Van Parts - Keeping Petrol Tanks Full Up!

Do you usually keep your petrol tank full up or do you leave the dial go down and down until you cannot avoid it any longer? Well there are reasons why you should in fact try to keep your petrol tank filled up at all times, particularly in the winter months.

Firstly, if you always ensure the you have enough fuel to keep the car going, it is obvious you are less likely to run out and be caught in a difficult situation. This may seem like common sense but when you are running out of petrol it is often easy to leave yourself caught short and be in desperate need of the nearest garage at short notice when the petrol light shows. Dependent on where you are it may be a few miles before you find a station so you may come close to running out.

We have advanced with technology somewhat in recent years and now almost all vehicles come with some kind of warning signal when it’s running out of fuel- whether it’s a light, an alarm or both. But always relying on these warning symbols is not ideal and as stated above, you may be caught in a tight spot.

But is there a technical reasons why we should all try to keep plenty of fuel in our cars? Well, in a word- yes- there is. In the winter, the outside temperature can vary and obviously it’s a lot colder than it would be in the summer months. When we drive our cars, or if the vehicle is stored in a warm garage, heat is produced which contrasts from the cold air outside. What happens when the cold and warm meet is that condensation is produced within the tank. Water in a fuel tank is dangerous- if water were to get into the fuel lines it could cause untold damage to the vehicle not to mention waters habit of freezing in icy conditions. Water is heavier than fuel and so will naturally drop to the bottom of the tank when fuel is inside. Therefore it is worth driving with a tank that is at least half full and preferably more.

Similarly there are reasons in the summer months for keeping your vehicle topped up. The higher temperatures will ensure that a certain percentage evaporates off and can cause a lack of fuel in the tank. If there’s not much left anyhow, then you are risking being in danger of the vehicle’s fuel drying up altogether- something which should be avoided at all costs.

Particles tend to build up in a tank over the years and constantly using the “dregs” at the bottom of the tank can be damaging to the fuel pipes and engine. So allowing the tank to continuously get low should be avoided.

Whilst it is common knowledge that fuel prices are high and filling up is often left until necessary down to the cost of fuel, it may be more cost efficient long term to do the right thing and keep the tank topped up. So bear the advice in mind when you next drive past the local garage and invest in fuel!