WEBVTT - How Bad Is It to Run Your Car on Empty?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff from How Stuff Works, Hey, brain Stuff,

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<v Speaker 1>Lauren Vogel bomb here. Experts say you should keep your

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<v Speaker 1>gas tank at least a quarter full at all times. Obviously,

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<v Speaker 1>doing so we'll keep you from getting in a dangerous

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<v Speaker 1>situation where you're low on gas and too far from

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<v Speaker 1>gas station to fill up. But there are other less

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<v Speaker 1>obvious reasons to keep a little gas in your tank.

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<v Speaker 1>Driving on an empty tank, or even one that's getting

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<v Speaker 1>close to the dregs in the bottom, can cause damage

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<v Speaker 1>to your car in a number of ways. You won't

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<v Speaker 1>get very far driving on empty, but in the moments

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<v Speaker 1>before you do stall out, your car's catalytic converter, which

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<v Speaker 1>is part of the exhaust system, can be damaged. You

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<v Speaker 1>could also get debris stuck in your fuel pump by

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<v Speaker 1>running your tank too low. That's because any tiny particles

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<v Speaker 1>that find their way into the gas tank settle at

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<v Speaker 1>the bottom, and they tend to stay there until your

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<v Speaker 1>car is trying to grab every last bit of fuel

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<v Speaker 1>that it can. When the fuel pump sucks up the

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<v Speaker 1>last of your gas, any debris in your tank will

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<v Speaker 1>go along with it, and the particles can get stuck

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<v Speaker 1>in your pump. Or in your fuel filter. In early

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<v Speaker 1>model cars from the nineteen eighties and older, the gas

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<v Speaker 1>tanks are usually made of metal, and as they deteriorate,

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<v Speaker 1>harmful deposits can build up in the bottom. Newer cars

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<v Speaker 1>have plastic fuel tanks, so sediment usually makes its way

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<v Speaker 1>inside the tanks from contaminated fuel, But getting sediments stuck

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<v Speaker 1>in your fuel pump isn't the only way that you

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<v Speaker 1>could be damaging it. In some cars, the fuel pump

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<v Speaker 1>is located in the gas tank and the gas acts

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<v Speaker 1>like insulation and lubricant as it flows around the pump.

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<v Speaker 1>If you're constantly running your gas tank dry, the fuel

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<v Speaker 1>pump could be overheating, which will cause it to wear

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<v Speaker 1>out prematurely. But how far can you actually go when

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<v Speaker 1>the gas gage hits e Well, that depends on your car.

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<v Speaker 1>Different vehicles have the gas light configured in different ways,

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<v Speaker 1>though most cars will illuminate the light when there are

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<v Speaker 1>about two to three gallons that's seven point five to

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<v Speaker 1>eleven liters left. Some bigger vehicles like trucks and SUVs,

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<v Speaker 1>light up the empty indicator when there are about four

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<v Speaker 1>gallons or fifteen liters. That's about to say exteenth of

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<v Speaker 1>a tank left. How far those amounts can get you

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<v Speaker 1>is another variable that depends on your car's efficiency, you're

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<v Speaker 1>driving style, and whether you're in the city, on the highway,

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<v Speaker 1>or stuck in a traffic jam. Some newer cars have

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<v Speaker 1>a display in the instrument cluster that keeps a running

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<v Speaker 1>tally of your range or how many miles you can

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<v Speaker 1>drive on your current tank of gas. These displays are

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<v Speaker 1>pretty accurate, but again they are just estimates. Changing road

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<v Speaker 1>conditions or any number of other factors can affect the

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<v Speaker 1>accuracy of this gauge, which could leave you stranded if

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<v Speaker 1>you're really cutting it close. So it's a good idea

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<v Speaker 1>to get in the habit of filling up before you

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<v Speaker 1>strictly need to. That said, if you find yourself in

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<v Speaker 1>a situation where you're running low, don't worry. You're not

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<v Speaker 1>going to ruin your car. Just get into the practice

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<v Speaker 1>of filling up whenever your fuel gage reaches the quarter

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<v Speaker 1>mark and you'll be fine. Today's episode was written by

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<v Speaker 1>Sherry's three Wit and produced by Tyler Klang. If you

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