Running Low on Gas question

[Rosskk80]

Does this negatively affect the engine in anyway? I am on my 2nd tank of gas and usually wait till I have 30km before Empty to fuel up, just to see my mileage per tank of gas.

[acdii]

Wont hurt the engine, only caution is not to run it dry or you could damage the fuel pump since the gas keeps it cool while running. If you do run out of gas though, STOP! Do not try to drive on EV alone or you could wind up having to have the car towed to the dealer to have everything reset. The car will shut down if there is no gas and the battery reaches a certain level, but unknown what the consequences are if this were to happen. On Toyotas, they usually have to be recharged by the dealer to get the battery level back up to where it can run the ICE.

[kuzzi]

There are some on here that run to 0km before empty or even longer. There's a discussion on tank size somewhere seeing as even when the gauge reads 0km to Empty, there's a substantial amount of fuel left in the tank anyways.

[LEM]

I heard from a mechanic that it shouldn't be left too empty. There are some particles that rest at the bottom of the tank, so if you wait too long, that residue will go to your engine.

I really have no idea if that's true or not, but that's what he said.

[lolder]

I heard from a mechanic that it shouldn't be left too empty. There are some particles that rest at the bottom of the tank, so if you wait too long, that residue will go to your engine.

I really have no idea if that's true or not, but that's what he said.

Not true. There was a slight possibility that if you left a vehicle outside with a low fuel level for a lengthy time, temperature and atmospheric pressure cycling through vents would cause a small water buildup in the tank but I think modern vapor control systems may prevent most of that. That would occur in aircraft parked outside with wing tanks. The objective there was to keep the tanks full and always to check a low point drain for water before every flight.

If there's any residue at the bottom of your tank, it's always there regardless of fuel level and would be drawn into the tank fuel filter. Fuel contamination is rare in the US.

Edited June 28, 2013 by lolder

[acdii]

If you store a car for any length of time with only a few gallons in it though, the fuel will turn to goo and you most likely will wind up yanking the tank and replacing the pump, so storing with a full tank, or an empty tank, I mean fully drained, no fuel, is the best. The modern fuel system is 99.9% fully enclosed now, so getting moisture in is rare, only on Diesels is moisture an issue since they dont have the same evaporative systems ad the gasoline ones do. Diesel doesn't evaporate at the same rate as gas does, nor does it go sour, after all it is nearly all oil.

 

 

I ran my Kubota on Fryer oil once, man was I hungry after a day on that tractor, I kept smelling french fries.