Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2000 01:19:19 PDT
Reply-To: Mark Dorm <mark_hb@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mark Dorm <mark_hb@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Does running out of gas damage fuel injection?
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
I had a 1981 320i BMW with a 1.8 liter four banger (which they had from
80-83 --- 77-79 320's had 2.0 liter but with EGR and not catalyic
converters). I ran this thing out of gas over and over and over and over
again. It would run out - then I could get it to turn over again and would
take it to a gas station. And there were times when it didn't run out but I
was sure it was going to any minute cause the needle was on empty... Anyway,
one day I lost a cylinder and I ended up buying a new factory crate engine
(for too much money, unless you like slow cars). All four of my fuel
injectors were trash and had to be replaced. Mechanic said he never saw that
before...
>From: Stuart MacMillan <macmillan@HOME.COM>
>
>It won't hurt the vanagon pump, at least it hasn't hurt mine, but you
>may have to crank for seconds, or repeatedly over a few minutes to get
>it started due to air in the lines. I did have a Saab once with a
>submerged pump in the tank, and if you ran that dry for more than a few
>seconds you would destroy the impeller, which was lubricated by the gas,
>and the pump was $250.
>
>The problem of picking up crud is usually due to water contamination in
>your gas. It will stay on the bottom and not cause problems until it
>gets deep enough to be sucked up, this is why some gas is always left in
>the tank, it might actually be water! Depending on the humidity and the
>frequency of reaching the dew point, leaving the tank partially filled
>continually can lead to condensation on the tank walls, so it is best to
>fill the tank all the way each time you get gas. (I used to have a
>friend in college who never had more than $2 in his pocket at any given
>time, as was the case with most of us, and he ran his car with the fuel
>warning light on all the time, never putting more than a dollar's worth
>in the tank (two gallons back then!), and sure enough, water condensing
>in the tank did that car in in two wet winters here.)
>
>The level of fuel has nothing to do with the level of water. Usually
>water in the gas is not a problem as long as you frequent major brand
>gas stations and your gas cap seals properly. Now that gas in major
>metro areas has ethanol in it in the winter, any water in station tanks
>has to be removed completely, so problems are rare.
>
>--
>Stuart MacMillan
>Seattle
>
>'84 Vanagon Westfalia w/2.1
>'65 MGB (Driven since 1969)
>'74 MGB GT (Restoring)
>
>Assisting on Restoration:
>'72 MGB GT (Daughter's)
>'64 MGB (Son's)
>
>Parts cars:
>'68 & '73 MGB, '67 MGB GT
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