Do you defy your low-fuel warning light and drive on fumes? Are you doing so because you think it will save you money? The truth is, to drive on fumes actually costs you money in the end and the reason why is that it causes engine damage. Your European automobile is a feat of automotive engineering genius. Don’t ruin it by driving on empty. East Coast EuroWerks explains why this is a bad idea below.
It Ruins Your Fuel Pump
Fuel pump motors used to be vacuum but now they’re electric and these motors can get hot if something isn’t as it should be. If you’re driving on fumes, your fuel pump is drawing air through it instead of gasoline. This unbalances the air/fuel mixture in your engine but that isn’t the worst thing that happens. Your fuel pump’s motor will overheat and cause your engine to overheat because the gasoline that runs through it keeps it cool much like engine coolant keeps your engine cool.
It Introduces Sediment Into Your Engine
Do your kids have a fish tank? You know how the rocks on the bottom stay on the bottom and the water stays on top unless something unsettles it? The same thing is happening in your automobile’s gas tank. All gasoline, even the premium grade, has sediment in it. This sediment settles in the bottom of your vehicle’s gas tank. The lower the gas gets in the tank the more sediment is drawn through to the engine. The sediment can damage your engine, clog your fuel filter, and clog your fuel injectors.
You’ll Become a Road Hazard
Finally, you know that guy who’s stalled in the middle of the road? The guy who’s making everyone late to work because he’s just become a sigalert? Do you want to be that guy? If you push your gas tank to the limit, you will either run out of gas or breakdown due to the reasons discussed above. Here’s where driving on fumes gets expensive. First, whatever damage you’ve done to your engine must be repaired but before that can even happen, you’ll have to be towed off the road, which can be pricey.
Even if you have roadside assistance, don’t use up one of your annual calls because you need gas. Keep your vehicle’s fuel system and engine healthy by keeping your gas tank full. If you do run into fuel system trouble, call East Coast EuroWerks in Wilmington, NC, today.
