# How much time do I have once the low gas light comes on? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** journey, dodge\ **Created:** [April 30, 2018, 9:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530 "2018-04-30T21:56:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nikki29](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@Nikki29](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nikki29)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 9:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530/1 "2018-04-30T21:56:31Z")
How far can I go once the gas light comes on? ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 10:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530/2 "2018-04-30T22:00:55Z")
Well, that is different on every vehicle and depends on the miles per gallon you are getting at that time. Running out of fuel is not advisable . I can’t remember the last time my fuel light came on because I never let my gas gauge get below 1/4 mark. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2018, 11:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530/3 "2018-04-30T23:45:00Z")
@VOLVO_V70 has the right answer. All cars are different. I’d advise no more than 25 miles and even then I suggest you not even try that. ---
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 4:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530/4 "2018-05-01T04:08:09Z")
My owner’s manual tells me I have 3 gallons left; you should check yours to find out. For me, that’s a safe 60 miles. If you go up or down a steep hill you may not get gas from the tank to the engine. Not-running out of gas is valuable enough to me that I fill up when I get to a quarter-full. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 4:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530/5 "2018-05-01T04:44:34Z")
In my truck, I went another 80 miles and only put 19 gallons in the 22 gallon tank. In my car, I went another 12 miles and put 12.5 gallons in the 13 gallon tank. I also carried a 5 gallon can of gas with me when I was testing. I now never go below a quarter tank. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 4:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530/6 "2018-05-01T04:56:27Z")
Most cars on average have about 2 gallons left when the Low Fuel lamp illuminates. It’s best to not let it illuminate at all. My Sonoma lights up when there’s about 6 or 7 miles left so that means panic time for me as people and gas stations are kind of spread out around here. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 5:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530/7 "2018-05-01T05:12:35Z")
> [@ok4450](#): > > My Sonoma lights up when there’s about 6 or 7 miles left A friend of mine had a Dodge, when the light came on you better be pulling into a gas station because he only had about 200 feet left. ---
**Author:** ![wolyrobb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wolyrobb/32/45497_2.png) [@wolyrobb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wolyrobb)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 6:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530/8 "2018-05-01T06:24:05Z")
1/8th of a tank seems to be where most vehicles will turn the low fuel light on. I rarely go till the light turns on myself ---
**Author:** ![boilerengtn](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/boilerengtn/32/6955_2.png) [@boilerengtn](https://community.cartalk.com/u/boilerengtn)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 9:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530/9 "2018-05-01T09:48:30Z")
Sounds like you’re dedicated to finding this out!😀 ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 2:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530/10 "2018-05-01T14:19:50Z")
I recommend that you avoid trying to find out by allowing the tank to run out, if that’s what you’re considering. The pump uses the fuel as coolant, and you could easily kill your fuel pump. Volvo is right in that every vehicle is different. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 3:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530/11 "2018-05-01T15:30:18Z")
> How far can I go once the gas light comes on? All the way to the stall. Why are you waiting till the light comes on to get gas? ---
**Author:** ![COROLLAGUY1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/corollaguy1/32/7575_2.png) [@COROLLAGUY1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/COROLLAGUY1)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 3:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530/12 "2018-05-01T15:43:59Z")
Here is a list of vehicule! 2015 model ![Capturelowfueltank](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/d/d6b600735e6f4f6dc13a35f2296cc5cf98217077.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 3:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530/13 "2018-05-01T15:56:33Z")
As mentioned, that differs with each vehicle. You can get an idea by filling the tank and driving till the light goes on. Then fill again at the same station, same pump. That gives you how many gallons you have used. Then go to your owner’s manual and look up the tank capacity. Subtract the gallons used and you have an approximate figure of the reserve capacity. On my car, it came to 2.5 gallons, a typical figure. It’s obvious we cannot give you for your car a figure over the internet. And only you know how many miles per gallon your car gets. ---
**Author:** ![eddo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/eddo/32/2594_2.png) [@eddo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/eddo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 4:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530/14 "2018-05-01T16:03:00Z")
> [@shadowfax](#): > > > How far can I go once the gas light comes on? > > All the way to the stall. This. All day long, this. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 4:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530/15 "2018-05-01T16:33:18Z")
Sorry Guy , but that chart is not something I would even recommend . There are some big gapes and highway or city stop and go will make such a difference that even the low number of miles could be far enough off to be a problem. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 6:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530/16 "2018-05-01T18:29:58Z")
Not to mention the utter uselessness of the chart. No model years? Hey neat, so we’re to assume that _all_ Impalas, from now all the way back to 1957, have the exact same low fuel light threshold? That’s a fairly risky assumption to be making when you could just throw the chart in the trash and go get gas. ---
**Author:** ![eddo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/eddo/32/2594_2.png) [@eddo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/eddo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 7:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530/17 "2018-05-01T19:06:36Z")
I chuckled that the chart says some vehicles the Low Fuel light is N/A and then it still gives you a mileage left when the Low Fuel light comes on… on reread, perhaps I am misunderstanding it. They don’t know how much fuel is left when the light comes on, but can tell you how many miles? ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 8:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530/18 "2018-05-01T20:30:54Z")
> [@eddo](#): > > they don’t know how much fuel is left when the light comes on, but can tell you how many miles? Some of the vehicles had a gallon amount listed and others had something like ( 1/16 of tank - not really helpful ) . Besides just how accurate is that goofy chart and as Shadow pointed out it is not broken down by years. Basically a worthless chart and my big problem is that it might give false security to the OP rather than stressing the idea of not taking a chance on running out of fuel. ---
**Author:** ![COROLLAGUY1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/corollaguy1/32/7575_2.png) [@COROLLAGUY1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/COROLLAGUY1)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 8:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530/19 "2018-05-01T20:39:00Z")
The list is for 2015 model year. ---
**Author:** ![COROLLAGUY1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/corollaguy1/32/7575_2.png) [@COROLLAGUY1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/COROLLAGUY1)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2018, 8:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530/20 "2018-05-01T20:39:53Z")
Its for 2015 model year [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-much-time-do-i-have-once-the-low-gas-light-comes-on/116530.md?page=2)