There are plenty of horror stories from car owners whose cars break down in the middle of the road because the fuel tank is empty. Sometimes people forget and run on empty for as long as possible before hitting the gas station. But when is the best time to fill up the gas tank to ensure your car runs smoothly and save some money?
The technicians at Duval Ford in Jacksonville all had the same answer: at a 1/4 tank. But the technicians also gave some insight into why running on empty isn’t the best choice in the long run if you want to keep your car for longer and in better condition.
“At a 1/4 tank, so you don’t burn up your fuel pump. I’ve done that a couple times,” explained one technician.
Another agreed that a 1/4 tank is the best time to fill up on gas and said, “because the fuel actually cools on the fuel pump, so if you run it on E (empty), the pump runs hotter. And then it burns it up over time.”
Many agreed that driving with a nearly empty tank has a higher risk of ruining your car, with one technician also mentioning there’s a risk of burning the car filter.
The comment section of the video has mixed reviews from car owners, with some expressing gratitude for the information and others questioning the 1/4 tank rule as a myth.
“Been running it almost dry in my ram 2500 probably 90% of fill ups (when it stops reading the range in miles and says “low” and then the needle goes under the empty line. I have 162,000 miles now and I’m on the original fuel pump I’ve done it with all my cars too. Myth,” said one commenter.
But one commenter disagreed, saying, “I have had a fuel pump die because of this. I was 20 and no one before that told me I wasn’t supposed to drive around on e. Lol.”
Others commented that they keep it safe and fill up the tank when it’s halfway out of gas.
