If you’ve had a busy week, you may notice that your gas tank is creeping towards empty. While it seems harmless to drive with under a quarter tank of gas, you may be surprised to know that this habit can harm your car or truck. Avoid the unexpected need for roadside assistance in the future with these helpful insights.

Understanding the Impact of Driving on Empty

Inconvenient Stalling

The obvious problem with driving your car or truck on an empty tank is that you risk stalling. Depending on where you are and what time it is, this situation can be inconvenient or even unsafe. You’ll need to wait by the side of the road until a friend or roadside assistance professional brings fuel. Unless you’re covered under insurance or have a contract with a roadside assistance provider, you’ll have spend money on a situation that could have been avoided.

Overheating & Lack of Lubrication

The habit of driving on empty can also cause long-term damage under the hood. The engine is designed to use fuel to cool its windings and lubricate its rotating parts. When gas is no longer accessible, it’s forced to use a less effective alternative—air. This can cause the fuel pump electric motor to overheat and allow for premature wear on parts as they begin to grind against each other.

Sediment Buildup

Driving with sufficient fuel levels also helps drivers avoid collecting sediment at the bottom of their fuel tanks. This material will eventually get siphoned into—and stuck in—the fuel filter, making it harder for proper levels of oil to reach the engine. As this occurs, the engine can overheat and potentially even cut off, leaving you in need of roadside assistance.

If you’re ever stranded, call the reliable, 24-hour towing company, Patriot Towing. Based in Washington, MO, their heavy-duty towing team is proud to serve drivers throughout Franklin County and the surrounding areas. Whether it’s for a tire blowout or a more serious engine issue, their emergency roadside assistance service will arrive promptly. To request residential or commercial towing, call them any hour of the day or night at (636) 392-5070. Visit them online to learn more about this family-owned and -operated truck towing company.