It’s happened again: you’re just about halfway home when your gas light flicks on, reminding you that it’s time to pull over into a gas station and refill. But how “empty” is empty? Can you still make it home, and then back out to the gas station in the morning?
According to Thrillist, you probably can make it home without worry. Most cars’ gas warning lights go on when there’s about enough gas to drive 20 to 30 miles, and some cars can drive as far as 100 miles on what’s left in the tank. But in the majority of vehicles, this is only an estimate, and can vary greatly based on how you’ve been driving. Your car may think the gas tank has 20 miles left, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be able to drive a full 20 miles before running out. That begs the second question: should you risk it?
Running out of gas while you’re on the road can be dangerous. Losing power while on a crowded highway, for example, can lead to some serious concerns with other cars on the road at high speeds, not to mention the question of how to get gas and refill your vehicle. More importantly, running on fumes and then running out of gas can cause a lot of damage to your car.
Clark Howard says that driving near empty could cause your car’s electric fuel-pump motor, which pumps gas from your tank to the engine, to run warm. Normally, the gas in your tank acts somewhat like a coolant to keep the pump from overheating, but if it does and leads to a failure, replacing your pump could cost you a few hundred bucks in repairs.
Sediment and other dirt and debris typically sink to the bottom of your gas tank, as well, which means that while it’s common to think you’re “running on fumes,” you’re actually running on the dirtiest portion of gas in your car. This debris could get pulled into your car’s fuel line and even your engine, meaning you’ll need to get everything flushed out and cleaned – another costly service bill.
The moral of the story is to try to keep your tank at least one-quarter full at all times, but if your gas warning light does come on, don’t ignore it. If you’ve been stuck in a situation where you had to let your gas tank run out, and you’re in need of a few repairs or a tune up, call AV Bumper to Bumper today at 661-949-1999 and schedule a service appointment today.
