Myth #2: You can drive a long distance on “empty.”
As a matter of fact, you can drive many miles on empty. Most gas tanks hold about two gallons in reserve.
Car producers have seemingly created this gauge for the forgetful, but this feature is actually an ingenious marketing strategy. Gas gauges are not linear. They are designed to stay “full” for numerous miles. Then, the gauge moseys down to “half” before quickly plunging to a “quarter.” Gradually the marker moves to zero, at which point you have about two gallons.
When the gas is filled, it stays “full” for countless miles. This assumption misleads you to believe in your car’s superb mileage. When you finally hit ’empty,’ you feel lucky to drive such a long distance.
Some experts do advise against running on empty. The truth is the car gets to a point where it is starved for fuel. The vehicle then takes a long time to re-pressurize. By actually starving the injectors, there is the chance of vapor lock. To avoid this conundrum, when the gas light flashes, find gas immediately.