And if so, please explain. Thanks
Someone told me gas pick up deposits in your gas tank when it gets low.
2007-05-25 15:52:47 · 12 answers · asked by Hanny 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
ever who told you that was right ,what it does is pick up old deposits of water and junk that you get from the gas pumps,also there may be a certain amount of dirt in it also,but when it gets down real low,this pushes it in to the system,and it winds up in the filter,and it will clog it up,and make the car run really bad its best if possible to never let it get below a half a tank,but i know we all get busy and forget,but if you can remember to keep at least a half tank in it,it will help prevent this from happening,good luck with it hope this helps.
2007-05-25 16:03:59 · answer #1 · answered by dodge man 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes and no.
If your car is an older model, has a mechanical fuel pump at the engine and an inline filter at the engine then your only risk is possibly clogging the filter. Once these paper type filters are clogged the engine gets less fuel and is basically starved out. This type of filter is inexpensive, easy to replace and should be changed out about every 30,000 miles or so. The fuel pump in this situation should'nt be harmed since the filter is in line prior to the pump.
If you have a later model car with the fuel pump in the tank then you might (most likely wont) get some of the deposits from the bottom of the tank through the pump. More than likely there would be no damage to the pump since manufacturers dont design the pumps to lay on the bottom of the tank. There is usally a sump of some kind that is lower than the pump and thats where the cruddy deposits end up.
There will still be a filter near or on the engine that will collect dirt prior to entering fuel injectors or a throttle body.
Either way more than likely the only thing you might have to replace is the filter.
Good luck and happy motoring.
2007-05-25 23:22:33 · answer #2 · answered by Bob 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The idea is that since the fuel is "drained" from the bottom of the tank, and you run low, you will suck all that junk at the bottom of the tank into the fuel line / filter.
I hear / read this kind of stuff all the time. But if you ever saw how a modern fuel tank works, you would know that's not true.
Besides, if you have junk in tank, they will get sucked into the filter sooner or later (not just when the tank is running low).
2007-05-25 23:03:20 · answer #3 · answered by Lover not a Fighter 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not so sure about ruining a fuel filter by letting the gas get low, but it is hard on the fuel pump, as running any pump dry or with an unsteady supply can cause it to cavitate and burn out. Also, it's really bad on the fuel injectors to not have a steady supply pressure of fuel, and that can happen if the fuel pump doesn't have a steady supply. The best rule of thumb is to never let your tank get below 1/4.
2007-05-25 23:03:00 · answer #4 · answered by gimli_1977 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The amount of fuel in the tank has nothing to do with the filter. The filter should be replaced every 40k miles.All fuel tanks have a special sock that picks up the fuel from the tank that screens out any large junk and the fuel filter picks up the rest.
2007-05-25 23:05:34 · answer #5 · answered by HyperGforce 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not true for 2 reasons:
1. the tube in the tank that picks up fuel goes all the way to the bottom of the tank, so its down there where any deposits might be no matter how much fuel is in there.
2. there's usually screen on the end of the tube that stops large particles from being picked up.
even if deposits did get picked up, the worst thing that happens is your filter starts getting clogged. the filter is supposed to be changed out periodically anyway (your owners manual will tell you how often), so its not really a big deal. plus, if there are deposits in your tank, you want them to get screened out in the fuel filter.
don't worry about your fuel level affecting your filter. just change it at the intervals recommended in your owners manaul.
2007-05-25 23:03:30 · answer #6 · answered by ifly71 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you run the tank low often,then yes you will clog the filter.A rule of thumb with clogged filters.When your going 65mph and the car does not hesitate,no worries filter is fine.If the car starts losing power at that speed ,and regains on lower speed then filter is getting plugged.If you keep sucking from the bottom of the tank,you will pick up ll that crap that's in there.
2007-05-25 23:04:13 · answer #7 · answered by PaulyM 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Worry less about your Filter and more about your pump. Deposits in the tank can clog the Fuel Pump.
2007-05-25 23:32:25 · answer #8 · answered by Abel H 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's possible if you have crud in your tank.
I would worry about my fuel pump over heating.
Some of them are in the gas tank and need fuel to
keep them cool.
Mike
2007-05-25 23:33:25 · answer #9 · answered by michael p 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
IT IS TRUE. GASOLINE HAS SMALL DEBRIS IN IT WHICH CAN CLOG YOUR PUMP. FUEL LINES, FILTER, FUEL INJECTORS...ETC. ETC. SINCE THE FUEL TANK COLLECTS THE DEBRIS, THE FUEL LINE PICKS IT UP FROM THE BOTTOM IF IT IS LOW ON GASOLINE.
2007-05-25 23:01:32 · answer #10 · answered by michael r 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋