Driving down the highway, you look down and see your fuel warning light is on. Do you pull over as soon as you see a gas station or are you one of those people who push it to the absolute limit? We are all guilty of pushing our car to the limit from time to time. However, there are some people that always wait till they are running on fumes before filling up. You may think running your car on empty is not a big deal, but it can be dangerous and can cause damage to your car. In general, you should always try to maintain at least a ¼ of a tank full at all times.
The most obvious hazard of running out of gas is that you get stuck. This can be a dangerous situation if you are on a highway and cars are whipping by at 80 miles per hour. Or, if your car died while you were sitting at a traffic light. Maybe you decided not to stop for gas because you were running late. Now, you are going to be very late because your car is out of gas. It feels like it’s 100 degrees out and the temperature in your car is rising along with your stress levels since you have to wait for help.
Not to mention that letting your car run out of gas can cause serious problems. You can damage your catalytic converter, which may then need to be repaired or replaced.
If you consistently run your car on low, you can wear out your Melbourne, FL fuel pump. The gas acts like a coolant for your car and when you drive with a low amount of fuel, the engine gets hotter. With a low amount of gas in the tank, the pump sucks up air, which creates heat and ultimately wears out the fuel pump.
Another hazard of running on empty is the sediment that naturally settles in the bottom of your tank. When you run your car on empty, the sludgy sediment mixes with the gas and can clog the engine.
You can’t always trust the fuel gauge. The estimated miles to empty is just an estimate. It factors in your driving pattern, and it is not always accurate. If you are stuck in a lot of stop and go traffic, your gas mileage will decrease. You should consider it more like an estimate instead of an exact measure.
It’s not worth the added stress to you or your car to drive around on empty. Do yourself and your car a favor and maintain at least a ¼ of gas in your tank. It will help reduce maintenance costs and help keep you from getting stuck. You won’t ruin your car the first time you drive with fuel warning light on, but if you are one of those people who push it every week, we at Cassels Garage encourage you to make a conscious effort to keep your gas tank a little more full. We promise it will eliminate extra stress when you are running late in the morning too.
