When Do You Fill Your Fuel Tank?

[tibadoe]

So.....when do you fill your vehicle fuel tank? Do you wait till it's about empty and the fuel light comes on? About 1/2 empty and fill it up? Or do you add just enough, maybe one, two, or three dollars/gallons a day just to get where you are going? Over the years I have heard people doing one or a combination of all of the above.

I myself don't like to let it go under 1/2 tank before a fill up. If I don't drive that much in a week a will top off the tank. Plus you never know when there could be an emergency of some kind and you need the fuel to get somewhere. Not to mention power outages - when the power goes out - so do the pumps. Fact is: Clean and fresh gas will keep a engine running smoother and keep most fuel related issues at bay. I ran across a few articles that thinks like I do. They point out these three factors - but I have added #4 since I haul petroleum products:

1. Condensation – Condensation can form in the empty part of your gas tank. In the winter that condensation can freeze, collect into icy blockages in your fuel lines and create problems with starting your car. Also, In the summer the empty part of the fuel tank can sweat.
2. Fuel pump failure – Your electric fuel pump needs gasoline, which acts as a coolant, to operate properly. When your gas tank is getting low, the pump can suck in air, which generates heat. Over time, that heat can cause your fuel pump to wear down prematurely or even fail altogether.
3. Dirt or rust in your tank – Dirt or rust can get trapped in your fuel tank. When you’re running low on gas, that sediment can collect and block your fuel filter, possibly leading to expensive repairs.
4. Ethanol Disadvantage -- Ethanol has a relative short tank life. It attracts and absorbs moisture while sitting in a tank. Dosen't matter if it sits in the underground tank or your vehicles tank. The longer it sits the more moisture it will absorb.

Anyway, this rambling is just food for though. I use 10% ethanol gas because that's about all we have here. If you keep your tank topped off with fresh gas and stay on top of the required maintenance, you should be fine. Change gas filters more often and add a fuel additive once in a while - it can't hurt. Below is a couple of sites that get more indepth for your reading pleasure:

Osceola Garage
Fuel-Testers

 

[kennythewelder]

I never let it get lower than about 1/8 of a tank. I never put less than $10 in it. Most of the time it is at least $15. But if I am leaving town, I always fill up.

 

[upatree64]

yea, I just can't make myself let the gas hand fall below 1/4 tank and I always fill it up when I stop. I've never had it happen to me but I hear horror stories about vehicles running very low on fuel before filling the tank. Stopping up the screen around the fuel pump, vapor locking and on n on. Prob. none are true but I never like to be stranded or without the use of my Yota.