Why You Shouldn't Run Your Car Low On Gas

[Yoshoobaroo]

Originally Posted by ZDan

If this ensures that the fuel pump is cooled "even when the tank is very very low", why again should people worry?



B.S. story is B.S. Sure, it's not a good idea to run completely out of fuel, but people already have incentive not to do that!

The surge tank isn't perfect. If you take an onramp at ~80 at full throttle and on an empty tank it is possible to slosh it empty. Not sure how effective our surge tank is but my BMW sure didn't like it.

I'm not telling anyone to worry, just to err on the safe side.


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[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Yoshoobaroo

That's the fuel pump inside its surge tank. That 'bucket' is designed to stay full of fuel even when the tank is very very low, to ensure cooling.

I understand that, but I doubt the small amount of fuel that would remain in the surge tank after you get below the top of it would be enough to have a massive impact on cooling. It would radiate some heat, but would warm quickly once the fuel level dropped and the fuel wasn't being replenished.

[Yoshoobaroo]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

I understand that, but I doubt the small amount of fuel that would remain in the surge tank after you get below the top of it would be enough to have a massive impact on cooling. It would radiate some heat, but would warm quickly once the fuel level dropped and the fuel wasn't being replenished.

If it wasn't necessary to keep failures down on the millions of units produced, they wouldn't bother with it. Keep in mind that this is all about the failure rate.


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[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

I understand that, but I doubt the small amount of fuel that would remain in the surge tank after you get below the top of it would be enough to have a massive impact on cooling. It would radiate some heat, but would warm quickly once the fuel level dropped and the fuel wasn't being replenished.

I really don't understand just how hot people think that this pump will get. It is just an electric motor driving an impellor (or diaphragm I don't know which) and the friction should be minimal. Sure it needs to be lubricated when the car is running for long periods but how long do people think it will be left on once you are out of gas? It could probably run dry for hours without issue (not recommending this but it would be interesting to see). Hell, I bet if you left the ignition on after running out of gas that the battery would die before the fuel pump failed.
I am now deathly afraid of letting my Keurig run dry for fear that it will explode in my face.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I really don't understand just how hot people think that this pump will get. .

yea, I stand by my belief that it would run fine outside the tank for quite some time, and am tempted to prove it except for the $450 US cost for the bloody pump. Even a junkyard price would be expensive.

On a different rant, I was looking this up on Auto Zone. I may never be able to buy from them again....

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

yea, I stand by my belief that it would run fine outside the tank for quite some time, and am tempted to prove it except for the $450 US cost for the bloody pump. Even a junkyard price would be expensive.

On a different rant, I was looking this up on Auto Zone. I may never be able to buy from them again....

I have pretty much come to accept that "fitment" is now a noun, verb adjective, adverb, pronoun, preposition and conjunction for "fit".

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Hell, I bet if you left the ignition on after running out of gas that the battery would die before the fuel pump failed.

My 25 year old pickup truck that I ran completely out of gas multiple times had 205k miles on the fuel pump before I sold it.

Yeah some fuel pumps die prematurely, people look for excuses so they don't have to fear it dying again, that they can control this thing in their life, I'd bet a hundred bucks nobody can provide a scientific study that a modern fuel pump will fail if run on low.

[Ultramaroon]

I have fuel system failures every time I run out of gas. I wish there was a way to prevent that.

[Scrappydoo]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I have pretty much come to accept that "fitment" is now a noun, verb adjective, adverb, pronoun, preposition and conjunction for "fit".

Awesome.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I have pretty much come to accept that "fitment" is now a noun, verb adjective, adverb, pronoun, preposition and conjunction for "fit".

Dude...that is way to low over the left eye, not clean and the fitment is definitely off...

[MurderousPandas]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Dude...that is way to low over the left eye, not clean and the fitment is definitely off...

Maybe it's the right eye that isn't low enough. If he bagged his eyes, it could possibly work

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