PSA: Why You Shouldn't Drive Around On Empty

[ChadRay13]

I've been taught this about fuel pumps since I was a young kid. On the other hand, I've had a hand full of people I know who have done the "I have 13 miles" or "1x Miles" then hit stopped traffic on the interstate, exit in sight and they run out of gas.

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[jaymz]

I've also been told that running too low on fuel also increases the chance of sucking up any debris that may be on the bottom of the tank. He makes a good point here about heat, which doesn't exactly extend the life of any electric pump!

Debris is always going to be at the bottom of the tank. Empty or full, your chances of sucking it up are the same. And that's only if it manages to get through the sock on the intake port.

Heat is a moot point. If it mattered that much, fuel pumps in Anchorage would last twice as long as fuel pumps in Phoenix. Fuel pumps simply don't generate that much heat with fuel flowing through them, and if there's no fuel, both the engine and the fuel pump stop running at which point there's no heat being generated.

If it weren't for the fact that it would likely take 1000's of hours to do an experiment on pump longevity with a nearly empty tank vs. a nearly full one, I'd do it myself.


But to be clear, I like to fill up when I'm around a 1/2 tank. But it has more to do with not needing to fuel up right now vs. when it's convenient.

 

[azjl#3]

Debris is always going to be at the bottom of the tank. Empty or full, your chances of sucking it up are the same. And that's only if it manages to get through the sock on the intake port.

Heat is a moot point. If it mattered that much, fuel pumps in Anchorage would last twice as long as fuel pumps in Phoenix. Fuel pumps simply don't generate that much heat with fuel flowing through them, and if there's no fuel, both the engine and the fuel pump stop running at which point there's no heat being generated.

If it weren't for the fact that it would likely take 1000's of hours to do an experiment on pump longevity with a nearly empty tank vs. a nearly full one, I'd do it myself.

Not concerned about heat either, if it was a thing, there would be more proof of car-bqs at side of roads in PHX area. Also, you are not driving it for a length of time empty, you will stall when low enough, no more fuel pump.

 

[jaymz]

Not concerned about heat either, if it was a thing, there would be more proof of car-bqs at side of roads in PHX area. Also, you are not driving it for a length of time empty, you will stall when low enough, no more fuel pump.

And let's not forget about the universal in-line fuel pumps that are functionally identical to in tank pumps, yet are mounted outside of the fuel tank with no external fuel to cool them.

 

[Shibadog]

i always fill up between 1/4 and 1/2, usually closer to 1/2. Why? Costs no more to keep it full than keep it empty-in an emergency, there is ALWAYS fuel in the tank (think ice storm, wind storm, medical emergency, etc.). There is also the issue of ethanol fuel drawing water/condensation in the tank, etc. Finally, I just don’t wanna run out of fuel and walk. I ran out ONE time, and that was 57 years ago when I was a pup.

 

[Pig-Pen]

i live my life 1/4 tank at a time. for those 10 hours or less, im free.

 

[dsgrey]

I'd always heard about electronic fuel pumps overheating due to low fuel. I never burned one but I did help my son replace his in a 2000 Ford Focus. No hatch door but the internet had templates to cut a hatch under the back seat for easy access versus dropping the tank. I've had plenty of vehicles driven over 150k miles on the original.

I'm old enough to have replaced mechanical fuel pumps. In those days, you could run the tank dry and let the car set a minute then drive maybe a quarter mile before it would die again. No harm to the fuel pump but we had a way to limp to the gas station if it was almost within sight.

 

[Zandcwhite]

I have done the math. It cost no more to run your jeep on the top half of the fuel gauge other than the tiny hit from a little more weight.

If you did the math on making double the fuel stops every year and came up with no cost you must be an English major. Say you average 1 tank per week like most. The average fuel stop is probably 10 minutes on the conservative side. Stopping 2x per week instead of once in order to "run on the top half of the tank" costs you ~500 minutes per year. That's over 8 hours. It costs you nothing... but an entire work day worth of time every year. Even if it cost me a fuel pump every 5 years I'd still be up thousands of dollars in the entire work week worth of time saved. Time is money.

 

[1Evil55]

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

My wife thinks the E stands for Enough

 

[AcesandEights]

If you don't drive on empty, what justifies all the tacticool fuel carriers I see on Jeeps?

 

[Heimkehr]

If you don't drive on empty, what justifies all the tacticool fuel carriers I see on Jeeps?

Helping out a stranded motorist?

I carry supplemental fuel for the motorcycle(s) during camp-and-ride weekends. I've yet to come across a gas station in a state forest, etc.

 

[2nd 392]

I know you well enough that I should have expected that response.

 

[MARTY J]

If you did the math on making double the fuel stops every year and came up with no cost you must be an English major. Say you average 1 tank per week like most. The average fuel stop is probably 10 minutes on the conservative side. Stopping 2x per week instead of once in order to "run on the top half of the tank" costs you ~500 minutes per year. That's over 8 hours. It costs you nothing... but an entire work day worth of time every year. Even if it cost me a fuel pump every 5 years I'd still be up thousands of dollars in the entire work week worth of time saved. Time is money.

If you did the math on making double the fuel stops every year and came up with no cost you must be an English major. Say you average 1 tank per week like most. The average fuel stop is probably 10 minutes on the conservative side. Stopping 2x per week instead of once in order to "run on the top half of the tank" costs you ~500 minutes per year. That's over 8 hours. It costs you nothing... but an entire work day worth of time every year. Even if it cost me a fuel pump every 5 years I'd still be up thousands of dollars in the entire work week worth of time saved. Time is money.

Accually it only takes less than 5 to pull in and fill up half of a jeep tank. The less than 20 minutes a month are not a game changer to me expecialy because about half the time i am going to use the bathroom anyway. I also live in a rural area and don't won't to get up in the middle of the night and have an empty tank.

 

[3arl0fBruce]

Accually it only takes less than 5 to pull in and fill up half of a jeep tank. The less than 20 minutes a month are not a game changer to me expecialy because about half the time i am going to use the bathroom anyway. I also live in a rural area and don't won't to get up in the middle of the night and have an empty tank.

My problem these days is always getting up in the middle of the night with a full tank.

 

[MayThe4x4BWU]

I learned a long time ago to never let the tank go under 1/4 in any vehicle after having to be pushed to the gas pump at a gas station after my old Mustang stalled just as I made the right turn into the station

I think I was just more silly about squeezing the last bits of fumes of fuel when I was younger. Now I'm full range anxiety if I'm on a road trip and I see one of those "Next exit 75 miles" signs or something on a lone stretch of interstate

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