Texas Driving Alert – Gas Tank Should Never Go Below 1/4 Full

Oil and gas are always on the minds of Texas drivers. Throughout America's Energy Corridor in places like Baytown, Pasadena, Houston, and Galveston not only is the price of gas important. The cost of getting oil out of the ground and turning it into fuel is just as important.

With gas prices where they are now, a lot of drivers are thinking twice and planning ahead for the holiday driving season.  That means American drivers are doing everything they can to squeeze every drop of fuel out of every tankful. However, your mechanic would probably advise you against doing that.

In fact, it's a consensus among mechanics that letting your vehicle's fuel level drop below one-quarter of a tank is not good for the vehicle and could, in fact, wind up costing you a lot more than a complete fill-up would cost.

Your vehicle's fuel pump is one of the reasons that mechanics suggest you never let your tank get below one-quarter full. Today's modern fuel pumps rely on the fuel itself to help them run cooler. A lack of fuel could lead to premature failure of that part and fuel pumps are not cheap nor is the labor needed to install them.

Sediment in your fuel tank is also a concern when your fuel level dips below one-quarter of a tank. Now, this problem primarily happens in older vehicles where the tanks were made of metal, and rust was an actual issue.

Today's modern fuel tanks don't usually foster rust or other pollutants but it is still possible to have sediment from the fuel itself sucked into the fuel system when the level gets too low.

This could lead to premature failure or decreased performance from your fuel filter and fuel injection system. These kinds of failures will rob your vehicle's engine of performance and actually make your gas mileage worse.

If your vehicle displays any of these symptoms on a regular basis you might want to have a qualified mechanic check it out.

* The vehicle is hard to start

*The vehicle hesitates when you press the accelerator.

* You notice a significant decrease in fuel mileage.

* You notice your car has a tendency to overheat

* Your vehicle stalls while driving or while stopped at red lights.

These could all be symptoms of a fuel system issue. Granted not all issues are caused by letting the level of fuel in your vehicle get too low but doing that could most certainly be one of the causes.

Meanwhile, we're all going to make the best of what we have and continue to drive carefully and cautiously. Or, we might just sit in the driveway and dream of driving. You know back in the day when we were kids and could afford luxuries like gasoline.