Empty gas tank = less gas mileage ??

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I read the following off the net and was wondering if this is true or just pure Hog Wash ??

"Don't let your gas tank run empty. Every time your fuel gauge goes below 1/4 tank, you are ingesting more air into your system, thus causing a less efficient gasoline burn. The result: your mileage goes down."

Is this true ?
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Are you serious???? It's hog wash for many reasons. I don't know where to begin!!

Give us the source... I'm sure some of us would jump into that conversation and set them straight.
 
First off; I don't believe you are pulling air into the system. Even if you are, it's fuel vapor, not air, at least I sure hope I don't have an air/fuel mix in the tank...

Second;
Powertrain Control Management, AKA adaptive feedback control
Oxygen Sensor

If anything, you probably get slightly better fuel economy since you are hauling slightly less weight around...
 
I always heard not to let your tank run under a quarter tank. as all the dirt and stuff that could be in there. can get sucked up by the pump quicker and clog your fuel filter. is this true or like the above false.
 
Going under a 1/4 tank increases condensation in the fuel tank. This moisture can cause problems in the fuel system.

I stay above 1/4 tank, unless on a road trip.
 
basically what I do. once I go under a half tank I fill up. also this way after filling up I dont cry as much as I pay lol.
 
This person also wrote
Quote
"Keeping your headlights on does not affect your gas mileage. The car's alternator is spinning at all times when the engine is running"

That is also in the hogwash column.

This person says that - "As an engineer, and the son of an engineer"

I am going to disagree.
I am a marine engineer and I think I am taught at a high level of fluid dynamics and I can not figure where these concepts are coming from.

I dont have time right now to read the rest of the article, but when I come back it should prove entertaining.
 
Its a bunch of random crap from people posting their own "tips". Some good, some bad.

Another person stated they only fill their tank between 1/4 and 1/2 to save weight and therefore gas - doens't the idiot realize that by driving to the gas station 2-3 times as often he's wasting gas.
 
I think the fuel tank condensation and dirt arguments are WAY overrated. First of all, your tank is vented through a charcoal canister to a vacuum line, controlled by a solenoid. Little if any outside air ever enters in there. It's almost a completely closed system. Moisture should only be a problem if it's introduced by the gas pump.

Second, I'm not saying dirt will never get into your tank, but first, fuel is drawn from well above the bottom of the storage tanks when it's pumped into your car. There are also fuel filters at the gas pump that should trap any contaminants. I suspect that most peoples tanks are much cleaner than they would expect. Couple this with the fact that most manufacturers no longer include fuel filters on the maintenance schedule and I say hogwash to that argument.

My position is that you should drive it until the gauge is as low as you're comfortable with. I let mine get down to E, which gives me about 2.5 gallons left, subtracting the amount I pump from the tank capacity. In addition, I think if a few air bubbles get pumped into the fuel lines, it's not going to make a noticable difference. The O2 sensor will probably compensate for that condition by richening the mixture slightly to compensate for the extra air.
 
quote:

Originally posted by mechtech:
Also, most gas has alcohol in it, which absorbs any water and passes it though.

Methanol will do that, but not ethanol. Someone posted a link a week or two ago to a site that sells instructions on how to home-brew ethanol. They stated quite clearly that unless you can make 200 proof ethanol, you can't mix it with gas, as the water will separate out of the mixture. There are ways of removing the 5% or so of water that you can't distill out, but if you get water in your tank, you need methanol, which is the main ingredient in gas line antifreeze.
 
I've been running my tank pretty low lately and haven't noticed the gas mileage being any worse than when I ran with a lot more fuel in it. (I keep a close eye on my MPG via my trip computer)
 
quote:

Originally posted by Matt_S:

quote:

Originally posted by mechtech:
Also, most gas has alcohol in it, which absorbs any water and passes it though.

Methanol will do that, but not ethanol.


Don't feel like digging it up at the moment, but I read an ethanol fact sheet a few days ago, and it does absorb water. In fact, that is one of the things the ethanol fear mongers harp on.

As mentioned above, the fuel tank on modern cars is a closed system, except when it's being filled, and has a vacuum on it to boot. The part that is not liquid fuel is fuel vapor. Only condensation is fuel vapor going back to liquid fuel. If the system is not closed, say the cap gets left off, you get a CEL.
 
quote:

Originally posted by LT4 Vette:
I did a web search for Lucas and gas mileage......and this is where I read it.


http://www.ehow.com/tips_2629_4.html


Here's the best tip on the page -


49. Fuel Saver Tips

Keep the muffler bearings lubricated for optimal performance. Use synthetic halogen fluid only (the blue kind), instead of the standard SAE 40 variety. Be sure to use thinner brake pads on the next brake job. By using pads with less friction material, you will create less drag between the pad and the rotor. Finally, inflate the tires with a product called HeliGel. This is a helium based gel that is injected into the tires of the vehicle. Once the gel hits the air in the tires, it vaporizes into helium gas and will lower the vehicle weight by 30-50 pounds.


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"Every time your fuel gauge goes below 1/4 tank, you are ingesting more air into your system, thus causing a less efficient gasoline burn. The result: your mileage goes down."

Doesn't this guy know that you're already ingesting a lot of air into the combustion chamber, and that that's the way engines work? Its called the air intake system. And of course then there's the superchargers and turbochargers, which force a lot MORE air into the system.
 
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