# Gas Tank **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 28, 2000, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gas-tank/9463 "2000-03-28T17:14:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gas-tank/9463/21 "2000-03-31T03:51:00Z")
As I understand it, on some cars the in-tank fuel pump is cooled by the fuel. So running on nearly empty tanks **might** shorten the life of the fuel pump, though I don’t think there are any hard data to show it actually happens. ---
**Author:** ![pmh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@pmh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pmh)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gas-tank/9463/22 "2000-03-31T04:39:00Z")
billehunt, you are correct that the “crap” goes into the fuel lines anyway (the in tank filters are usually worse than nothing), but with less fuel, the percentage of crap-to-clean-fuel _is_ higher. It’s a moot point though, because the in-line filter gets it before it gets to the engine. scr4, not only cooling, but lubrication, I once ruined a 200 aftermarket pump by running it dry. (Admittedly, not \*\*hard\*\* data, FOAF at best). But, in-tank pumps are labor() intensive to replace, so why take the chance? ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2000, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gas-tank/9463/23 "2000-03-31T06:04:00Z")
I’ve noticed and lived with this phenomenon. My present car’s fuel guage is probably a linear sampler as described above, but the guage faceplate is such that the needle’s full traverse covers ~140º, with “F” @ (0º due west, uh, horizontal) 20º, 3/4 @ 30º, 1/2 @ 45º and 1/4 @ 90º (“E” @ 160º - all angles rotated counterclockwise). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gas-tank/9463.md?page=1)