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Every vehicle has a certain amout of fuel that will never be used, this saves the fuel pump from burning out. If your tank is 14 gallons, there will only be about 12.5 to 13 gallons of usable fuel. So you can run it completely out and there will still be fuel in it.
This could be true. In one experiment I had done with the old tank, the stated capacity was 15 gallons. Now in some cases when I had ran the tank down to where the needle hit the E mark and filled it up, I saw afterward that it had filled at 15.5, sometimes close to 16 gallons. So that tells me that I really have 16 gallons max, but 15 usable gallons. The extra gallon (in my car in this case) is strictly reserve and is meant for you to head for a station asap.
Frequently. At least when I KNOW there are opportunities to fill up.
I grew up in Wyoming though, and learned not to let it go past 1/4 because that's not usually enough to get you to the next available fuel stop. And when out visiting my folks, I still make sure I can get 100+ miles on whatever fuel I have in the car when passing any given fuel station.
In motorcycles, I *INTENTIONALLY* turn on the reserve to clear out the sediment/water/whatever that's sitting on the bottom of the tank. I believe that most cars/trucks pick up the fuel from the "bottom" of the tank anyway, so any sediment or water will be sucked into the system regardless.
Speaking of sediment, obviously that comes with filling up. If you see a fuel truck at a fuel station, skip that station till the next day. The process of filling the main tanks stirs up the sediment which is then pumped into your tank if you fill up then.
I've run the gas down to the bare minimum several times in my ride. I have one of those "miles to empty" indicators" that I've taken down to 2 miles to go and the needle is below E. I don't fear contaminants being in the tank from rust, etc. What concerns me is what comes out of the ground at the gas station. If I see a tanker at the station, I'll drive by and get gas somewhere else. I have no idea if I am being overcautious or just crazy, but that's my habit.
This is a good practice. When the tankers are filling the retailer's underground takns, they stir up sediment which can end up in your gas tank.
Regarding the OP, I rarely let my gas tank get below 1/4, but a couple of times in the past year I did more driving than I expected to and ended up practically driving on fumes. It didn't cause a problem except for a bit of anxiety as I was searching for a filling station before my tank was empty!
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In my 02 Mustang, yes all the time. In my 05, no never.
I simply don't want all of the drama associated with running my 05 lower. If I do run it below 1/4 more than a few times then my check engine light will come on. We will take it to the dealership & they put it on the computer & nothing shows up on the computer but the check engine light goes off anyway. After we get it back from the dealership though my fuel gauge stops working. To get my fuel gauge working again I have to run my battery down. Which means that we then have to jump start the car.
So in my 05 no. I'm convienced that all of my electrical wires should be replaced & that should fix all my problems. However, replacing the electrical would be a bigger pain in the butt then the drama of running the car below 1/4. So, I'll just keep putting gas in the car. But in my 02 I have no problem at all running it below 1/4.
I consider 1/2 tank to be empty so I refill at 1/2 tank.
Saves a lot of worry.................
Then again our '93 Suburban has a 45 gal tank. About 1/2 is 25 gal so I never run out of fuel.
Wow that's a large tank. I can't imagine filling that up at current gas prices
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It didn't cause a problem except for a bit of anxiety as I was searching for a filling station before my tank was empty!
