How long to drive once the gas light comes on?

Just wondering how long I have to get to a gas station once my gas light comes on! I have an automatic 2000 jetta tdi. I have yet to let the gas light come on, little scared to let my gas get that low. So any suggestions or experiences are appreciated.

50 miles and you should be safe. People, including myself, have stretched it furthur, up to 80 miles.... 50 should be safe, and that's only if you're venting.

You shouldn't drive at all if you have any gas in your tank!

If you meant diesel, see this;
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=253492

yatzee said:

50 should be safe, and that's only if you're venting.

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Mike, you need to come over for another coffee... it makes no difference whether or not you vent the tank in this instance, as we're talking about the bottom of the barrel, so to speak...

50 miles is considered safe on an average MkIV, but who knows how your particular car's fuel sender is calibrated ??? If you really, really want to find out, drive until the light comes on, and then as soon as possible, fill it to the very top - pushing in the little vent you see at the 9-o'clock position (unless you've removed it) to let the trapped air out so that you can get every last delicious drop of fuel into the tank... let the foam settle, fill some more... until you can see fuel at the very top of the filler tube... Subtract whatever you just added from the agreed-upon maximum capacity of a MkIV tank ~64 liters or ~17 U.S. Gallons, and you'll know how much was left in the tank on your particular car... that will give you an idea of how far you could have driven - making allowances for winterized fuel, low air pressure in the tires, dragging brakes, etc.

All the best,

Yuri

ymz said:

Mike, you need to come over for another coffee... it makes no difference whether or not you vent the tank in this instance, as we're talking about the bottom of the barrel, so to speak...

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My error Yuri - I was thinking in terms of maximum range. And I'd love to come over again - that cream cheese spread was very very good!

For those who have MKV's, I've got 132km (82mi) past the fuel light coming on and was still okay. At the time, tires were at 35 PSI and spring (non-winter fuel).

Today I filled up and I was 145km past the light. I only put 59.6L in, and I've put in 61.5L before. I've gone around 160km past. And the tank size is supposed to be 64L, right? So I can still go around 30-50km more.

I never let the light come on, I fill between 650-700 miles. Never comes on. This I have found to be a sure way of never running out. I do wait until my glass is empty though before filling again.

My "fuel" guage use to be a little farther up on the upper edge of red when the light/buzzer came on. However, the last couple of years, the light/buzzer don't do their thing until the guage is on the bottom fourth of red ...... so, I don't trust it anymore.

But, like a few others have said, I usually fill-up at about 700 miles, give or take ........ depending on the location of the nearest fuel!

Yeah ..... and no GAS in these TDIs....LOL

Gremlar said:

Just wondering how long I have to get to a gas station once my gas light comes on! I have an automatic 2000 jetta tdi. I have yet to let the gas light come on, little scared to let my gas get that low. So any suggestions or experiences are appreciated.

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If I remember right you have about 1.7 or so gallons left in the tank when the light comes on. 50 miles is the most I would go. When my light comes on I start looking for fuel.

Got 100 miles after light came on and ran out of fuel 1/2 mile from station, nice walk through the woods from the highway and I was 1 fuel can and 2 gallons of diesel richer... then it happened again, but this time I coasted into the station...never again... i hope

100 miles with the light on? wow... so that's what, a lil over 2 gallons?

well I knew I was low so i was driving 55mph at that speed im getting over 50mpg

simbolo said:

Got 100 miles after light came on and ran out of fuel 1/2 mile from station, nice walk through the woods from the highway and I was 1 fuel can and 2 gallons of diesel richer... then it happened again, but this time I coasted into the station...never again... i hope

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Hope your pump is OK. No pump like to run dry.

yatzee said:

50 miles and you should be safe. People, including myself, have stretched it furthur, up to 80 miles.... 50 should be safe, and that's only if you're venting.

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How does venting could affect the amount of fuel left in the tank, when the gas light come on? For sure, you'll be able to strech more out of your tank but then, the gas light will just come on a little later than it would've have if you didn't vent. Your ECU doesn't know if you are venting, all he care about is the volume of fuel measured by the sensor in the tank and I fail to see how the volume triggering the gas light would change, if you are venting.

Lefty said:

Hope your pump is OK. No pump like to run dry.

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My guru told me never to run the car until the fuel light comes on, since the fuel in the tank is what cools the pump, and it could overheat.

I suppose this only applies to PD and newer TDI's.

The 2 times that it happened was within about a month of each other, that was about 2 years ago, hasn't happened since, pump seems fine for now, I will keep my fingers crossed... I had to crank the thing for about 30 seconds to prime the fuel filter I suppose out on the road, I felt really bad for my TDI ..never again...

I once measured how much fuel was in the tank shortly after the fuel light came on. In my case there was 1.9 gal of fuel in the tank.

This normally smart guy I know once had a fit of idiocy. His car made it 73 miles before the tank ran dry. I have it on good authority that he won't do that again.

P.S. - the normally smart guy would like to thank someone very similar to JasonTDI for answering his phone after 8 pm and giving instructions to get the thing started again.

my 2 cents

If I assume 64L in my '02 Jetta TDI, my fuel light comes on when I have 9.6L left in the tank (as per Scanguage). I have adjusted my tank size to 62L, so I get closer to 7L left in tank when light comes on.

That being said, after 60km of driving, I feel like I am running on fumes (the needle is at empty and not dropping anymore). But --- I get 5.2L/100km at the worst...so I should be able to get 130km once my light comes on - can't see that happening...

My question - once your needle hits empty (as it is fully on the solid "empty"line), does the needle drop anymore? Anyone drive for another 50km while on "empty"?

cleaver said:

If I assume 64L in my '02 Jetta TDI, my fuel light comes on when I have 9.6L left in the tank (as per Scanguage). I have adjusted my tank size to 62L, so I get closer to 7L left in tank when light comes on.

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You can't assume that you have 9.6 or 7 liters left when the light comes on... every car is different, and you don't know how much crud is sitting at the bottom of your tank... you have to actually figure it out by filling the tank to the very, very, very, very top (venting, waiting for foam to settle, filling some more) and subtracting whatever you just put in from the 64 liter maximum... I make note of what the trip odometer reads when the light comes on and making an adjustment for the number of KM between then and when I fill...

As for your question... again, every car's slightly different... different resistance in the wiring that may lead one car's fuel readout to reach the bottom of its scale before another car's...

Yuri

As my 01 ages, the fuel gauge has gotten a little erratic near empty. I think the fuel light is driven by the same sensor that drives the gauge, so if one is flaky, the other is too. My car took 12.6 gal non vented right when light came on. Now it takes 13.6. And I thought I was getting super mpg by being a super driver...NOT. Flaky gauge. Bummer.

So I have to be super careful now at bottom of tank.

Ski in NC said:

As my 01 ages, the fuel gauge has gotten a little erratic near empty. I think the fuel light is driven by the same sensor that drives the gauge, so if one is flaky, the other is too. My car took 12.6 gal non vented right when light came on. Now it takes 13.6. And I thought I was getting super mpg by being a super driver...NOT. Flaky gauge. Bummer.

So I have to be super careful now at bottom of tank.

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This is why I go by mileage. I vent and so when I hit 650-700 Miles I fill up. I never even look at the gauge to decide when I should fill up. Takes any guess work out of the way. Of course maybe some day my car will get less MPG, but I wouldn't think so. At least not so much as to change my habit.

Yuri,

did that, done that...that is what scares me and why I rounded down to 62 litres.

BigAndy said:

go till the car doesn't go any more - then you know how far you can go with the light on

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That's the best answer so far!!!!