How is running a car until the gas tank is empty harmful to the car?
Driving until the gas tank is empty is a common situation for many drivers. What are the effects of this on the car if it happens repeatedly?
Damage to fuel pump
According to experts, drivers trying to move when the car is out of gas can affect the fuel pump, one of the most important parts of the car.
The fuel pump is directly connected to the tank, and is responsible for sucking fuel into the combustion chamber, and the fuel acts as a coolant for the fuel pump. When there is not enough fuel, the pump will suck in air. This situation often occurs, causing damage to the filter and motor, causing the vehicle to suddenly stop while running, lose power when accelerating, and the engine to vibrate.
In addition, the residue in the empty fuel tank is also sucked into the pump to supply the engine. This situation occurs many times, causing the fuel pump and injectors to become clogged, causing damage to the systems.
Bad effects on car engine
Driving a car on empty can have a negative impact on the engine, mechanical parts, power steering and brakes. This is because mechanical parts only work effectively and durably when the fuel tank is full, and these parts are easily worn out by external factors.
Sediment stuck to the filter not only causes blockage, preventing fuel from entering the combustion chamber, but also increases the risk of dirt entering the fuel line and the vehicle's engine. If this condition is not resolved promptly, it will cause problems in the exhaust pipe, the engine is susceptible to corrosion, and operates with poor performance.
It is easy to cause an accident when the car stops suddenly on the road.
Many drivers, when they see that their car is almost out of gas, still try to continue moving before refueling. However, the car owner cannot be sure that the remaining gas in the tank can help them get to the next gas station or not. In case of complete lack of gas, the car will suddenly stop, affecting time, work, and can even surprise the car behind, leading to unfortunate accidents.
Therefore, drivers should check the fuel tank before each trip or use the map to stop at the nearest gas station.
How to know if your car is running out of gas
When the vehicle is running low on fuel, the fuel indicator light will come on as a warning to the user to refuel. Typically, the fuel indicator light comes on when the vehicle has about 10-15% of fuel left in the tank. Each vehicle model will have a different fuel tank capacity and the amount of fuel left in the tank when the fuel indicator light comes on will be different.
The fuel indicator light works based on the sensor from the amount of fuel in the tank. Specifically, in the fuel tank there is a fuel float, according to the fuel consumption process, when the fuel float reaches a certain threshold, the light will turn on to signal the user that the fuel is running out and needs to be refilled. In addition, the fuel warning system can change depending on the slope of the road. Therefore, the warning in some cases is only relative.
After the fuel warning light is on, the vehicle is expected to travel about 30 - 70km, depending on conditions. The fuel warning system has two levels: a steady light indicating that it is time to refuel, and a flashing light indicating that the fuel tank is low.
To avoid the situation of the car running out of gas in the middle of the road, affecting the movement as well as minimizing unnecessary damage to the car, experts advise users to pay attention to the amount of fuel in the car. Users should refuel when the tank is about 1/2 full.