An automotive tech is warning drivers against the dangers of driving on an empty tank. Alex (@alexthecardoctor) posted a viral clip that’s garnered over 9.6 million views as of Saturday.
In it, he demonstrates why having an empty fuel tank can ultimately cause damage to one’s fuel pump. However, some folks in the comments section argued against his logic. For them, driving on empty isn’t as problematic as The Car Doctor indicates.
The experiment
Alex begins his video, crouched over what appears to be a split tank of gasoline. “This is what your gas tank looks like when you’re running around on E,” he states.
“This is approximately two gallons of fuel,” he says, fidgeting with some of the components inside of the tank. First, he points out the float mechanism inside the gas tank.
“This is what floats around to tell you how much fuel you have in your vehicle,” he explains. “Right now it’s not positioned correctly. Because this is for demonstration purposes only.”
Following this, he shows a contraption to demonstrate what fuel flow into a car’s engine looks like. “This is a fuel regulator to simulate it being hooked up to an actual engine. Puts a load on the fuel pump,” he says. “The pump is really struggling to pick up fuel. It’s picking up a lot of air.”
He explains that this causes it to generate heat in the pump. “Now for my super techs out there that say the pump assembly is full of fuel,” he says. “Despite how much fuel is in the tank, clearly they’re wrong.” He then zooms his camera into the pump assembly to show that there isn’t a whole lot of gas in it.
@alexthecardoctor This is what happens when you drive on “E” ⛽️
♬ original sound – Alex The Car Doctor
Aeration is the enemy
“Not enough fuel in there and the fuel pump is clearly struggling to pull fuel in and aerate it,” he says.
Further illustrating the issues that can arise in driving on empty, he shakes the fuel tank. “On top of that, if I was to simulate the car stopping and going, it just makes it worse,” he says.
According to Alex, this excess buildup of air inside fuel pumps over time is what damages them. “Aeration’s what kills fuel pumps, people,” Alex says, looking into the camera. “Pulls in air bubbles. Creating extra heat, not to mention it’s nothing around it to really keep it cool, to back it up. That’s what’s gonna kill your pump.”
Others warn against driving on empty
Popular insurance brand Progressive also cautioned against the potential dangers associated with not filling one’s car with gas. Echoing Alex’s warnings, the company says gas tanks near empty will pull excess air in. Consequently, this causes the fuel moving through the tank to not properly cool the pump. These constant temperature fluctuations may ultimately damage the vital car part.
Low fuel while idling isn’t as much of an issue, the piece on the topic states. However, when a car is in motion “the fuel sloshes around in the tank. The fluctuating levels create the possibility that the pump may repeatedly draw an insufficient fuel level, increasing the chance of overheating.”
Strutmasters recommends that folks keep at least 1/4 of a tank of gasoline in their car at all times. This also helps to prevent yet another potential issue with one’s fuel pump/tank. Cars are outfitted with fuel filters, which can suss out debris before it hits the pump. Oftentimes, this debris will settle on the bottom of a car’s fuel tank. Subsequently, when a car’s gas is very low, this debris can become concentrated.
Furthermore, this can clog the fuel filter, which means your fuel pump may have to work overtime to function. This added stress could ultimately result in a fat car repair bill.
Not everyone is convinced
However, some TikTok users believe that there’s nothing wrong with driving on E.
“This is NOT an accurate example. There is absolutely nothing wrong with driving on E,” one penned.
However, many said they’re not driving on empty out of some philosophical stance. “I’m not driving on E for no reason buddy I’m broke tf!” one said.
Another quipped, “If I’m struggling, then the pump gonna struggle too. We in this together!”
“That’s crazy. $5 on pump 2 please,” someone else joked.
There was another person who said they’ve also heard Alex’s advice. “My papa always said don’t go below 1/4 of a tank.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Alex via TikTok comment for further information.
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