Monthly Archives: October 2020
I Need To Stop Running My Metro On Fumes
Most gas stations freak me out.
I won’t bother you to the reasons, ’cause they’ll make me sound insensitive, and possibly schizophrenic.
(There is, however, this one Amaco near the bypass that isn’t too bad, but that’s just because they still sell baseball cards which I still collect even though there essentially worthless!)
ANYHOO…
My point is – I don’t like gas stations, and as a result I seldom fill up my blue 1989 Geo Metro unless the fuel gauge is about 2 cm below the “E“mpty indicator.
This is where, if I keep driving, the engine starts to sputter, convulse and die.
Turns out – this is not a good thing for the mechanics of your engine. In fact, it’s freaking horrible!
A mechanic friend enlightened me to this reality and now I’m a regular Joe at the gas station where I know all the convenience store staff by name.
So if you’re like I was before I was “converted”, you’re likely wondering:
Just how bad is running your car all the way to fumes?
Read on friend…
Engine Damage
The car engine is an amazing feat of engineering. You’ve got your different systems; the engine, the coolant, the electrical – all timed and configured to work together to propel your vehicle forward. And all systems need to be clicking just so to ensure your automobile doesn’t freeze up.
This is especially true in older cars like my Azure Blue Metro who can’t rely on all that new wizz-bang ECMs to monitor and adjust system operations.
Likewise the fuel systems most most cars manufactured during the Metro years or before were designed in such a way that the fuel is pulled from the top of the tank used to power the engine.
All the debris and unwanted particles in the fuel are, in turn, collected and filtered from the bottom of the fuel tank.
Run out of fuel? Man-up son!
Run out of fuel? Wondering what To Do? Do you call you Mom, or, Dad, or Girlfriend to bail you out? NO!
You read this article from a towing company in Virginia Beach on getting your damn car to run again.
Now what do you think happens when but a spittle of fuel is left at the bottom of your tank?
That’s right! The fuel pump sucks up the swill (aka: shit-fuel) at the bottom of the tank.
Luckily there’s a nifty fuel filter inline before the fuel pump which gets most of the big chunks of crud.
The more insidious stuff gets through though, and over time it can clog up your primary fuel filter, which then causes shit-fuel to your injectors and engine cylinders.
Shit-fuel can cause your injectors to fail, your pistons or cylinders to pit, and your engine to run hot – which can then cause complete and utter destruction on your engine!!!
Here’s a visual of the result…
Now most modern cars are gonna give you “head-up” in the way of a warning light of something. But do you think they put that technology in my 1989 Geo Metro Hatchback?
Yeah sure pal, you bet they put that technology in my Geo Metro from 1989. (Gawd!)
