I always run on only half a tank to save weight, thats 20 or 30kg saved just like that, gives me better fuel economy in the long run

I run my cars close to E all the time and have hundreds of thousands of miles on the pump and they're fine. The reason the pump suction is at the bottom is to allow access the capacity of your fuel tank in addition to prevent sucking up air.

Good thing my car doesn’t have catalytic converters

Running low on gas on the racetrack and having the car cut out for a second is scary. Affraid of lean condition

One time I ran my ancient truck almost empty and it started messing up. Turns out my distributor got loose and that's why it was running rough. Long story short don't do this lol

Fuel pumps are not cooled by gas in Phoenix temp 118 fuel temp better than 120 fuel pumps go bad because of bad design ranger had external fuel pumps in the 80s people never knew because the never went bad running tanks low will not pick up dirt someone tells you that go dump a hand full of dirt in the tank of the dick heads car and than tell them just don't run your tank low and you won't pick up any dirt DICK HEAD Enuff said

You shouldn't really let it go below a quarter tank; when mine goes below half I start thinking about a fill up.

I had a car the fuel pump went on, it's not a fun repair folks just keep your tank full

I only put $10 in at a time for weight reduction 🤣 it gives me a half a tank also 👍 I bad about driving with the gas light on tho😔

I knew a guy who destroyed his fuel pump because whenever he did run out of fuel which was rare but when he did he kept turning over the engine burning the hell out of the fuel pump 😱

See, in my 02 accord I usually run an arab full tank. Usually about half full st the most lol

Fyi: E is not empty, but emergency. Google it if you do not believe me

In my country it is illegal to run out of gas.

Ill tell you what happens when you run out of fuel.....your journey is over! BAM! *dropped the mic* lol

So it’s not like a cell phone where it’s good to let it die sometimes? XD

He's speaking the truth. Of all the cars I've owned, I 've only had to replace a fuel pump once, and it was a car I would always run very low on fuel. The car only had a little over 50k miles on it. Ever since then, I always refill my tank once it is down to a quarter full or more, I never run it near empty like I used to.

Lol, that's an 06-08 Pilot dash on the thumbnail. I only know because I'm used to seeing that light while getting 22mpg...

Thanks, Does jerking or hesitation occur if the fuel supply is faulty?

say catalytic converter one more time!

I understand that he is an Ingineere , a good one. But I do believe he is missing objective logical points. As I tech I'm considering doing my own tube videos, to explain where these guy's think so over complicated they miss the real world results.

**reads title** Me, a college student: “in terms of gas, we have no gas”

My wife sent me this video this morning..... She then told me I was wrong..... This video does not apply to Chevy from the 90s to early 2000s.

WHO DISLIKES THIS. JUSTIFY YOUR SELF NOW !

I cringed every time he said fuel when talking about a gas engine 😖 Now... do a video about running a diesel engine out of FUEL

Does revving your car at idle cause any damage? Why do soft limiters exist?

Answer: Not really - but it’s plausible in certain situations or if done repeatedly.

Thank you for the info presented in this video. A couple years ago, my son told me he had to drop his gas tank and replace the fuel pump. We're both DIY types and we theorized that the fuel pump should remain submerged in gas to stay as cool as possible. We both adopted 1/4 tank as the lowest point we should allow before refueling. Interesting that you've reenforced our conclusion. Thanks again!

No

Good point about the pump over working and yes it will shut off due to lack of fuel but why risk it. I wonder how many drivers are watching this video while on the side of the Interstate about 5-10 miles PAST the.........”Last fuel for 300 miles sign. Obviously hoping the battery has enough life. Then again probably playing Angry Birds while waiting for Roadside Assistance instead of conserving the battery. The low fuel light is there for a reason. It’s called a “WARNING” light for a reason.....Technically speaking it is a caution but some lights are programmed to chime once in “Amber” and the second time in RED. Sorry if you ignore both of those warnings then your on your own! For those in the snow belt and other snow area locations one more thing to think of and not mentioned in the video. Keeping a decent amount of fuel can have two benefits. 1. Depending on the location of the fuel tank and fairly common location is in between the Fram rails or unibody forward of the rear axle. This location can help provide weight in the rear of the vehicle and weight can equal traction.....other factors of course, knowing how to drive in the snow, and safe driving habits. 2. You don’t want to run out because you COULD be stuck when a state closes the interstate if the weather gets bad enough and states “SHUTDOWN” Totally. It happens and can be common. Don’t believe me ask the people in upstate New York near Lake Erie. NY Thruway has been totally shut down several times and sometimes it may take a few days to clean up. First step is getting stranded motorists to safety, Second is removing traffic obstructions...( abandoned vehicles). Then work to clear the snow and treat roads. Sometimes all concurrently but it can happen. Even if you don’t actually get caught on the interstate shut down the road conditions and traffic could be high volume to clear at an exit. You want some fuel in the vehicle to run heaters, stay warm, charge phones, tablets, etc.... Simple summary....Not recommended the logic from EE is sound but don’t think that a Interstate shutdown can’t happen to you. About every winter there is another story about people that said it wouldn’t happen to them. I grew up in New England and temporary shutdowns of Interstate can be common. If not total shutdown then temporary isolated closures and speed restrictions.

Pshhhh factory fuel pumps only last about 200k miles. About 50k short of the average vehicle life 💪

Fill tank, drive till light comes on. Rinse and repeat.

I ran a 03 350z on empty for 3 years

yes didn't need a 9 minute video on it

You are wrong about this! This is a mith! In most cars there is a valve in the plastic case of the pump, that valve avoid the fuel going out and keeps the case full regardless the level of the tank. And please, gasoline DOES NOT lubricate. Excuse my English. Kind regards

I have always run to where the car would have only 1 galllon left in the system. 45L fill ups mostly in a 50 L tank for 10 years. Never had issues with the fuel system. I mean never! But I wouldn't advise doing that.

Is it a FACT or an OPINION that the fuel pump would run too hot if pumping air? While I see your reasoning about the fuel cooling it, I also see a very large reduction in heat generated when not pumping fuel....a pump spinning freely uses very little power.

I often run close to empty just to avoid carrying the extra weight. I didn't realize the fuel pump risks. Guess I'll have to change tactics.

Wasn't it a bigger issue on early fuel injected engines? For the life of me, I can't remember where I heard or read it, but I thought running the tank empty messed up the injectors on the first few engines that had them.

Depends if your car runs on gas, as opposed to petrol or diesel. This is an example where the American language just falls over into confusion.

6:37 I noticed you have what appears to be a K&N air filter or similar installed in your car. I've read some people say they allow too much dust, dirt, etc. to get past the filter or if you oil or recharge them incorrectly, the oil can damage sensors. What is your view on this?

Interesting. Having a cylinder misfire and creating knock to the point where my engine actually blew up actually happened to me even on a full (or half full) tank. The lateral Gs I was pulling on track effectively created that "fuel slushing" you're describing, and even though I was nowhere near empty, the force was so strong it was constantly pushing my fuel all the way to the sidewalls of my fuel tank, effectively leaving the bottom empty of fuel and that starved my engine.

I noticed my car had a 16gal tank size but from E to F was only 13gal. So I did the math and estimated an extra 60miles left before it's actually empty and often I ride to E which I probably shouldn't do anymore after watching this haha.

Isn't there more problems with diesel engines?

All 216 of you who dislike this video have issues with life , this man is a literally enlightening us with every video💯

So the E on your gauge is not for Enough? Also the sock on the bottom of the pump is for larger type particles to be filtered. Anything that can go through this is ok for the pump then there is a finer filter somewhere in the line to the engine. Not in the pump housing like you mentioned. Love your show. Thanks. Do you actually get to breathe during your explanations?

just fyi, there are types of fuel pumps that rely on surrounding fuel to keep them cool, the fuel does not pass through the pump to cool it, the jaguar XJ8 for example would start overheat after a quater of a tank on the guage, also the rotor of the motor was made from plastic and it would just melt.

What’s that perpendicular dead-end pipe after the catalytic converter? Something to do with acoustics, sound reduction?

there's shooting sound inside engine every time when i start the car every morning what cause that? and it can take about 15 minutes doing that

A mechanic once told me to keep the tank at least half-full, because the pump is submerged in the fuel, and the fuel -- to some extent -- keeps the pump cool. Letting the car run low all the time may shorten the life of the fuel pump.

I drove a 2002 Nissan Sentra all the way to Empty. I pull off the freeway to put gas in, I put the gas in but the car won’t start (only cranks but won’t start) after jumping the car the car starts but then almost immediately tuns off.

I drove a 2002 Nissan Sentra all the way to Empty. I pull off the freeway to put gas in, I put the gas in but the car won’t start (only cranks but won’t start) after jumping the car the car starts but then almost immediately tuns off.

Seriously bummed out... not one single math formula in this video!

I regularly run my vehicles to Empty, I’ve never had to replace a fuel pump. But do I ever run out, no. Filling my tank when it gets to 1/4 or 1/2 seems as ridiculous to me as stopping every 20 minutes to fill it up🤷‍♂️

I’ve been driving on E for years, not once have I ever had any issues..l

Samus Aran7

9 måneder siden

Of course... lol

What exactly do people consider to be "low on fuel"? When your low fuel light comes on? 1/8th of a tank? 1/4 tank? Under half a tank? I personally have never let the actual low fuel light come on in the entire life of my 2011 car, not once, but I frequently let it get pretty close to that point, probably 1/8th of a tank, definitely frequently under 1/4.

I drive for Uber, so to maximize fuel efficiency (which maximizes my profits), I typically only fill the tank half way as a means to reduce weight, and I notice about a 2-3 mpg average increase doing this, and an additional 1 to 2 mpg improvement if I routinely check and maintain tire pressure. I do my best to refuel as soon as the low fuel indicator turns on, mostly because I drive in a hilly and somewhat mountainous area, and want to avoid engine sputters (if that's even a thing with modern vehicles). The lowest I ever let it got was probably 1 gallon left in the tank, as the indicator comes on at about 2 to 2.5 gallons. Hopefully I'm not causing damage that will suddenly bite me in the ass. I put nearly 9,000 miles on my car last year just doing Uber driving, and that of course takes a toll on any vehicle.

Year one I filled my car at half a tank. Then, I took a 1 gallon fuel container, and learned the limits of my car, letting it run out completely. Now I go under zero just about every fill up, to decrease the number of times I have to go to the gas station.

answer as an I3s owner nope it does not damage it cause bmw limits fuel consumption so you cannot do that with the i3

It is a good idea to refuel your tank when it goes down to a half tank, because you never know when an emergency situation will leave us without power and gas stations will shut down.

Can you do a similar video on diesel?Thanks

When my former spouse ran the minivan out of gas, she pooched the fuel pump and injectors. Even with replacement parts it never ran the same again. Of coursethis was the GM 3400 and that wasn't the only problem we had with it.

1997 Mustang 3.8 run out of fuel feel times and always driven to the last fill drops do to my procrastination . Sold the car with 185,000 miles with the original fuel pump 🧐

I like how informative you are. But your voice bothers me a little lol.

This video it @ me, I don’t fill up till it’s right above the red line

Ermagherd I clicked then realized that you're automotive blues clues lmfao

Overheating pump? Utter rubbish! This is fiction. From personal experience I can assure you, that on my car, running out of gas has no adverse effect. I run out of gas once or twice a week. My Nissan truck is quirky... If low on gas and you stop on downhill the gas engine starves of fuel and cuts out. Happens all the time, that is how I know that it is time to fill up.

I keep my car in the garage so I never run out of fuel.

Life hack:If fuel starts to run out and engine starts to cut out just steer quickly left-right so fuel slushes in tank and you will get some more couple of miles. Of course there is slight risk of fuel pump damage.

One thing that was overlooked, though rare, is sudden fuel shortage. Last year we had a state wide truck drivers riot that stopped fueling of all gas stations overnight. Coincidentally, my car was on reserve and wouldn't make it through the next two days (the protests lasted over a week). For that time, the car was completely empty. Since then, I also run on at least 1/3 in fear of some day, fuel simply disappearing.

THE WAY YOU HAVE EXPLAINED EVERY TIME IS THE LIKE THE BOOK SERIES, FOR DUMMIES, WHICH IS GREAT BECAUSE TOO MANY PEOPLE HAVE COME UP WITH THEIR OWN UNPROVEN THEORIES

The answer is Yes, especially if you have Diesel....

The thing I really wanna know about gas tank is why the first quarter seems to last so much longer than the 3 other quarters left ? Why the needle is so non-linear ?

Redtooth 75

11 måneder siden

They should be linear. However, the fuel pump gauge is a resistance based sensor. As the car gets older corrosion can make the gauge inaccurate

but what is considered low fuel in the first place ? When my low fuel light turns on I still about 1 or 2 gallons which is a ton of miles... so I guess it's not that low at this time...

Mark Codiroli

10 måneder siden

1/8 ofa tank is consider low no matter the size of tank or fuel economy

Most Importantly: Because the plastic fuel pump sits in liquid gasoline the pump is meant to be insulated by the gasoline itself which has a low freezing point/high boiling point and maintains a stable temperature range regardless of exterior temperature swings.

How about the thinking more dirt will be sucked up from the bottom of the tank (because of less dilution from the liquidity of the fuel)? Or basically if true the fuel filter will get clogged up faster.

Was told that fuel injectors could get clogged if you run low, or out, of gas.

I definitely noticed very minor performance and mpg gains in my first 2 cars which were 1 litre and 1.2 litre running with less fuel in the tank due to weight. Last car was a 1.8 astra bertone and current car is an audi tt 225. By habit ive always ran with a maximum of half a tank since my first two cars. Yet to even test if there is still a difference in the higher powered cars i drive today...

Nice video. I'll take heed and not run my tank to near empty every time.

Now I want a separate cooling system for my fuel pump.

4:10 yeahh learned that the hard way. Very scroogy during college years. Only filled ~$3 equivalent when its on empty, always having to fill ~$3 when its empty. So im gessing the fuel pump never get to properly “bathe” in the cooling fuel. Busted my fuel pump after just 1 year of usage. It was a handmedown car from my old man n he had it for 5 years. After changing the fuel pump, always kept the fuelgauge above the quarter line. Its been 10 years since the last time i changed the fuel pump of that car and my little brother drive it around now. So yeah, always keep the fuel decently above empty to prevent overheating. Especially for older cars who dont have electronic cutoffs.

I'm always filling up to 25litres(6.6gallons) of high octane (98%) fuel so I'm sure to rip at any given moment. So I'm driving with the 'tank' symbol lighted up 30% of the time. Also, when I'm closing in on some big intersection red light, I turn off the car key beforehand, roll on for 55yds and just brake. Is this bad for the brake system and/or the power steering (since I use force to turn the wheel to get in a decent position) Thank you for your teachings!!

And engine oil

You forgot one. 1.Air 2.Fuel 3.spark 4.Compression 5.TIMING!!

The main issue I've heard of, which sadly wasn't addressed at all, is the layer of water from atmospheric condensation sitting atop the fuel getting into the fuel pumps' intake when the fuel level is bottoming out, and thereby getting a fuel/water mix into the engine and fuel systems. Seems to me like a valid, or even the the main concern, or is it just an 'old wives tale'? I'm sure many others have heard of this and would appreciate it being discussed in a follow-up up video.

Another reason not to drive while low on fuel is that you might realize once you're at the pump that you forgot your wallet…

I was warned that the fuel not only cools the pump as it passes thru, but also cools the housing of the pump, so that low fuel levels reduce the outer surface cooling of the pump. Any truth to that?

On some Corvettes, running low on fuel can cause some build up on the level sensor causing false level readings.

2.2 ecotec does not like going dry lmao the purge valve gets stuck and the charcoal canister dries up and cracks

Stop. With. The. Uppers. F. F. S.

for diesels, always keep a 5 liter tank in the trunk, don't do it with gasoline though, as it consist a higher fire hazard.

That was about fuel but what about diesel and the accumulated water on the bottom of your tank which you going to suck in now ?

Does this apply to my lawn mower and snow blower? They run out of fuel All the time.

is overfill your car tank once gonna break stuff?

Where can i get a Honda S2000 ?

Very informative. One question pls. Some drivers say that it is bad to drive around with half filled tank during winter(-20-30C) because of condensation and all that. Is there any suggestion on that. Thx

some of you fill up at 1/4 a tank for whatever reason. i fill mine up at negative 1/16 because i dont particularly like the ritual of fueling very much. my mentality is that if i always fill it (dont just put $10 in) and if i wait until its empty, i will minimize how many times im at the gas station in my life. im telling you this because every car i have owned (that has a fuel light) has allowed me to drive at least 60 miles farther. i have never run out of gas except for my truck that didnt have a fuel light, and it was on purpose just to know for sure (i had a full gas can with me). the truck also runs out at about one fuel gauge needle thickness below the empty mark.

Love that S2000 but dang the fenders are 2 different colors..

So one way or the other, don't run your car hard to prevent damage...has several other benefits as well, but yeah ;p

"And it needs oxygen, of course the air around us will do" ya, because it's not exactly the purest source of oxygen 😂😂😂😂

Hi, this is a very interesting topic for me as I always have my tank running from E to 1/3rd and back to E, because the company does not give us a tone of money for fuel. But my car also have a reserve portion of the tank so at E we have still arround 2,5 galons, that we never use. So I ask you if you think that in this scenario I'm risking to damage the fuel pump.