PSA: Why You Shouldn't Drive Around On Empty

[Deleted User 38384]

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[Flip]

Thats interesting, its the first time I ever heard that before.

My jeep is empty, I will go to the fill in station tomorrow and filler up.

 

[Deleted User 38384]

Thats interesting, its the first time I ever heard that before.

My jeep is empty, I will go to the fill in station tomorrow and filler up.

Outside of my MPG fuel runs, I usually fill up at a quarter of a tank minimum.

 

[Terrymo]

Outside of my MPG fuel runs, I usually fill up at a quarter of a tank minimum.

Same. My wife however says, “We’re good my car says I can go another 13 miles.”

 

[Vinman]

Yet another myth.
I’ve been driving since 1980 and have many, many miles with low fuel light on (or needle buried below “E” before the light was a thing) and have only ever replaced one fuel pump (engine mounted on a SBC) in my lifetime.
And the opposite myth, “only fill up til the pump clicks”. I ALWAYS fill up right to the top of the filler neck where the cap goes on, have never, ever had an issue doing that either.

 

[Deleted User 38384]

Yet another myth.
I’ve been driving since 1980 and have many, many miles with low fuel light on (or needle buried below “E” before the light was a thing) and have only ever replaced one fuel pump (engine mounted on a SBC) in my lifetime.
And the opposite myth, “only fill up til the pump clicks”. I ALWAYS fill up right to the top of the filler neck where the cap goes on, have never, ever had an issue doing that either.

I wouldn't say it's a myth, there's clear science there.

While I doubt 50 years of you driving has been sheer luck, it's still not something you should recommend to other people. A little bit of precaution can go a long way.

On the flip side, number of people on this forum who will still have the same vehicles in 20 years is probably pretty low.

What's the most miles you've ever put on a vehicle?

I got my 2001 Toyota Camry with 130,000 mi on it (or something like that), and when I crashed it it had 380,000 mi on it. I replaced the fuel pump at about 260,000 mi. And while it probably wasn't related to me spending too much time on empty, maybe that's part of why I got almost 300,000 mi out of my factory fuel pump, because of the precautions I took.

Realistically there's no way to know if that is why my fuel pump lasted so long, but you are putting a strain on your fuel system by spending too much time driving around with low fuel levels. Whether it kills your fuel pump early or not, you'd have to compare it to other drivers to really get a surefire answer.

 

[2nd 392]

Same. My wife however says, “We’re good my car says I can go another 13 miles.”

My wife is stationophobic, she expects me to know how much gas she has and go get it filled. If I don’t she sometimes drives it until she runs out. Thank god and AAA for bringing her 5 gallons so I don’t have to drop whatever I’m doing fill a can and take it to her. But they bring regular and her GCSRT needs premium, so I have to take it finish filling it. Her Lincoln LS before it also required premium.

 

[alphawolff]

I just want to say that the amount of 4XEs I've had towed into the shop because they ran out of fuel is simply astounding. Like a half a dozen. Some of these guys just never refuel and after 1500 miles they just stop thinking about it. They'll drive on electric with the fuel gauge on E for weeks at a time without refueling.


For those 4XE owners out there: If you run out of fuel you CAN charge it and it will drive off the battery alone albeit with a red turtle light on.

 

[Old Dogger]

The potential fuel pump failure, caused by low to running out of fuel, has been a fact known for many years.

 

[Squibbles]

Another reason to keep your tank full is in the winter time if you have at least half a tank there should be enough vapor pressure to prevent condensation in the tank. Also who wants to not be prepared and be unable to go 100 miles if they need to without stopping at the gas station.

 

[smokeythecat]

The potential fuel pump failure, caused by low to running out of fuel, has been a fact known for many years.

No kidding. I remember hearing about this on Car Talk. Does anyone even remember that radio program?

 

[Trails]

The potential fuel pump failure, caused by low to running out of fuel, has been a fact known for many years.

I have not heard abut fuel pump failure from frequent low fuel fuel scenarios. What I always used to hear regarding low fuel is that low fuel will cause you to suck the crud off the bottom of the fuel tank. Pretty sure that one is a myth, as the fuel pick-up is near the bottom of the tank, anyway. Any crud sucking has already been done.

 

[bd100]

I do wish we could set the low fuel warning for 1/8 of a tank or so. There are places where the next station is pretty far away.

 

[TheBirdie72]

Another reason to keep your tank full is in the winter time if you have at least half a tank there should be enough vapor pressure to prevent condensation in the tank. Also who wants to not be prepared and be unable to go 100 miles if they need to without stopping at the gas station.

Yeah, totally agree with this. Last thing I’d want to happen when trying to evade police in a hot pursuit is to run out of gas! Good to always be prepared!

 

[Wabujitsu]

I just made a trip from SW FL to Phoenix, AZ and back. I generally didn’t let my fuel go too far past 3/4 of a tank. Good thing, too, because there’s a stretch of road I took that brought me down to a quarter of a tank, in the middle of the night when small stations were closed, before I found a Love’s truck stop.

At home we don’t let the vehicles drop below half a tank, for water vapor control, and if we have a sudden emergency.

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