How far can you drive when your fuel light is on?

With fuel shortages, increased fuel prices and cost of living, some drivers are forced to make every drop of petrol count. 

More and more drivers are finding themselves trying to drive further and further once the petrol light has flashed up on the dashboard.

Playing that game can give you a few extra miles before topping up, but it could also leave you and your car stranded at the roadside and having to call friends and family for help, or even roadside recovery.

Let's take a look at what it really means when your petrol light comes on and how far you can stretch your fuel in this article.

Your fuel light is a warning that you are starting to run low on fuel and will need to top up soon.

The light is usually triggered when your fuel tank is down to about 10% capacity, so there is still fuel in there. This light is designed to turn on at this point to give drivers fair warning to find a fuel station before the tank is completely empty.

There's no singular answer to this question as it varies from car to car. Your driving style and the type of driving you are doing will also have an impact on this.

Some cars may have a digital display that will show you an estimate of how many miles you have left. These figures aren't 100% accurate though and should only be used as an estimate.

To give you some peace of mind, we've picked some of our most popular cars to show you how far each might go (on average) when the fuel light has come on:

• Ford Fiesta - 37 miles
• Volvo XC90 - 40 miles
• Kia Sportage - 39 miles
• SEAT Ibiza - 50 miles
• Ford Focus - 41 miles
• Volvo V40 - 57 miles
• Kia Picanto - 39 miles
• SEAT Leon - 36 miles

(Figures taken from Tank On Empty Correct as of 02/03/2022)

If you cannot make it to fuel station before running out of petrol, find a safe place to pull over and put your hazard lights on. You should contact someone to bring you a jerry can of fuel, or your breakdown company may be able to help you.

Running your vehicle right down to completely empty and breaking down at the side of the road could put you in a dangerous situation and could also cause damage to your vehicle.

Driving with really low fuel levels could not only leave you stranded, you could end up damaging your car in the process.

As fuel levels get lower, your car can pick up debris from the bottom of the tank which could damage the fuel filter and pump. It could also cause damage to your catalytic converter. 

Allowing your fuel pump to run completely dry could also be a costly vehicle repair. 

A lot of diesel cars are equipped with an engine management system that will shut the engine down before you run into trouble like this, but if you drive a petrol car, there's no such system in place for you. 

There are lots of tactics you can take to make your fuel go the extra mile. You can take a look at our 14 tips to improve your fuel economy which includes advice like:

• Removing unnecessary weight from your car
• Keeping your tyre pressures topped up
• Avoid idling
• Be cautious of how often you are using your Air Con