Date:         Fri, 1 Sep 95 16:03:56 PDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         stafford@alcor.hac.com (Jack Stafford)
Subject:      Re: Running FI engine empty

On Fri, 01 Sep, Joel Walker <JWALKER@ua1vm.ua.edu> responded:

> many (not all) of the fuel injection systems use bosch fuel pumps, and these
> are "cooled" by the flow of the fuel through the pump. if you run an EFI
> system dry, there is NO fuel in the pump ... which can burn up the pump.
> also you can get some of the crud that is in the bottom of the fuel tank
> sucked into the lines and the pump and possibly the injectors.
> 
> it's not that running out once will completely distroy your system ...
> it won't. i'm proof of that. but it's not something you want to do every week
> or even every month. it' like running your tires with too much (or too little)
> air in them: you're gonna ruin the tires sooner or later.

About 10 years ago I ran out of diesel with an old friend in a Mercedes 240D (diesel).
Luckily we coasted into a gas station and filled up with diesel #2. There was a small
hand pump (akin to a Coleman camp lantern) connected to the FI.  I suppose this purged
the "ring main" of air and pressurized the lines w/diesel.  We were on our way in minutes.

Keep an eye on that fuel gauge over the weekend, folks. :-)

Jack  '73 Westy (with '78 FI motor)
stafford@alcor.hac.com