Never drive with the fuel reserve light on, you could cause a breakdown!

It has happened to all of us at some point. We are driving and we have run the fuel tank almost dry. The reserve light comes on, the warning that the tank is practically empty and that we have very few kilometres left before running out of fuel, so we will have to stop at a petrol station as soon as possible or we will be left stranded on the road. Usually this happens through an oversight and can be easily solved by refuelling at a petrol station.

Other people do it habitually, running the tank down to the last drop before refuelling. But there is something those who do this don’t know: forcing the tank until it is almost empty can have serious consequences for the car. The fuel reaches the engine thanks to a pump. And this pump can be damaged if it does not have enough fuel to work properly.

The fuel pump

This is responsible for drawing fuel from the tank and carrying it to the engine, where through the injectors it enters the cylinders and allows the combustion that moves the vehicle. This pump must work smoothly in order to fulfil its function, and for that it needs to have enough fuel.

The fuel itself acts as a coolant, and the pump needs it so as not to overheat. Small air bubbles can also form and enter the circuit. On reaching the engine, these bubbles could make combustion weaker and of poorer quality. All of this has a negative effect on the whole circuit and can cause faults in it.

To this is added the second pump that diesel cars have. This second pump compresses the fuel and can also be affected by its absence. For these reasons, you should always try to keep enough fuel in the tank so that everything works normally and the pump does not suffer while operating.

Another of the problems that can arise from leaving the tank almost empty is that the pump absorbs the sediment that builds up with use and becomes clogged. If this happens, petrol cannot reach the engine and the car will not run. Repairing the fuel pump can be quite expensive. To reach it, several operations are required that can keep the car in the workshop for quite some time. And that means a lot of money.

To avoid these problems, forget about driving with the reserve light on. It is better to keep the tank above 1/4 of its capacity and not run the fuel below that level. In this way the pump will work normally and will not wear out so easily.

Planning ahead when making a journey is important and will avoid scares if there is a traffic jam or delay. Remember that the reserve light is a warning to refuel immediately and not an extra allowance to drive a few more kilometres. Knowing this, we can save ourselves a nasty surprise and a considerable amount of money if the pump is damaged.