When the low fuel light comes on, how much fuel is typically left in the tank? (F150, motorcycles)
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You may be correct about the overheating BUT MANY fuel pumps are locate on the TOP of the tank and the pickup ONLY goes down to around an inch from the bottom [Chevy S 10 for one] I have pulled em out and had it taken apart and the inside was full of crap.
Think about that a little bit... The pick up tube does not move. So there for the fuel is always sucked from the bottom of the tank. If you have less than an inch of fuel in you s-10 it wont suck it up so no gunk and sludge.
...As others have said, when the fuel level is low you increase the chances of drawing crud into the lines...
False.
The pickup is at the bottom of the tank to begin with. It spends its entire life sucking the fuel at the bottom.
If you get water in the tank, where does the water go?
Straight to the bottom, since water is heavier than gas.
Running low on fuel is hard on the fuel pump - the pump is in the tank and the fuel itself is the coolant for the pump. When you run out, the pump is running constantly, trying to keep up the fuel pressure and cannot be cooled. this can (not always by any means) result in a fuel pump that fails.
Many people, when they run out of fuel, leave the key in the ON position, which keeps the fuel pump running, again increasing the odds of burning up the pump. In most of the newer cars, however, the fuel pump is automatically cut-off when the engine is shut-off, even if the reason is that the engine shut-off from lack of fuel. This saves the fuel pump and is also a safety measure if you get in an accident. It prevents the fuel pump from continuing to try and pressurize the line.
A fuel pump is cooled by the fuel running threw it not the fuel that surrounds it.
They are made to run and keep cool when they are no longer surged by fuel.
Many fuel pumps are located at the top 1/2 of the tank and the draw straw runs down to the bottom of the tank to pick up fuel.
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Originally Posted by mdand3boys
Running low on fuel is hard on the fuel pump - the pump is in the tank and the fuel itself is the coolant for the pump. When you run out, the pump is running constantly, trying to keep up the fuel pressure and cannot be cooled. this can (not always by any means) result in a fuel pump that fails.
I do not think the fuel pump is located inside the gas gank in any car that I have, nor in any car that I have ever worked on where I needed to access the fuel pump. Do some cars have it inside the gas tank? That seems incredibly stupid.
Certaily none of the cars that I have use gasoline to cool the fuel pump. Further, the gasloine is going to be the same temperature as the air around the tank and the air inside the tank. Fuel inside a gas tank does not flow, so it is not going to transfer heat. The pump would have tobe located in the bottom half of the tank for the gasoline to cool it. If the fuel pump generated any quantity of heat (whcih it does nto if properly functioing, it would merely heat up the gas in the tank in a matter of a few minutes. The heat is not going to go aywhere, since the gasoline does nto go anywhere, and you would simply end up with hot gas and a hot fuel pump. It makes not one bit of sense that a fuel pump is supposedly cooled by fuel inside the tank. This whole gasoline cools the fuel pump thing appears to be some old wives tales that some people just will not let go of.
Reminds me of the people who are convinced that higher octane gas is more explosive, burns hotter or cleaner or give a car more power. You show them otherwise, and they still will not let it go. This seems the same. It is not only illogical that gasoline is needed to cool the fuel pump, but it is also clearly untrue. Oddly, some people will not just say "Oh I thought it did, guess I was wrong", but they try to hang onto the mispercetption and attempt to argue it into fact.
A pump can be lubricated by the fluid that runs through it and it can burn out if it dries out entirley. However with a car, when the pump runs dry, the car stops running, so the fuel pump stops running.
I do not think the fuel pump is located inside the gas gank in any car that I have, nor in any car that I have ever worked on where I needed to access the fuel pump. Do some cars have it inside the gas tank? That seems incredibly stupid.
Most fuel injected vehicles and come carb equipped vehicles do have a pump in the tank.
SOP.
Quote:
Further, the gasloine is going to be the same temperature as the air around the tank and the air inside the tank. Fuel inside a gas tank does not flow, so it is not going to transfer heat. The pump would have tobe located in the bottom half of the tank for the gasoline to cool it. If the fuel pump generated any quantity of heat (whcih it does nto if properly functioing, it would merely heat up the gas in the tank in a matter of a few minutes. The heat is not going to go aywhere, since the gasoline does nto go anywhere, and you would simply end up with hot gas and a hot fuel pump. It makes not one bit of sense that a fuel pump is supposedly cooled by fuel inside the tank. This whole gasoline cools the fuel pump thing appears to be some old wives tales that some people just will not let go of.
This seems the same. It is not only illogical that gasoline is needed to cool the fuel pump, but it is also clearly untrue. Oddly, some people will not just say "Oh I thought it did, guess I was wrong", but they try to hang onto the mispercetption and attempt to argue it into fact.
IF the electric pump is generating heat the fuel will dissipate it.
I agree if the fuel is "hot" so is the pump. The fuel Pump (electric motor) can take a lot more heat than the fuel can.
so keeping the pump cool is a non issue , that we agree on.
BUT when the fuel pump is lubed and cooled by the fuel that runs threw it not by the fuel that surrounds it.
Most pimps fail because the fuel filter is restricting the flow (clogged) then they burn up not because of the fuel level in the tank.
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A pump can be lubricated by the fluid that runs through it and it can burn out if it dries out entirley.
I agree with a mechanical fuel pump bolted to the block does not need to be cooled and it only needs to be lubed by the fuel.
I didn't read all posts and sorry if somebody said this...
OP: You could figure this out yourself. Find the "functional" fuel tank size. This is not the capacity. Then fill the tank when you first see the light come on and the difference will give you what's left. Out of curosity, I looked at my car mannual and nowhere is mentioned how much fuel is left when the light is on. But I can figure following what I just said.
Not sure. (Although it's in my manual, I guess)
The most I've every pushed it after the light comes on is 15 miles.
But at a minimum 25 miles a gallon I'm sure I could go farther.
When the low fuel light comes on, how much fuel is typically left in the tank?
Can't help you. I've never seen a low fuel light, and I hope I never become sufficiently addled to allow the level of gas to get that low.
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