*POLL* Do you let the gas tank run to "empty" ?

[dethman]

i usually let the light go for about 20-30 miles before i fill up.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: omega2
Everytime my gas tank is down to have, i always fill up. I remember the time of the great blackout. My gas tank was down to the last half, it came close to being empty, and the worst part is that you can't fill up without power. So, it's never below half for me.

LOL... during the great blackout, people were lining up at the pumps everywhere... very few stations even had power... and the car was the only means of being able to do anything anywhere. People didn't know what to do with themselves. Lines were out in the streets. I had just enough before the lights came back on.

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: Gobadgrs

Originally posted by: galvanizedyankee

Originally posted by: LAUST
No, it not only makes your fuel pump work harder but having it submerged in fuel helps cool it.

Do you run your CPU without a heatsync?

YEP!! So right you are.

The only time I will run a tank intentionally dry is if I have to remove it for some reason.
Letting a submerged f/p grab gulps of air is rough treatment. Most are vane type pumps.
To install a new pump is expensive

yea I had the one on my camero die... $700 to fix it...

You have named my deepest automotive fear. Most of that cost is labor to get the freaking tank out so the pump can be replaced.

 

[EyeMWing]

Vandura: No. It's a HUGE tank, and the fuel pump dies often anyway (And it's pretty damned easy to replace yourself)
Turbovan: No.
Sierra: It's ALWAYS on E. Put in a gallon, drive a mile. Get out, put in another gallon. Drive another mile. Yes, you got that right - ONE MILE PER GALLON.

 

[Tipe2]

I see a serious misconception here, you will not overheat a in tank fuel pump if you let the tank run low, yes the pump is cooled by fuel, but not from immersion, the pump is cooled by gasoline traveling through it, the pressure regulator sends unused fuel back to the tank.
Now the only way you can overheat the pump is if you run it dry and leave the key on for an extended period of time.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Tipe2
I see a serious misconception here, you will not overheat a in tank fuel pump if you let the tank run low, yes the pump is cooled by fuel, but not from immersion, the pump is cooled by gasoline traveling through it, the pressure regulator sends unused fuel back to the tank.
Now the only way you can overheat the pump is if you run it dry and leave the key on for an extended period of time.

Actually, most modern cars use an in-tank fuel pump that is indeed cooled by immersion. It's only on older vehicles that you find in-line fuel pumps that are cooled by the fuel running through them.

ZV

 

[cmdavid]

i do all the time.. i know roughly how many miles my car can get off a full tank...

 

[C'DaleRider]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: Tipe2
I see a serious misconception here, you will not overheat a in tank fuel pump if you let the tank run low, yes the pump is cooled by fuel, but not from immersion, the pump is cooled by gasoline traveling through it, the pressure regulator sends unused fuel back to the tank.
Now the only way you can overheat the pump is if you run it dry and leave the key on for an extended period of time.

Actually, most modern cars use an in-tank fuel pump that is indeed cooled by immersion. It's only on older vehicles that you find in-line fuel pumps that are cooled by the fuel running through them.

ZV

Thank you ZV for your answer................my brother, a 25 year ASE-cert'd mechanic read some of this thread and said, "It's those who won't listen or know EVERYTHING that keep us in business." He hates digging out fuel pumps, but it's good profit.

Modern high-pressure fuel pumps do indeed use the surrounding gasoline as a coolant. Dropping the fuel level below 1/2 a tankful does indeed expose the fuel pump to air and tend to let it begin overheating. Now, it's not something that will cause instantaneous death of the pump, as some will say "Mine's never died and I always run empty." But it takes longer than a week, month, or year; it's a cumulative effect over time.........the pump overheats, the internal seals on the pump slowly dry out from the overheating, and eventually the pump cannot push the proper PSI to the injectors because the seals are now leaking just enough to cause the car to not start, or stumble, or die.

 

[FoBoT]

if i have cash, i fill up between 1/4 and 1/2 tank

 

[DrPizza]

It varies for me... I'm not 100% positive, but I believe my pump is cooled by inline, not submersion. (and I too don't like the idea of cooling something with gasoline - what happens if it runs out of gas while idling... creating the most heat possible, then I dump some gas from a gas can down. Does it really get *that* hot?? - question that I don't know the answer too)


MOST IMPORTANTLY: Don't get gas at a station if you see they just delivered gasoline. AFAIK, they understand that they'll end up with water in the tank and the water collects at the bottom of the tank at the station. The addition of the new gas stirs everything up. (including the water and any sediments).

 

[rh71]

The night crowd must drive too...

BTW, I love edumacational threads...

 

[amdskip]

Originally posted by: TwinkleToes77
i usually fill up between 1/4 - 1/2 tank left. Mostly because im paranoid of being stranded and out of gas.

 

[petery83]

On a rugby trip to Vegas at about 10pm in the middle of the desert (and a 280-lb loosehead prop and a 240-lb tighthead prop sitting in the car with me), it went so low that the fuel gauge reminder light actually went out, as if it had given up hope...thankfully we managed to make it to a gas station.

I also ran out of gas on the freeway once during the day, but I still had enough momentum to get off the freeway and eventually push it to a gas station

 

[PeeluckyDuckee]

I carry a gallon of extra fuel in the trunk just in case for those days when you're not so lucky

 

[Lithium381]

it depends, most of the time i fill up just after i go below 1/4 tank.....as for the fuel injectors i put the bottle in the tank every oil change, for what good that does

 

[ohtwell]

I usually fill up before the light ever comes on.


: ) Amanda

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: petery83
On a rugby trip to Vegas at about 10pm in the middle of the desert (and a 280-lb loosehead prop and a 240-lb tighthead prop sitting in the car with me), it went so low that the fuel gauge reminder light actually went out, as if it had given up hope...thankfully we managed to make it to a gas station.

I also ran out of gas on the freeway once during the day, but I still had enough momentum to get off the freeway and eventually push it to a gas station

You must be a pretty strong guy doing that and steering all by yourself.

 

[glugglug]

Originally posted by: PeeluckyDuckee
I carry a gallon of extra fuel in the trunk just in case for those days when you're not so lucky

This isn't really such a great idea. Your trunk is part of the crumple zone for those days when you're not so lucky and get rear-ended.

 

[edmundoab]

Will head for the station before it touches E
Dont feel like taking the risk of pushing my vehicle in the middle of the road

 

[petery83]

Originally posted by: rh71

Originally posted by: petery83
On a rugby trip to Vegas at about 10pm in the middle of the desert (and a 280-lb loosehead prop and a 240-lb tighthead prop sitting in the car with me), it went so low that the fuel gauge reminder light actually went out, as if it had given up hope...thankfully we managed to make it to a gas station.

I also ran out of gas on the freeway once during the day, but I still had enough momentum to get off the freeway and eventually push it to a gas station

You must be a pretty strong guy doing that and steering all by yourself.

haha...good observation

forgot to mention that I had a friend with me, and when the car finally came to a stop, both of us got out and pushed it...right into a street sign

 

[Ketteringo]

Always stay above half

 

[StephenM]

I usually fill up once the light comes on, even though I have at least 2 gallons left in the tank then.

And I'm not convinced running low does any harm to the fuel pump...running out, yes, running low, no. It's true that the pumps use gas for cooling and lubrication, but the gas flowing through the pump handles that. The gas in the tank around the pump housing doesn't do much. So as long as you don't run it dry, you're not hurting the pump. Plus, most cars have the pumps built into a little well-type area within the gas tank, so even when you're near empty it's still covered. This prevents fuel starvation when going around corners, up inclines, etc.

 

[SoyBoy004]

I usually fill up whenever i see gas for cheap! and in california, that is under 2.00/gal for supreme!