Fuel fill-up question

[Meeka]

Well if you’ve never had any problems then you've just answered my question, thanks. I

And thank you all for your good advice! When I store my Camaro for the winter I put Stabil fuel stabilizer in, then fill the tank and leave it for 6 months. Never a problem in spring at start up!

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[The Real Maverick]

The condensation stuff makes sense because he also told me to throw a can of heet in the tank to get the water out. But I haven't done that in 30 years.

You'll never need to.

A) tanks today are sealed

B) unless you go out of your way to avoid it, "HEET" is in every gallon of gasoline sold, automatically.

 

[Meeka]

The previous posters are correct.
Keeping your tank full reduces the Condensation of water from the air that is in your tank.
It also reduces Oxidation of the fuel, having less air in the tank, so the gas doesn’t go bad as fast when you don’t drive it for awhile.

Talk to some guys who own motorcycles. The ones who store their bikes with less than full tanks will tell you about the perils of having Rust form inside their tanks (steel tanks) and it’s not a happy situation.

Another positive aspect (if it applies) is that if you always have full tanks, you can boogie out of there if your wife and girlfriend ever meet up and talk to each other.
….just sayin’.

Um, from past experience I presume

 

[The Real Maverick]

Condensation is more of an issue with motorcycles than cars, because they tend to sit around more, especially seasonally.

The main reason to not let your fuel get too low is because the fuel pump is submerged in the tank and the gasoline is its coolant. If you run the tank down low, the pump will still pump fuel and the engine will keep on going, but you are stressing the pump by running it when it is not fully submerged. Keeping the tank 1/2 full is probably overkill for that, but everybody's driving (and fueling) habits are different...

Ford already planned for this.
When your gauge reads "empty" it isn't empty.

At miles to go zero, we all have our pumps submerged in 2.5 gallons of liquid fuel. You superstitious folks, are reserving like 5 or 6 gallons.

 

[The Real Maverick]

I'm not sure that fuel oxidation is a concern on the Hybrid, since unlike the EcoBoost and every other vehicle on the road, the fuel tank is not open to atmosphere and is pressurized. The fuel cannot oxidize under those conditions.

Ecoboosts are NOT open to the atmosphere. Nor any car made after 1996.

 

[Jackfer]

I agree! In all my decades of being a pro tech, I have never ever seen a gas tank with water in it unless someone put it there. The only true statement I've read here is that your fuel pump uses the gasoline like coolant. So if anyone is running their vehicle all the way to empty, you've gotten the fuel pump hotter than it wanted to be, therefore shortening the life of it.

 

[AzureBlueBill]

Every single minute of every single drive fuel is sucked from the bottom of the tank. This is so water as you say NEVER EVER EVER has opportunity to accumulate in your tank.

It's time this myth is busted.

If your mythical way of thinking were true, in Florida after a couple of years you'd have GALLONS of water in your tank!

My Dad's way might be "mythical", as you say. And I do understand how modern fuel sytems work. But it won't hurt anything to keep it over 1/4 tank. Besides, it's good to be be prepared. I mean, you have more than one can of soup in the cupboad, right?

 

[The Real Maverick]

I agree! In all my decades of being a pro tech, I have never ever seen a gas tank with water in it unless someone put it there. The only true statement I've read here is that your fuel pump uses the gasoline like coolant. So if anyone is running their vehicle all the way to empty, you've gotten the fuel pump hotter than it wanted to be, therefore shortening the life of it.

Please read post #19

 

[The Real Maverick]

My Dad's way might be "mythical", as you say. And I do understand how modern fuel sytems work. But it won't hurt anything to keep it over 1/4 tank. Besides, it's good to be be prepared. I mean, you have more than one can of soup in the cupboad, right?

It was asked if fuel goes bad.
It does not in the first year. Some say 2 years.

It was asked if fueling up at half a tank is a good idea. It is neither good nor bad. Just personal choice.

 

[MYNOMAV]

I'm on my 19th winter storing my summer car. Never use heet, stabil, nor ethanol gas. Just fill the tank and store it in climate controlled garage. 18 years and 185000 miles with zero problems. But I don't let my cars go below 1/4 tank when driving. I also don't add chemicals to my 1950 Ford while being stored.

 

[Meeka]

You asked if fuel goes bad.
It does not in the first year. Some say 2 years.

You asked if fueling up at half a tank is a good idea. It is neither good nor bad. Just personal choice.

Don’t come down on azurebluebill, I was the one that asked about letting tank get to only half full before refueling, and I’ve got my answer. Thanks all, now back to your regular scheduled programming.

 

[scpowered]

I agree! In all my decades of being a pro tech, I have never ever seen a gas tank with water in it unless someone put it there. The only true statement I've read here is that your fuel pump uses the gasoline like coolant. So if anyone is running their vehicle all the way to empty, you've gotten the fuel pump hotter than it wanted to be, therefore shortening the life of it.

Very true! With nearly everything in the tank made of plastic, including the tank, and the design of the vent system, means that water and rust are very unlikely to be a problem in a modern fuel system. Cooling the pump is a good reason not to run empty.

 

[The Real Maverick]

Very true! With nearly everything in the tank made of plastic, including the tank, and the design of the vent system, means that water and rust are very unlikely to be a problem in a modern fuel system. Cooling the pump is a good reason not to run empty.

But there is a big difference between when your dashboard says "empty" and actually running out of gas.

Actually running out of gas is never recommended.

Running to an imaginary line on a gauge that says "E" does no harm. In modern vehicles of the 21st century.

 

[scpowered]

But there is a big difference between when your dashboard says "empty" and actually running out of gas.

Actually running out of gas is never recommended.

Running to an imaginary line on a gauge that says "E" does no harm. In modern vehicles of the 21st century.

How big that difference is depends on the vehicle. Low fuel indicator... your probably fine. Waiting til it say zero range left... probably pushing your luck.

 

[slashsnake]

I was told by my father 42 years ago, when I first started driving, that you shouldn't let your tank get below half. I never asked why, and to this day I still have no idea why he said it. But I have always filled my tank when it gets just a little below half, except if I'm on a trip then I go as long as I can. I've never had a problem on any of my vehicles so to answer your question, I have no idea.

I grew up in South Florida and never understood this when my dad said this to me as well. Then moved to Colorado and was driving back to FL in the 90's. Gauge dropped below a quarter at night in Kansas and I figured I'd pull into the next gas station... Closed. And the next and the next were too. I ended up pulling in on fumes to one that was finally open.

Granted now just about all are either 24 hour stores, or at least 24 hour pumps with the card. But back then pre-cell phone, yeah that was getting a bit dicey.

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