Is it true that during warm weather it is a bad idea to fill car’s petrol tank at the end of the day?

In a hurry to reach your office for a business presentation, suddenly, your car stops because you ran out of gas. You might be missing your most awaited day for your presentation; you will lose your temper and will ruin your mood on an entire day. It sucks!

Running low is not a good idea and running out of gas might also cause serious fuel line problems. The particles of dirt and rust concentrated at the bottom of the gas tank can be sucked up by the fuel pump when you drive your car running out of gas. Some of the small particles can work its way past the fuel filter into the injectors.
You probably have heard that it is better to tank up your car early in the morning, and it is a bad idea to fill your car’s gas tank at the end of the day, especially during warm weather.

Here are a few straightforward reasons for this idea.

First, like in the example from the beginning, filling your car can save you from urgent appointments and transactions. In the morning, you get more ‘bang for the buck’ or more value for your money spent.

Filling your tank half full every time you visit the gas station, you’ll have to make twice as many trips there if you were to fill it up every time. That’s twice as many kilometers, twice as many starts and stops and twice as much time idling waiting for the pump. Over a year, this can add up. It also means that you spend twice as much time traveling to the gas station.

Sparing with fueling up doesn’t save money. It can even lead to expensive repairs and a costly tow job. The habitual running of the car to empty tank could lead to fuel pump damage and a repair potentially costing hundreds or even thousands in parts and labor.
More to these practical reasons are the chemical and mechanical effects of filling your car at the right time.

During the heat of the day, the gas expands and becomes less dense. Because it is a mixture of hydrocarbons with the chain lengths from C7H16 through C11H24, it vaporizes at temperatures below the boiling point of water.

It may cool in your tank at night, but it will shrink to a lesser quantity, and in the morning, it would give you a quick start.
Experts say fuel is denser in the morning due to a cooler temperature, irrespective of whether it’s in liquid form or gas.

However, filling your tank has its pros and cons. Here is an example.

Pro: Less Chance for Condensation in Your Tank

In chilly in winter places where temperatures are below zero, there is a chance for water condensation to form in the gas tank and fuel lines. As the vehicle runs, the gas heats up, and when it’s off, it cools and allows condensation. You can’t stop condensation from taking place altogether. However, if your tank is full, condensation is less likely to form in your tank and fuel lines.

Con: FULL TANK = more weight = more work

Others believe that since half a tank weighs lesser, it takes less fuel to drive around town. It may be right to a point, but the savings are insignificant at this level. When full, your gas tank accounts for less than 5% of your car’s total weight, which is about 120 pounds. By filling your tank only half full, you reduce your car’s value by 2.5%, which does not make a significant effect on your fuel consumption.

There is not much difference in fuel consumption, but there are some definite advantages to filling your tank: you can save time by frequent trips to the gas station and lower chances of running out of gas.

Pros: Safety always matters first

Driving in the middle of the road and your vehicle completely ran out of fuel is the most significant danger of allowing your tank to run low, especially on extreme temperatures in winter and summer. When an engine dies, brakes and power steering can be lost. Thus, running out of fuel at highway speeds can be hazardous in itself.

While keeping the fuel tank full, also make sure to have a weather-appropriate vehicle emergency kit in your vehicle.

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