Trying to drive when you're low on gas - a habit you should quit

Driving with the fuel gauge low or the fuel light on can damage engine components.

The habit of driving with low fuel and the fuel warning light on happens to many drivers. According to Dailymail, statistics from an insurance company show that every year in the UK, about 827,000 people ignore the fuel warning light.

About 25% said they believed they could drive about 40 miles after the light came on. Nearly 2 million drivers admitted that they would ignore the light even if it came on in hopes of finding a cheaper gas station. Men were more confident, thinking they could drive 31 miles, while women were cautious, thinking they could only drive about 24 miles.

So is it harmful to drive when the fuel tank is low?

First of all, the way to measure fuel in old or modern cars is through a fuel float, this float determines the fuel level height and then sends it to the ECU through the electronic system or wire on the old car.

Therefore, there is a phenomenon of different fuel gauges, which can increase or decrease when parking on a slope for a long time, facing down or facing up. Therefore, the fuel level indicator is just a simple general indication.

Running your car until it runs out of fuel is not good for your engine or mechanical parts. According to Ray Sparrow, a mechanic with 40 years of experience, engines, especially diesel engines, are susceptible to damage if they run out of gas. This is because some machine parts are designed to be submerged in fuel and cannot withstand corrosion caused by air, such as injectors, pumps, and seals.

The impact on gasoline engines is less, but that does not mean the vehicle is not damaged. Letting the fuel run out, air entering the fuel system can prevent enough fuel from reaching the engine, at which point repairs are required.

The next reason is that the amount of fuel left is not a reasonable choice for the engine. "Imagine a tank of fuel with little left, like a bottle of red wine that is almost empty," Sparrow compares. Usually, sediment will form at the bottom of the tank, this sediment will enter the engine, reducing the explosion efficiency and destroying the parts.

Finally, it is not certain that you will be able to find a gas station even if you try to drive long distances or in unfamiliar places. A car that dies in the middle of the road due to running out of gas not only wastes the owner's time, but is also dangerous because the power steering and braking systems... all work ineffectively, especially when driving at high speeds.

According to VnExpress