How Much Left in the Gas Tank?

[Nixuelle]

Not to beat a dead horse here, but since many of you seem to have not heard of this fuel pump issue at all, I would offer up this article to read:

http://www.agcoauto.com/content/news/p2_articleid/195

More or less explains how the fuel pump works and its most common causes of failure. Notably:

"One of the leading causes 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 one time can permanently damage the fuel pump.

When the fuel level is low, the pump has to work much harder to produce the same pressure. This is because the reduced fuel weight no longer pushes fuel into the pump. Instead the pump must draw the fuel in. There is also less fuel to dissipate heat and the overworked pump is likely to be damaged."

Really, you guys should fill your tanks up sooner!

[PrincessHotcakes]

Brother has been driving to campus on our commutes the past few days and he got paaainfully close to running it to 1/8th of a tank (and there ARE hills on our commute).  Since I wasn't driving, I wasn't as close attention as I would have been otherwise.  Wanted to straaaangle him (but also felt stupid because I didn't catch it).  Car's been having enough problems without a broken fuel pump to add to it.