We all know someone who drives their car until the tank is almost empty.
“I know my car” is the most commonly used explanation, as if the mere act of driving on “E” counts as a man-vs-machine victory of gargantuan proportions. However, it has been known for awhile that this habit isn’t advised, and this could damage your car in the long term.
In case you needed more affirmation on this, Honda Malaysia has uploaded a quick video that details why you shouldn’t drive with an almost empty fuel tank:
For one thing, driving on an almost empty fuel tank will wear out the fuel pump in your car in the long term. When the tank is low on petrol, the fuel pump doesn’t get the lubrication that it needs—which leads to the need for ahead-of-schedule fuel pump replacements.
Driving on (almost) E can also damage your engine. Over a period of time, contaminants from fuel/petrol collect at the bottom of your tank, solidifying over time. When you drive on empty, the resulting sludge potentially gets sucked up via your fuel pump, which causes damage to the pump, and to the engine. Additionally, the fuel pump may pump air, instead of petrol. Long term, this exposure will cause “issues” for the fuel pump (again), as well as other components in the car.
Honda also points out—rather obviously—that your car could stop at anytime if you run out of fuel. They do have some good (and also obvious) advice for those of you who enjoy the thrill of driving on an almost empty tank:
“Save yourself the stress and stay safe by always keeping your car fuelled up!”
As a friendly reminder, petrol stations in the Klang Valley, Selangor, and Putrajaya are still allowed to operate from 6am to 10pm, with the exception of those along major highways (24 hours) under the CMCO. Our advice? Don’t wait until you’re almost at E before pumping.
