Everyone has been in this scenario once or more in their lives – When you’ve had a busy week or day, all you want to do is run back home. However, rush hour traffic slows you down and puts your car at a stop. And before you know it, the low gas indicator comes on your dash. Whether you panic or not, you might start to wonder when the tank will run dry. Should you take a risk and run your gas as close to empty as possible? Or take the extra 15 minutes or so to fill up?
Truthfully, it is not good to run your car for long with the low fuel light on, let alone running the tank completely empty. There are two reasons why:
You Could Run Out Completely and Be Stuck
The most obvious reason why you should not drive until your gas light comes on is that you may feel like you can put it off for longer. Eventually, you will run out of gas while on the road. This can be a costly situation to put yourself in. Think about the cost of having to call for a tow truck (or friend if you are lucky) or walking to the closest gas station (and that is IF you have a container to hold your fuel).
Your Fuel System Can Be Harmed
Your car is meant to carry fuel at all times. And it has a system of fuel-related components. For example, the fuel filter is made to be dipped in fuel. When you run your car too low on gas, it can cause misfires. Therefore, we don’t recommend taking the risk of harming your fuel system parts.
Driving on E or empty is not a smart move – let the professional team at Austin’s Automotive Specialist check on the condition of your fuel system every once in a while. We welcome you to bring your car, SUV, or truck to our auto repair shop for all your automotive needs. And don’t forget to fill up before the fuel light comes on!