Have you ever given much thought to whether you should get gas sooner than you maybe tend to do so? Interstate Automotive wants you to know that when you get gas really does matter. Here are the details you need to know.
How Accurate Is Your Gas Gauge?
Believe it or not, your car’s gas gauge might not be giving you accurate information as much as you might think. The gas gauge on your car’s dashboard gives you somewhat accurate data about how much gas is in the tank, but it’s more an estimate. And if your car calculates the mileage left based on what’s in the tank and displays that on the dash, you’d be wise to take that as the approximation that it is.
Avoid Fuel Pump Damage
The fuel pump is the piece that sits in the fuel tank and pumps fuel up and into the rest of the fuel system. When you have less than half a tank of gas in the tank, the fuel pump runs hotter than usual. That’s important because if your car is running, so is the fuel pump. Keeping that piece cool helps it to have a longer life span.
Keep the Fuel Filter Functional
Likewise, the fuel filter also works harder when you’ve got less gas in the tank. That’s because lower fuel levels might dredge up more sediment in the bottom of the fuel tank. That also sends more sediment than usual through the fuel filter. Your fuel filter might get clogged more quickly than expected, or it might let some stuff past that shouldn’t get into the engine.
Avoid Engine Damage
There are a few ways that all of this can affect your car’s engine and its performance. If there’s not enough fuel in the tank to pull up consistently, you may not get a steady flow of fuel to the engine. That affects the fuel to air ratio and can cause combustion to be off by a little bit. The technical term for that is a misfire and it can eventually cause engine damage, which is definitely not good for your car’s engine.
Want to make sure that your car’s engine is in good condition? Interstate Automotive in Eau Claire, WI can run diagnostic testing that can help you to know for sure. Contact us today and we can set up an appointment to take a closer look at your car’s engine.