Automotive technology companies are warning drivers about the dangers of driving with an empty tank. Alex (@alexthecardoctor) posted the viral clip, which has been viewed more than 9.6 million times as of Saturday.
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In it, he demonstrates why an empty fuel tank can eventually cause damage to the fuel pump. However, some in the comments section disagreed with his logic. For them, empty driving isn’t as much of a problem as The Car Doctor makes it out to be.
experiment
Alex begins the video crouching over what appears to be a cracked tank of gasoline. “This is what a gas tank looks like when you’re driving around in an E,” he says.
“That’s about two gallons of fuel,” he said, fiddling with some parts inside the tank. The first thing he points out is the float mechanism inside the gas tank.
“This is something that flies around to show you how much fuel is left in your car,” he explains. “Right now, the location is incorrect. This is for demonstration purposes only.”
Following this, he showed a device to demonstrate what the flow of fuel to a car’s engine is like. “It’s a fuel regulator that connects to a real engine and simulates it. It puts a load on the fuel pump,” he says. “The pump is having a really hard time pumping fuel. It’s sucking in a lot of air.”
He explains that this generates heat inside the pump. “Let’s talk to my super tech who says the pump assembly is full of fuel,” he says. “No matter how much fuel is in the tank, they’re clearly wrong.”Then the camera zooms into the pump assembly to show that there isn’t too much gas in the pump assembly. I showed it.
@alexthecardoctor This is what happens when you run with “E” ⛽️
Aeration is the enemy
“There’s not enough fuel in there and the fuel pump is clearly having a hard time drawing in and aerating it,” he says.
Additionally, he shook up the fuel tank to illustrate the problems that can occur when driving on empty. “And simulating stopping and starting a car only makes things worse,” he says.
Alex says that over time, excess air will build up inside the fuel pump and damage it. “Aeration is what kills the fuel pump,” Alex says, staring into the camera. “You’re drawing in air bubbles. You’re creating extra heat, not to mention there’s nothing around to actually keep it cool and back it up. That’s what’s going to destroy your pump.”
Some people warn against empty driving.
popular insurance brands progressive It also warned of the potential dangers associated with not filling your car with petrol. Echoing Alex’s warning, the company said that when a gas tank is near empty, extra air is drawn in, which prevents the fuel moving through the tank from properly cooling the pump. These constant temperature fluctuations can eventually damage important parts of your car.
Articles on this topic say that low fuel while idling is not that much of a problem. But when the car is in motion, “fuel splatters around in the tank. Fluctuations in level can cause the pump to repeatedly draw insufficient fuel levels, increasing the chance of overheating.”
strut master recommends keeping at least 1/4 tank of gas in your car at all times. This also helps prevent yet another potential problem with the fuel pump/tank. Cars are equipped with fuel filters to remove debris before the fuel hits the pump. This debris often settles to the bottom of your car’s fuel tank. Later, when your car gets very low on gas, this debris can become concentrated.
In addition, this can clog the fuel filter and require longer working hours for the fuel pump to function. This added stress can ultimately lead to expensive car repair bills.
Not everyone is convinced
However, some TikTok users believe there is nothing wrong with driving on E-roads.
“This is not an exact example. There is nothing wrong with driving on E,” one person wrote.
However, many said they were not driving empty cars because of some philosophical standpoint. “I’m not going to drive on an E for no reason, buddy, I’m broke!” said one.
Another said: “If I’m struggling, the pump is going to be struggling too. We’re in this together!
“That’s crazy. $5 for pump 2 please,” joked another.
Some said they took Alex’s advice. “My dad always said never go below 1/4 of a tank.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Alex for more information via a comment on TikTok.
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