We’ve all had that sinking feeling when driving and the needle touches the 0 point on the fuel tank. But you might have also noticed that you still managed to continue driving a short distance to get gas… but you might not have been that lucky.
Which begs the question about how far you can drive your Honda Civic when it’s low on fuel. Just how many miles do you have left before you grind to a halt? Here’s what you can expect.
How many miles can a Honda Civic last on empty? Honda dealers say you might be able to drive for 30 to 50 miles when the fuel gauge is on empty. However, this will vary between Civic models and years, so always assume you have 10 miles to last on empty, and fill up as soon as possible.
How far can a Honda Civic drive on empty?
When it comes to fuel economy, we all know most modern Honda Civics offer good mileage and a decent fuel economy to help you save you money in the long run. But just how far can you go before running out of gas?
The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) tests all types of cars in controlled conditions so you can compare the fuel economy between these vehicles. From their A typical family sedan like a Honda Civic will get about 30 miles after the low fuel light turns on.
If you’re in the market for a new car, you may have heard that the average gas mileage of a new car is around 25 mpg (miles per gallon). However, the average driver will drive about 40,000 miles per year, which means that they will burn about 2,500 gallons of gas.
That’s a lot of money.
If you’re looking for a low economy car, it’s important to know how far you can go on the gas before the empty tank light comes on. The good news is that you can expect to get about 20 miles per gallon once the empty fuel light illuminates.
So, based on all of this, if you have a tank of gas and you can only go about 434 miles total miles, then your Honda Civic might be able to drive about 30 to 50 miles on empty.
Why can a Honda Civic drive with low fuel or empty?
It’s a question that has been asked by car enthusiasts for quite some time. The answer is not as simple as you might think, and there are several factors to take into consideration.
1. Fuel gauge faulty reading
The first thing to understand is that the fuel gauge in your Civic doesn’t necessarily indicate how much fuel you have left in the tank. The gauge only measures the amount of fuel that has already been used,
It does not take into account the amount of fuel that remains in the tank.
2. Remaining gas particles
There are some gas particles left in your tank as your Civic tends to drain all of the fuel so try not to assume you have an empty tank after the dashboard tells you to refill.
From this, you might be able to predict that you still have 10 to 15 percent of fuel left in your Honda Civic.
How to calculate the distance your car can travel after its empty
As mentioned before that a Honda Civic has about 15% of fuel still in its tank after the empty gas sign starts to glow. It varies due to different factors like car’s condition, tank size, fuel efficiency, and also gas quality used by the driver.
You can determine the following factors and easily calculate how far you can go.
1. Size of your tank
The size of your Civic’s fuel tank is written on the manual of your car. Some Honda models’ tank sizes are given below:
| Car | Model | Tank size |
| Civic Hatchback | 2022 | 12.39 GL |
| Civic Sedan | 2022 | 12.4 GL |
| Civic Sedan | 2022 | 13.2 GL |
| CR-V Hybrid | 2022 | 14 GL |
| Accord Hybrid | 2022 | 14.8 GL |
2. Fuel economy
It also varies with the car like tank size.
- Honda Civic (LX) has 31 mpg
- Honda Civic (Sport) has 30 mpg
Use this formula to find how far a Honda Civic can go on an empty tank
Tank size divided by 10 (Gas after empty tank indicator)
Like if your car has a tank size of 10-GL then it will have 1-GL left after low fuel indicator.
Similarly, a 16-GL tank size will have 1.6-GL remaining after the low fuel indicator.
Fuel economy multiply by gas left in your tank
Civic fuel economy is 31 mpg and tank size of 14-GL with remaining gas is 1.4-GL so,
31 x 1.4 equals 43.4 Miles
Answer: A Honda Civic will travel 43.4 miles if its fuel economy is 31 mpg and have a tank size of 14-GL if the remaining conditions kept ideal.
Don’t make it a habit
After going through all these facts and figures, you know that the warning light of gas is not something to be scared of.
Remember to fill your car as soon as you reach any gas station because may lead to serious problems in your car’s engine like overheating and effects on the fuel tank.
The fuel tank gets damaged as the remaining gas particles can cause corrosion due to moisture left in it. Try not to do this if you want your car to live longer.
How to preserve fuel in your car
Following are some tips for you to follow for a better fuel average:
- Roll up your car’s windows to minimize any resistance the wind might be causing while cruising.
- Learn how to use the Civic’s ECON mode button.
- Try to maintain a fuel-efficient speed of 40 mph while driving.
- Drive at a constant speed – not the top speed!
- Remove all electronic devices like radio, navigation, etc.
- Check the tyre’s pressure to be exact on all sides.
Related questions
What’s the Honda Civic low fuel indicator?
Low Fuel Indicator turns on when the fuel tank of your car is running low (approximately about 1.9 the United States.GL. or 7.5 L remaining).
It also starts to turn on and off if anything in the fuel gauge is faulty. But immediately turns on as you refuel your car.
What are the dangers of driving on a low fuel tank?
When you are driving on an empty tank, you can quickly reach a point where the car will not start. This is because of a phenomenon called “choking.” Choking occurs when the fuel is left in a vehicle for a prolonged time, and the gas becomes carbonized.
This is why you see cars with a small amount of gas sitting in a parking lot that are still able to start. However, the longer the vehicle sits, the more likely it is to catch fire.
Also, this can cause harm to your fuel filter, pump, and the catalytic converter of your vehicle. They all cost more than 200-300$ if damaged.
How many miles are left when the gas light comes on Honda Accord?
The Honda Accord has been a reliable car for years now, but it’s also known for its low fuel economy.
So, if you’re wondering how much gas is left in your tank when the light comes on, you may be surprised to find out that you only have a few miles left. I am saying this because a Honda Accord has the biggest gas tank of 26-GL which can take you more than 90 miles on an empty tank.
When the Honda gas light turns on, how many miles do you have?
Usually, Honda Civic models are very fuel-efficient cars so they have about 43 miles left even after the gas light turns on.
Cars like Honda civic can give you extra 44 miles and Toyota on the other hand gives you 47 miles extra due to more fuel efficiency.
Do Honda Civics have a reserve tank?
Yes, it kind of does. When a Honda Civic’s fuel guage is on zero and almost out of fuel, the reserve system has at least 2 gallons left.
