Does "E" Really Mean Your Car is Empty?by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 17 Mar 2008 02:02 PM With the price of gas hovering dangerously close to $4 a gallon around here I am tempted to see how just how much farther my car could go once the needle on the fuel gauge hits "E." Of course, any car expert would give you a laundry list of reasons why this is not a good idea. Still, I must admit there were a number of times in college when I pushed my poor car to its limit and rolled into gas stations on fumes. Which begs the question: Just how far can you drive once you hit "E?" I saw a report on ABC's "20/20" a few months back where one of the reporters tried to answer the question. Only the results were not all that earth shattering: It depends on the make of the car. When I was in college I drove my aunt and uncle's Dodge Omni (no Jag for this starving college coed) and I let the needle on the gas gauge hit "E" on a regular basis. With that car I didn't panic when I saw the fuel gauge approaching empty because I knew I could still drive about 25 miles before it stalled. (Yes, I tested it. And, no I wouldn't suggest you do the same if you are miles from a gas station and have small children in the back seat.) These days I drive a Nissan, but unlike some newer versions of my vehicle mine does not come equipped with a digital read-out that lets you know how many miles you can drive before your car stops moving. The ABC reporter conducted his "E" test with a minivan that was equipped with the digital read out and he was able to keep going for 40 more miles before running out of gas, and that was 65 miles AFTER the needle on the gas gauge hit "E." If you want to find out how far your car can go once it hits "E" you could visit TankOnEmpty.com. The site was designed by a computer programmer who asked: "How far can you go after the gas light in your car has gone on?" More than 2000 people have posted their stories on the site providing data on how many miles they were able to go after their car's gas light came on. The bottom line: Most cars can travel an additional 30 to 40 miles after the gas light illuminates. But you will be hard pressed to find many drivers who will actually push a car to its true limit. As for why vehicles say "empty" when there's still gas left. According to car manufacturers, who were interviewed for the "20/20" piece, most customers in the United States enjoy having that buffer. Do you? Related Articles: Do You Visit Gas Tracker Sites? The Great American Gas Out Fizzles Out Pop Quiz: Test Your Fuel Savings IQ Want To Save Money At The Pump? LOSE WEIGHT! Preparing For Your Road Trip: Part 1 Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevanttravel tags User Comments  Aimee Amodio |
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