In the short term, nothing worse than a failure of a gasoline pump should happen. That is, it is unlikely if the car runs out of fuel in the tank, it will catch fire or explode. At least if you have a modern car, whose systems are sufficiently “fool-proof” and will not allow you to harm the engine, but simply turn it off when the fuel runs out.
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However, the broken fuel pump will have to be repaired. And it can easily cost from 600-800 rubles for old “Zhiguli” to 20-30 thousand rubles for some “Germans”. Add to this the cost of replacement work and ordering a tow truck to take the immobilized car to the nearest service. Agree, unpleasant unnecessary waste and body movements that can be avoided, refuel on timewithout waiting for a burning light and an alarming service “dzin”!
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But even if you are lucky, your car’s fuel pump can digest nails and all of the above did not happen, then you should definitely not get carried away with driving with an almost empty tank. There are at least three good reasons to always keep it at least half or even three-quarters full.
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Overheating and airing
During the operation of the vehicle, the pump is cooled by the fuel passed through it. The less fuel in the tank, the worse the heat exchange processes will be and the higher the wear of this small but vital unit will be. This means that the car owner, by his actions or, on the contrary, by inaction, can contribute to the early failure of the unit.
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In addition, the fuel pump may well swallow air from an empty tank. Any specialist will confirm that airing the fuel system is an unpleasant event in the life of a car. Especially diesel. This may be followed by a failure to start the engine, its unstable operation, triplets, failures during acceleration. And this again direct way to car service and again unplanned spending.
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Dirt in the system
Previously, when car fuel tanks were made of metal, they corroded and at the bottom with gasoline or diesel fuel precipitate appeared. When the tank was empty, the concentration of dirt in the fuel increased greatly. As a result, the fuel filter became clogged, making life difficult for both the fuel pump and the entire engine.
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Things are much better now, since the fuel tanks of modern cars are made mostly of plastic. Therefore, the likelihood of a threat to clog the system, and with it the combustion chamber, with residues from fuel is much less. However, it is also impossible to completely sweep aside such a scenario, because even in a plastic tank, sediment may appear over time. due to the presence of impurities in the fuel.
Regardless of the material of the fuel tank, condensation will inevitably form on its walls due to the temperature difference. Moreover, when the tank is empty, more water will appear on the inner surfaces than when it is almost full. As you know, water is heavier than gasoline and diesel fuel, and therefore it will be closer to the fuel pump.
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Once in the line, the water will create jams, at least preventing the engine from starting, or even blocking it altogether. work in cold weather… For this reason, starting a car in the morning with an empty tank can be much more difficult. And the engine will not benefit from moisture either. After all, water in the fuel system can lead to unstable operation of the power unit, and it will also not develop the required power. And you shouldn’t forget about the possible corrosion of the same pipes of the system from moisture ingress into them.
