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Can low fuel cause electrical problems in a car?
If my car starts running low on fuel, or if I get into the habit of driving until I’m below a quarter of a tank, will this cause electrical problems in my car? I don’t know much about what happens when you get low on fuel, other than your vehicle will eventually die.
Jason Crosby · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Surprisingly, driving on empty can in fact cause some serious damage to your car’s components, most notably the
fuel pump
. Modern fuel pumps are located in the gas tank and their job is to help transfer gasoline
into the engine compartment. However, fuel pumps have to work harder when you start driving near empty. If this becomes a habit, you could end up having to get your fuel pump replaced, which isn’t cheap. Another issue that could arise from driving near empty is that your vehicle will abruptly shut off after completely running out of fuel, as opposed to your turning the ignition or pushing the start/stop button. This might create an onboard computer issue, usually requiring a dealership technician to fix it—again, not cheap. Driving on empty might seem like it’s helping you pinch pennies, but in reality, it puts excess wear and tear on your fuel pump, and could even clog your fuel filter.
A smart way to prevent this is to keep your fuel level above ¼ of a tank. This way, nothing that accumulates at the bottom of the tank will make its way through your fuel pump, clogging the filter in the process. This is an easy way to take care of your car—almost as easy as downloading our app and signing up with Jerry.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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