Lots of car owners have at least one bad habit around car ownership. That habit might be waiting too long to get oil changes or skipping tire rotations or other tire maintenance. For some car owners, the bad habit of choice is waiting until the absolute last second to get gas. Keeton Auto Repair wants you to know why that’s not such a great plan.
You Can Damage the Fuel System
It might sound weird that you can damage parts of the fuel system by being low on gas, but it’s true. First, there’s sediment in fuel and that can be easier to pump up out of the tank when there’s not a lot of gas in there. That can clog the fuel filter, make the fuel more difficult to pump, and it can clog up both the fuel lines and the fuel injectors. All of that is extremely bad for the fuel system and worse, it can cause problems in the engine.
You Can Damage the Engine
If sediment gets into the engine compartment, that’s something that can cause a misfire in the engine. Something else to consider is that if there’s other stuff getting into the combustion chamber, that’s taking up space that should be taken up by fuel. So the engine itself not only isn’t getting the gas that it needs, it’s also burning off compounds that should never even be there. The damage this causes at first is not massive, but over time it can build up and become a much bigger issue.
It’s So Easy to Get Stranded
For many car owners, the worst and most immediate problem with driving around low on gas is that you can get stranded somewhere so very easily. Gas gauges aren’t as accurate as most car owners believe them to be, and you can be lower on fuel than you realize. If you push that luck too hard, you’re bound to run out of fuel at a time that is worst for you. That one decision can end up costing you a good bit of time, and maybe even a towing charge.
Need some help with car maintenance or do you have questions about anything that might be going on with your car? Contact us today at Keeton Auto Repair in Overland Park, KS. We’re here to help and we love helping people take the best possible care of their cars.
