How much fuel left when onboard computer says "range 0 km"?

[Suprc]

As title says, how much fuel is left when onboard computer says 0 kilometres in range? 

I come down to range 55km and are afraid to get lower before refueling...

[cnc]

There are several people here who have had their range go down to zero and still kept driving. I did it in a previous Passat, not deliberately. According to Skoda the tank takes 60 litres, I like to fill mine up well before it gets too low, so rarely put more than 50 litres in. I suspect Skoda like to be cautious so I'd like to think there is somewhere between 1 to 2 litres at least still left when the range shows empty.

 

Who's going to be brave enough to try?.

[Noddy90]

Got a bit blase once with my Saab - ignored the 0 miles reading and promptly ran out just as I was in a line at the car wash.  They had to push me through the wash, then I had to go the nearby petrol station, buy some fuel AND a container and PRAY that I hadn't damaged the fuel sustem in trying stupidly to start it.

 

Luckily all was well.

 

Phew!

[Danny 57]

I have driven nearly 30 after the range showed zero and still only got 58 litres in, so I am quite happy to drop it down to empty especially as I use the money of from Tesco's.

[superbdreams]

With a money off promotion at my localTesco they are then the same price as another vendor. (except for the rare larger promotions)

[Danny 57]

One month I had 47p per litre off, albeit in 2 x 20p and 1 x 7p. I have nearly two tankof fuel for nowt, thankyou very much. :clap: 

[Bristolf2b]

This is not intended to be a wind up, but I genuinely don't understand why people want to let the tank get so low. I fill mine up nearly every week when I go shopping. It takes a five minutes and I'm at the shop anyway. If I have a longer day in the car, say 300 miles, then I fill up when I go past a station on my way to work the next day. Then I don't have to worry about it.

My car will do a minimum of 500 miles on a tank. Even like last week when I drove to North West Scotland from the South Midlands in a day, I wan't prepared to drive non stop for the 8hrs minimum it takes to drain the tank at the 62 mph average I achieved when brimmed. When I took a third break at 470 miles with the readout suggesting I had another 90 miles left, I filled the tank.

In the UK, even in Wester Ross, the next fuel stop is a max of 50 miles away. So fitting in a fuel stop at an appropriate time when taking a break anyway isn't rocket science.

Now I know it may marginally increase consumption driving around with a nearly full tank each time, but to my mind this is very likely to be insignificant financially compared to, say, tyre wear or deprecition.

Edited 8 June, 2015 by Bristolf2b

[Danny 57]

In between the money off per litre vouchers I only put £30-£40 in each week as it is not sat in the tank for a couple of weeks as dead money. If I go to Scotland though I put enough in to get me to Carlisle (Tesco 1/2 mile of M6 J44ish) to get to Loch Lomand and back again to Carlisle.

[Bristolf2b]

I don't get the dead money bit. I had the tank filled as part of the deal when I bought the car nearly two years ago, after that I put the same amount per mile as it were whether the tank is empty or nearly full. To me having a nearly empty fuel tank all the time would be much more stressful than worrying about a few quid 'tied up' in the tank. It will get used quite soon.

I'll let it get nearly empty only when I come to sell the car

Edited 8 June, 2015 by Bristolf2b

[Caspian]

Last time the subject of running the tank past zero was raised here, I suggested that it wasn't a good idea, especially in an older car for the reason given below. The perceived wisdom at the time was that I was worrying unduly. My experience is, however, that even in relatively new cars, over time debris collects in the bottom of the tank. It usually comes from the bottom of the tank in the petrol station, often if their supply is running low when you fill up, and especially if their tanks are old. You can also get an amount of water in the tank from the same source. The problem is that this all reads as good fuel in the tank, giving a false impression of how far you can go.

 

I also agree with Bristolf2b, it is stressful having a nearly empty tank, and getting more so as more and more petrol stations close. It's much more stressful than worrying about the cash 'tied up' in the tank.

[Laurie61]

By chance my low fuel bong went off just as I was pulling into a garage last week, I filled until the pump clicked off and the pump was showing 49. something ltrs. So a good 10 ltrs still left in at that point. ? 

[bw10030]

Regularly do 500+miles per week on a 170 Estate TDI. Depending on traffic. the low fuel light comes on most weeks, and occasionally I have had the range to go down to 25 miles. When filled up thus, I've NEVER got more that 56 litres into a 60 litre tank (and that includes filling to the filler neck - essential if I don't want to fuel in the week).

 

So based on this plus fuel consumption of 48 mpg (verified each fill up), I reckon at 25 'miles to go' there's a gallon of fuel sloshing about in the tank (say 50 miles), plus a bit of fuel in the pipes and fuel filter. What I don't know is how exact is the 60 litre capacity - it may only be 59.5, say, or maybe 61 litres???. There's also the question of 'unuseable fuel' - does the tank empty from the lowest point (unlikely) or is there some capacity not used, to capture dirt etc? I reckon the pipework and fuel filter would compensate for this, so my best guess for my car is that there's 25 miles of 'emergency' fuel once the range gets to zero.

 

But why would you? when the fuel light comes on, there's plenty of warning to refuel and whilst it's nice screwing every little off from the supermarket, you're talking 3 litres or so - with a breakdown risk or sucking some crap through the system? Don't ne greedy and refuel at 40 or so miles to go! Especially on a motorway where the cost of a gallon of fuel would outlive a lifetime of savings!

[Mph25]

Not much? 

[linni]

Happened twice, refuelling 56+ liters. So, 3+ liters left after reached to zero.

[lichfielddriver]

done 666 miles with 50 showing as "range", will fill in the morning 8 mile down the road, wish me luck