Is it bad to wait until the fuel light is on before getting gas?

[barefootdriver]

I always drive my Stinger until it's close to empty before getting gas. Is it bad to do so?

 

[CKeeler]

I do the same thing. I did it for 12 years with my mustang. Never a fuel sender problem.

 

[MurlinatoR]

Yes. It might freeze!!!!

 

[3.3Turbo4me]

I'm guilty of doing this, don't see anything wrong unless you completely run out of fuel

 

[spider55]

I was told that running it down to almost empty was bad, because there are small particles at the bottom of your fuel tank that will get pumped through your fuel system and through a period of time will clog it. I try to put fuel in my car when it hits a quarter of a tank, but a eighth is as low as I will go.

 

[robz32]

Same here. More importantly keep in mind the fuel pump is cooled by the gas surrounding it, therefore I try to keep it submerged as much as a possible.

 

[Kazz]

Interesting. I've driven my cars past the Low Fuel light since they started showing up on cars. Light comes on, I've got 20 miles, at least. Never an issue.

 

[CKeeler]

I was told that running it down to almost empty was bad, because there are small particles at the bottom of your fuel tank that will get pumped through your fuel system and through a period of time will clog it. I try to put fuel in my car when it hits a quarter of a tank, but a eighth is as low as I will go.

This isn’t really true anymore with newer cars and how well sealed off the fuel system is compared to yesteryear. The only time your fuel system is open to small particles entering it is when you fuel up. And unless you are pouring dirt down your tank just before you fuel up you should be fine. Also, small particles in the bottom of the fuel tank in a new car is pretty much improbable. And as [MENTION=321]robz32[/MENTION] pointed out, the fuel sender is cooled by the fuel surrounding it. Constantly running the tank at low fuel levels will cause problems in the long run. I fill up every time. The lowest I’ve gotten so far is around 10 miles to empty.

 

[hoserama]

I have a fear of running out of gas. Lol

I fill up more often than I really need to, partially because of my compulsive behavior to always wanting a full tank but also because gas station locations are very convenient for me.

I agree about the yesteryear tale and can attest to how true it is but also that in my younger years when I lived paycheck to paycheck, having a full tank was a luxury and I would often run around near empty more often than not - never experienced a fuel system failure in my life other than a clogged fuel filter.

 

[DodgetoKia]

1/4 tank is about as low as I'll let it go before a refill.

 

[spider55]

Being that I live in Arizona, there is a lot of dust in the air an that does get in your tank. plus when you go to the gas station to fuel up an the tanks at the station are low they're are contaminants at the bottom of the tanks an you pump those straight into your cars tank.

I can't count how many times I've seen people on the side of the road out of gas, there's no excuse for running your car out of gas.

I've run out of gas one time but it was on my ZX-7R that I used to have and I had to push it for a mile an a half. the only reason I ran out was, when the bike came from the factory they put the ON and RESERVE valve in backwards, so when I put it on reserve that was the on position. Never again am I running my tank low.