Has anyone heard that you can damage your fuel pump by driving with less that 1/4 tank of fuel?
Truth or Rumor?!
Truth or Rumor?!
Driving with less that 1/4 tank of fuel
- Thread starter nhkid
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I've never heard of that personally, but have heard that if so equipped, not changing your inline fuel filter when recommended may damage a fuel pump.
Patman
Staff member
In some cars yes. Not quite 1/4 tank, but if you get closer to empty. I know a lot of guys with LS1 f-bodies who killed their pumps by running the level very close to empty. I almost killed mine in my 98 Formula too, I was drag racing and running very low on fuel but I wanted to keep racing so I didn't want to leave the grounds for fuel. The pump was hissing very loudly until I filled it up. Most guys report this is what their pump did just moments before it gave up the ghost.
So as a rule I never go below 1/4 tank with any of my cars, especially not when drag racing. As a matter of fact most of the time I end up filling up before I reach 1/2 tank, especially in the winter since I want the extra weight over the rear wheels in my Firebird.
So as a rule I never go below 1/4 tank with any of my cars, especially not when drag racing. As a matter of fact most of the time I end up filling up before I reach 1/2 tank, especially in the winter since I want the extra weight over the rear wheels in my Firebird.
The fuel in the tank cools the pump. So when the fuel no longer covers the pump body it can overheat and burn out. Also air bubbles going through the pump tend to damage it. Hank
I suppose that's true, but I often fill my car with 11 gallons or a little more on a 12.5 gallon tank. A week or two ago, it held 11.989 gallons. That was almost Zippo time!(Raise hood, open zippo lighter, wave under hood to release lighter fluid fumes.)
It is NOT good to run any modern car completely outa fuel.
1/4 tank shouldn't hurt anything though.....in fact it's the best time to add massive quantities of fuel injector cleaners, etc
1/4 tank shouldn't hurt anything though.....in fact it's the best time to add massive quantities of fuel injector cleaners, etc
On my pickups in the summertime, I drive them until the low fuel light comes on - generally about 3 gallons left in a 25 gallon tank, roughly an 1/8th of a tank. No fuel pump replacements to speak of, but I don't tend to push much further than that.
The fuel is used to cool the pump, so when you literally drain the tank under hot conditions, you may indeed fry the pump by overheating it.
The fuel is used to cool the pump, so when you literally drain the tank under hot conditions, you may indeed fry the pump by overheating it.
guys, if running below a 1/4 tank of gas was bad for the pump and damages it the auto makers would have implemented some sort of fuel pump cooling system using heatsinks or splashing mechanism's or the fuel pick up tube would be coiled around the pump sort of like a waterjacket to cool it. why dont they do this?
why is it that inline rotary pumps which are not cooled by fuel dont quickly burn out? because they dont put out enough HEAT!
why is it that inline rotary pumps which are not cooled by fuel dont quickly burn out? because they dont put out enough HEAT!
have implemented some sort of fuel pump cooling system using heatsinks or splashing mechanism's or the fuel pick up tube would be coiled around the pump sort of like a waterjacket to cool it. why dont they do this?
LOL if the OEM's did many things the cars would be perfect machines lasting many many idiot proof miles.
Or as my dad an electrical engineer told me...
"Us engineers can build the perfect machines if it weren't for the corporate bean counters that tie our hands back. Never blame the engineers blame the execs
LOL if the OEM's did many things the cars would be perfect machines lasting many many idiot proof miles.
Or as my dad an electrical engineer told me...
"Us engineers can build the perfect machines if it weren't for the corporate bean counters that tie our hands back. Never blame the engineers blame the execs
while you are right that a certain "planned obsolescence" is at hand, they still make these cars to run 100K miles easily.
and this doesnt explain external fuel pumps and their ability to not be actively cooled.
and this doesnt explain external fuel pumps and their ability to not be actively cooled.
Although my BMW is notorious for fuel pump failure, I consistenty run the car until it's down to within a gallon of empty...24 gallon tank...and twice I completely ran out of fuel. This obviously wasn't the smartest thing but, I'm still going strong after 156k mi. on the original pumps (car has 2).
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