When learning to drive, it is generally explained that driving your car on empty is not really good for it. While most people accept that fact, it doesn’t stop people from doing it anyway. Stopping for gas after a long day at work and in traffic can be a huge inconvenience to some, so they simply drive until the last possible second before they are forced to stop and gas up their cars. At United Auto Care in Flowery Branch, GA, we are here to reiterate what your driving instructor told you: it’s not a great idea to drive on empty.
You Could Get Stranded
This is the most obvious one. If you drive on empty, you are rolling the dice on whether or not you’ll run out of gas. Yes, most of the time you’ll make it to the gas station before your car completely quits on you, but eventually, your luck is going to run out. At that point, you’ll either have to call a tow truck, AAA, or grab a gas can and put on your walking shoes. Does that sound any easier than taking five minutes to fill up?
It’s Not Great For Your Engine
Without gasoline in your engine, you are missing an integral part of the combustion process. The spark plugs ignite the fuel, and with it missing, it can cause engine misfires at first. At first. Driving on empty for long enough and frequently enough can cause engine damage down the line, and no one wants that.
Your Fuel Pump & Filter Are Overworked
If you are running on empty, your car’s fuel pump tends to run hot. Without the gasoline to help it keep cool, the fuel pump heats up. Eventually, it will break from the stress. The fuel filter doesn’t have a great time of things either. Its job is to filter out debris from your gasoline, and debris tends to settle at the bottom. When there isn’t much fuel, the filter has to work overtime on protecting your engine, and eventually, it’s going to fail. That could spell big trouble for how your engine runs.
If you’ve got a habit of driving on empty, bring your vehicle to the pros at United Auto Care in Flowery Branch, GA. We can inspect your fuel system to make sure you haven’t done any damage, and we can help repair any existing damage before it gets worse. So there is your answer. Is it ok to drive on empty? No, it really isn’t.
