DSM beat me to it. Where in the hell did people get these ideas they are staing in here? The national enquire of automobiles. Seriously one of the most ignorant threads I have ever seen on here.

 

Well why don't you clear up some of the rumours? I'm just trying to get information...how do I know if what people are saying is true or not...

 

you are quite correct, the fuel pickup is on the bottom of the tank. but what you fail to realize is that the sediment in a gas tank is actually in suspension, meaning its all mixed up in the gas, as when we drive around, the gas sloshes around, the only time that sediment is at the bottom of the tank, is after the car is stationary for a period of time.

as for the second item about buying the gas in the am, reference the links below

link 1
link 2
link 3
link 4

i guess all these are wrong.

 

since my car was broken in, my light would come on at 225 miles and i would fill up as soon as I could after it came on. Since getting the latest flash, my light comes on at 250 miles, 70/30 City/Highway, and I can get to 300 miles when the needle is at the bottom line just above the E, when I fill up at this point it takes 14 gals (21.5mpg) and if I let it get all the way to the bottom (needel wont drop any more) 330 miles. when I was on a LONG road trip. i got it to 300 miles when the light came on and 350 at the bottom line (25 mpg)

 

Guys I am a RX7 owner but also a mechanic. The problem with running the tank dry is the fuel pump is in tank on the 8. The fuel cools the pump when it runs. So if you run it dry it overheats the pump leading to premature pump failure. I have replaced many many pumps on all kinds of vehicles because of this. I haven't posted here much but lurk everyday (hope to buy an 8 soon) Hope I can help make all your pumps happy.

 

It is actually harmful to go low on gas....the pump on the '8 is a high pressure submersible model, that gets it's cooling from the gas around it. We use this type of pump a lot in my industry, their lifespan is drastically shortened when they overheat. Probably not going to make much difference, in the big picture, but for those who worry about this kind of stuff.... (khtm?)

S

 

umm all the sediment will be sitting at the bottom of your tank after sitting overnight after a fillup due to this thig called gravity.

 

ummm, but, like when you drive, you know, like go around turns, accelerate, brake, and like hit bumps, the gas sloshes around, and becomes mixed up in the gas, just like i stated 4 posts ago

 

it's still all there crammed in when you start it.. and it'll stay stuck there since there is flow. it's just like a vacuum cleaner.

 

Yeah, thats just like saying if I fart here in Nebraska, due to the laws of diffusion, someone in China will smell a few molecules of my fart.

 

Nope, your wrong. That's why they have heaters in the handle.

you get the same amount of gas from the pump whether it's cold or hot outside.

 

Then we're really in trouble with the recall. Our trunks get hot.

Now we have to face prematur fuel pump failure. Their ain't no colloing in the gas tank.

 

So that WAS you that I smelled yesterday!! I thought it was foul...

 

Yes, I thought it was bad to let the gas run out. Why the hell do people say it's not if they don't actually know? Man this forum pisses me off sometimes.

 

Well sure, that's kind of comparable, but the air space between Nebraska and China is a bit larger than your gas tank, so way to really, really, really exagerate

I was just trying to make a point:
If you fill up regularly whenever the gas gauge is below 3/4 then you're bound to have MORE old gas in your tank than if you regularly fill up when the gauge is below 1/4.

That's all I'm sayin'!

Now is old gas bad for an engine? I don't know...I'm a computer geek, not a mechanic...any experts?

 

Because everyone posts their opinions and if you havnt realized that everything on the internet is NOT gospel, then you probably need a reality check..


on a side note, you beat me dazy- 15.34 is my personal 'oh damn I forgot to fill up' :D

I generally don't let the car go under 1/4 tank.

 

Well usually when I'm talking about something that I'm not certain about I'll clarify it with "I think" or "I heard". A lot of people talk as if they know for certain. That's the difference.

 

Amen!

Most people don't understand the process of qualifying what they say. In the intelligence business it's: suspect, possible, probable and confirmed depending on the confidence level of the person making a statement. If someone doesn't understand that process and apply it correctly, their statements lack credibility and are usually ignored. Comments from anyone, anywhere--especially the Internet--should be judged by the same criteria. If someone states something as fact, be suspicious.

 

Old gas can have a couple of problems. In the worst case it can grow bacteria that turn it into something like varnish. I had this happen once to a car I had parked for a couple years. The other thing is old gas may be the wrong seasonal formulation (summer vs. winter). I don't think either of these problems apply in your scenario. If you fill up at 1/4 each time, by the 5th fillup only 1 part in a thousand is from the original tank.

 

Anyone who buys an RX8, gases it up and lets it sit for years should be dragged, quartered and shot. That's treason in my book. If the 8 is parked, you're driving with the enemy. :D

 

I remember reading an article a lil while back saying not to let your gas tank go under 1/4 .
When it goes underneath that all the other crap gets sucked in and could really screw up your engine...

 

I try to keep mine above 1/4 tank. Main reason: keep the fuel pump cool. Like others have posted, if the pump does not have gas around it keeping it cool, it could overheat. Also, I try not to stretch it to the point of running out of gas. I would rather stop at a pump and fill up a little more often, then run the risk of being out of gas.

 

I like to live dangerously. :D

 

dazy "danger" powers???

 

nothing wrong with that....just try not to stretch it out too far.