most economy drives at car launches LOL.

If you've seen the Top Gear where Clarkson drives to Scotland and back in an A6 diesel on a single tank, you know that is exactly how it is. By the end, he has 70 miles to go, fuel light is well and truly on, he has every single electronic device switched off, all the windows and vents closed. He is sweating to death in his glass box, not braking or signalling if at all possible and every single little oddball noise is an ohmigod experience.

Closest one ever was running out in my old big block Caddy *just* as I crested the hill that led a mile down into the gas station, had to take the twisty entry slip road at full speed just to keep momentum up (pumps were a few hundred yards along the slip road) and then had no power steering or power brakes when I got to the pumps. It got the adrenaline flowing!
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Old 05-08-2008, 12:41 AM
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Old 05-08-2008, 02:14 AM
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light came on in the 911 with 2 gallons remaining.
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Old 05-08-2008, 02:37 AM
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Reminds me of an episode of Seinfeld
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Old 05-08-2008, 03:37 AM
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I accidently drove my 911 once until the engine started sputtering. Luckily I was right near a gas station and pulled in and it took just over 22 gallons to fill it up. Based on that and when the fuel light comes on, I have figured out that once my fuel light comes on (and stays on - it flickers for awhile), I've got between 3 and 4 gallons left.
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Old 05-08-2008, 03:37 AM
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My record is 53 miles past the light in my VW. At it's typical consumption rate and published tank size I had less than 5 miles left before dry. Normally that wouldn't be any big deal, but I was at the end of a drive from Hillsborough, NC(Raleigh Durham area) to BFE, PA(45min - hour north of Hershey). It was something like a 480 mile drive. I didn't stop once during the whole trip. Ohh and if I ran out of gas after Hershey I was screwed, there are almost NO gas stations anywhere on that strech of road, hell there are no services at all at my exit and none on the way down or up the mountain to her town.
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Old 05-08-2008, 03:41 AM
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When I had the 911, I ran it dry once accidentally. It was about 38 miles after the light came on which is at 2 gallons left which is about right. I got 17-19 mpg around town.

I think the miata is the same at about 2 gallons or maybe 2.5 left which means about 40-50 miles
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Old 05-08-2008, 03:44 AM
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The odometer in the 924S is broken so I don't know how far I drove for sure, but the stated tank size is 17.43 gallons and once or twice I have put in just a hair over 17 gallons of gas before the pump shut off. The light usually comes on after using roughly 14 gallons, so I figured I went at least 60 miles past the light. However, I try not to do that very often because I really do not trust the gas gauge on that car.
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Old 05-08-2008, 03:48 AM
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I don't know, let me ask my wife. I swear, every time I get into her car it's on E.
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Old 05-08-2008, 04:08 AM
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I've always pushed all of my vehicles WAY past "E" at one time or another, but the 911 taught me a lesson (once), and now I look for a gas station once the warning light comes on. I don't know exactly "how much further" you've got when it does illuminate, but not as much as I was used to based upon my previous cars
Old 05-08-2008, 04:11 AM
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Depends... in town driving I can go ~120-150 miles

On the highway, I can drive for days and days. I've gone 1500 miles on E before. I leave for Montreal next thursday... I'll put $5 of diesel in just so I don't have to look at the "empty" light the whole way there and back.
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Old 05-08-2008, 04:13 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KC911 View Post
I've always pushed all of my vehicles WAY past "E" at one time or another, but the 911 taught me a lesson (once), and now I look for a gas station once the warning light comes on. I don't know exactly "how much further" you've got when it does illuminate, but not as much as I was used to based upon my previous cars
what's this I hear about not getting out of the neighborhood?
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"Dave, hit the brakes, but don't look like your htting the brakes...what? I DON'T KNOW, BRAKE CASUAL!!!" dtw's thoughts after nearly rear ending a SHP officer
Old 05-08-2008, 04:34 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Walsh View Post
what's this I hear about not getting out of the neighborhood?
And I was "on the way" to the gas station at the time...close, but no cigar
Old 05-08-2008, 04:40 AM
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Freiherr
 
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I've coasted into the station a couple of times... I always drive at least 35-50 miles after it comes on before refueling.
Old 05-08-2008, 05:03 AM
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i am too OCD to find out. i obsess when the light comes on...unless i am in west oakland...then i just keep driving.
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Old 05-08-2008, 06:16 AM
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Ran the 530i out of gas the other day. Timed it perfectly and coasted down a hill, had to turn left cross traffic into a gas station. Shot the gap while coasting, rolled up to the pump, lurched as I slammed on the now-unassisted brakes, and stumbled out of my car laughing my ass off. It was great fun. The two ladies filling up their cars were looking at me like I was a tentacled space alien. The BMW was NOT happy about the situation once it was gassed up, and was running around in some sort of hobbled limp mode with the CEL blazing. Lots of bucking. Finally reset itself after a few minutes.

Got about 2 gallons when the light comes on. The dash info system will show your range. When you are 'out' of gas, you don't get a number for range, you just get "---" flashing incessantly. I drove to work that morning with "---" flashing .
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Old 05-08-2008, 07:02 AM
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Ran out of gas once last year in my targa (3.2 motronic). Gets pretty good mileage , so I am pretty lazy about filling up at times. Anyway, on this day i drove to work (20 miles) and when I got ready to leave a few hours later, the car would not start...

After a lot of fooling around, I walked to close by gas station & purchased one of their gallon plastic containers, filled it, and returned to the car. I still would not start. I almost gave up and decided I had a larger problem, but finally decided to go back for one more gallon of gas.

Well, when I added this addditional fuel, it started right up! Moral of the story. If you run out of gas in an early car, it may take more than one gallon to get you going again!!!

PS>> It was a pretty hot day, evaporation could have possibly been a factor.
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Old 05-08-2008, 07:50 AM
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Be careful. Some fuel pumps use the gasoline to help cool them. Running the car to empty can burn out the pump.

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Old 05-08-2008, 08:03 AM
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