low fuel light 1996 outback

[dunkinman]

Hi there,

 

does anyone know how many miles you have left when this light comes on . low fuel light.

 

1996 subaru legacy outback - 2.5 liter - 167,000 miles - A/T

 

 

 

dunkinman

[idosubaru]

"how many miles" can vary significantly. there is no answer as it depends on condition of the engine, what kind of driving is going to be done on the last couple gallons, what kind of load is in the car, how hilly/mountainous or flat the terrain is going to be....etc. you're generally good for about 60 miles once the light comes on (on level ground of course). 70 and you better be close to a gas station. of course those figures can be slightly higher/lower depending on the above mentioned variables.

 

figure out how many miles per gallon you get. open up your owners manual and see how m any gallons are left when the fuel light comes on. 2.7 gallons is a common figure for subarus. multiply your MPG times the 2.7 and that's the maximum you're going to get if everything is perfect, and you better hope you're traveling a few miles short of that as you can't eek out every drop of the gas tank.

 

not sure why you'd want to push it anyway, but there you have it.

[PAezb]

I have the same model/year as you with 187k on the odometer. The times I have let it run that low when the light comes on AND I fill up right away, typically measures to around 3.2 gallons left in the tank before fillup. Now, if I ever get the light I just conservatively figure I need to fillup within the next 40 miles (but never really wait that long).

[JPX]

:brow:Oh, I have lots of experience finding out how many miles you can go......right down to the coasting into the gas station right AFTER the engine sputters out.

 

On the sedan, you can go as far as 70 miles if you are careful about what you are doing after the light comes on. A more "sane and safe" duration is within 40-50 miles of the light coming on.

 

Your fuel pump will hate you if you do this too much. And make sure you change your fuel filter regularly since you are more likely to suck up gunk at the bottom of the tank doing this frequently.

 

In my old Volkswagen I ran out of gas one time 100 yards from the gas station. But luck was STILL on my side - a guy changing his flat tire on the other side of the road had a 55 gallon drum of gas in the back of his truck!