As prices at the pump continue to rise, year after year, it’s no wonder many of us wait until our tanks run low before gassing up. It’s painful to watch the ticker on that gas pump climb and climb. But delaying the inevitable might save you some anxiety in the short run, but it could cost you a lot more later!

The gasoline in your vehicle circulates through your fuel system and if it doesn’t stay clean your vehicle will suffer.

There are several reasons not to let your gas tank run low.

> Your vehicle distributes gas to the engine via a fuel pump. Fuel pumps are designed to have a constant flow of gasoline running through them to avoid having them overheat and fail. Keeping a sufficient amount of fuel in your tank at all times can prevent this.

> Thanks to gravity, the sediment that collects in your fuel tank over time naturally descends to the bottom of the tank. That’s a good thing. But when your fuel runs low, your fuel pump will start sucking some of that sediment, along with fuel into your carburetor and ultimately into your engine which can cause your vehicle to run less efficiently and ultimately break down. Keeping fuel in the tank prevents the pump from drawing out that sediment.

> When your fuel tank is full, there’s no room for anything else to collect. When it’s not full, that empty space attracts moisture in the form of condensation, which ultimately will cause your tank to corrode. All that corrosive material can get into your fuel and damage your vehicle. This is especially true during higher humidity periods like winter.

> The less fuel in your tank, the more air the fuel pump will be pushing into your engine, which can contribute to the engine overheating. Engines like fuel. They’re not so big on air!

> And if all else fails, keeping your vehicle well fueled is a good safety measure. You never know when you’re going to find yourself on the road with no access to a gas station. Having plenty of gas on hand means never having to run out right when you need it! Even if you don’t plan on any long road trips any time soon, you never know when a ‘situation’ might arise that forces your local gas stations to shut down unexpectedly and not be able to provide fuel. You don’t want to be one of those unlucky few, scavenger hunting around town for a gas station that’s open!

At the end of the day, we all know the next fill up is inevitable. Rather than wait and cause yourself unwanted repair costs and unnecessary inconvenience, always keep at least a half a tank of fuel in your tank at all times!