“2) If you’re in an area where gas stations are sparse, fill up whenever you pass a gas station and your gauge reads half full or less. “
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Both of your comments are excellent advice, but this one piqued my attention because it’s one of pet peeves about my husband....even in the winter, he lets the tank go nearly empty.
I keep telling him, what if you get stuck somewhere and need to keep the engine running for warmth?
I believe a couple of years ago, there was some huge snowstorm in the eastern US and people were stuck on the interstate for a long time.
Whenever there's a major snow coming, I make sure that both cars are full of gas. If the storm knocks out power, the house's heating system will also go out.
Try telling him that letting the gas tank go more than half empty causes the fuel pump to run hotter, which causes premature failure.
To cool and lubricate the internal components, fuel must flow continuously through the fuel pump. Insufficient flow limits cooling and lubrication of the pump. A leading cause of fuel pump failure is running the fuel tank low. This is particularly critical on late model vehicles without a fuel pressure return system. Running such a vehicle out of fuel once can permanently damage the fuel pump.
http://www.agcoauto.com/content/news/p2_articleid/195
Typically a $500 repair.