Q. Is it bad to regularly drive my car until the low gas
light comes on?
A. It’s like dancing with the devil. All right, not
really--but it’s still not a good idea. Running out of gas is a serious drag
and depending on where and when it happens, it can turn into a dangerous
situation.
Aside from the risk of getting stranded on the side of the
road at the mercy of passersby, driving your car down to the bottom of your gas
tank can actually do damage your car’s engine.
Gas has small particles of dirt and other gunk that
accumulate and sink to the bottom of your tank. The lower your gas level goes,
the more gunk gets stirred up and mixed with the remaining gas.
If you’re driving with a low tank, this sediment is pulled
up into your engine. Some of it will be caught by your fuel filter, but some
dirty gas will make it into your fuel line and finally to your engine where can
do some serious damage, including ruining your fuel pump.
Mucking up your engine with dirty gas is easily avoidable.
Just fill it up. Try not to let your tank get below a quarter of tank and you
should be good to go.
No comments:
Post a Comment