Ever been in a situation where you are driving and suddenly the dreaded "low fuel" notification light comes on right in front of you, and then you dash into panic mode? Yes! If not all, most drivers would have experienced such.
There are days like that when you just can't help it - either because you were in a heavy traffic gridlock and as a result, your vehicle went low on fuel or you just weren't paying attention to gas level or you just didn't care, afterall you could get fuel at any station close-by.
But it's very important to know how many more miles or kilometers your vehicle can go on an almost empty gas tank to avoid being stranded on the highway or even within the city metropolis.
There are days like that when you just can't help it - either because you were in a heavy traffic gridlock and as a result, your vehicle went low on fuel or you just weren't paying attention to gas level or you just didn't care, afterall you could get fuel at any station close-by.
But it's very important to know how many more miles or kilometers your vehicle can go on an almost empty gas tank to avoid being stranded on the highway or even within the city metropolis.
According to YourMechanic (an automobile dealership and vehicle repair and consultancy firm in the US), Nissan Altima vehicles can go farther than any other when the low fuel light lits up. So if you've got a Nissan Altima, congratulations! Lol.
You just may be the luckiest on the road when you get a low fuel tank.
As suggested by vehicle manufacturers such as Toyota, it's safer to maintain your fuel level at one-quarter (¼) full but occasionally drivers just let their cars run low on fuel. I would tell you categorically that I've read this information on so many car manuals. Some people don't even know. I bet you don't :p. But don't worry, I didn't know too until now.
Also very important is knowing what else could happen to your vehicle when you run low on fuel - yes, there are damages that could happen.
1. Your vehicle could break down anytime
Knowing that the car requires fuel to operate, when you deprive it of its food by running on empty tank, it goes haywire and then breaks down, thus disappointing you. :p
2. You just may be at risk of causing an accident
This could occur especially when there are oncoming vehicles behind you on high speed whose drivers have little or no knowledge of your predicament.
3. You could end up damaging your car's engine
Empty gas tank could damage your cars catalytic converter, then you'd afterwards spend much on fixing or replacing it.
Note that on manual vehicles, they can be resuscitated by filling up the car with fuel and also pumping in some fuel into the carburetor, and as well pressing down intermittently on the throttle before starting. But this is not the case on automatic vehicles as they possess a different configuration.
Apart from the above, ordinarily driving your car on a low fuel tank can cause damage to your fuel pump as tiny debris inside the tank would be sent to the engine.
Continuous driving on a low would accumulate the debris in the engine on the long run and cause damage.
Also, it is not a safe practice to always trust your vehicle and its electronic components. The reading on your fuel gauge may not be accurate due to ground differentials and position of the car and fuel tank, so it may report a low fuel tank when actually you're running on empty.
So always ensure you follow the manufacturer's manual and possibly try to avoid running on a low fuel tank.