Running out of gas is the last thing you may want when driving. Especially for a modern car and its advanced fuel system, you may get a hard time trying to prime. You can become stranded and even damage your vehicle.
There is a way you can prime a fuel pump after running out of gas, but always be mindful of how much fuel you have in your vehicle.
After refilling your gas, try turning the key on position for a while, then back off. (If your car is ‘push to start,’ push the start button without stepping on the brake pedal to switch on electrics and appliances.
Attempt this procedure a couple of times to ensure you prime the fuel pump. Your electric fuel pump starts working when you put the car to ‘ON’ regardless of whether you crank it or not. Letting it sit there for a while will let your pump prime and resume working.
ProTip: If possible, fill your tank with a considerable amount of gas to ensure the fuel pump is fully submurged. While a 1/4 a gallon can take your car a couple of miles, you might have trouble priming the fuel pump with such little fuel in the tank.
If the car fails to allow it to cool down for like one hour, then try again.
What to Do after Running Out of Gas
- Get your car to a safe place. If the vehicle runs out of gas in the middle of the road, turn the hazard lights on for visibility and alert other road users. Later move your car to the side of the road, set the emergency brake, and leave hazard lights on.
- Find your whereabouts in terms of the location for you to get help.
- Call for help if you can’t locate any gas station, and maybe you are in an unsafe place. You can check on the operator, insurance company road assistance, cops, family, friends, etc.
- Call for towing service or consider walking as you find help.
- Flag down a passing vehicle for help
Check this too: How Do You Know If Your Fuel Injectors Are Bad
How to Start a Car After Running Out of Gas
- Fill the tank with at least two gallons of fuel to help you reach the next station. Then put back the gas cap before you try restarting the vehicle.
- Put your car to the ‘ON’ status (could be by turning the key to on or pushing the start button without stepping on the brake pedal first)
- Press the gas pedal several times to draw the filled fuel flowing through the fuel system.
- Turn your key on to start a fuel injection car that ran out of gas if your car has a fuel injector system. If it doesn’t have, skip the procedure and wait for some minutes.
- Spin the key all the way in and hold for some seconds before your car turns over.
- After few minutes, repeat the procedure of turning it on if it fails to restart. Try like five times to see if the car restarts; if it doesn’t, let it sit for like one hour before another attempt. This moment allows your vehicle to cool down and the fuel to seep into the fuel pump by gravity.
- If after one hour it still fails, tow your car to a repair shop. Your vehicle may have other issues like a clogged gas line or a fouled fuel pump.
Do I have to Prime My Fuel Pump after Running out of Fuel?
Yes, it’s necessary to prime your fuel pump after running out of gas. Priming helps remove any air that may have entered the fuel lines due to running out of gas. After refilling your tank, turn your key to the on position and back to off several times.
If priming doesn’t help start the vehicle, you may want to ask yourself why your car doesn’t start after running out of gas? You may consider having a fuel system inspection and cleaning by a professional technician in such a case.
Can Running Out of Gas Damage a Fuel Pump
Yes, your fuel pump has a higher chance of getting damaged. When you run out of fuel, instead of the fuel pump moving energy, it starts drawing air from outside. In the process, debris clogs the fuel filter and forces the fuel pump to work harder.
The situation makes the fuel pump overwork, leading to a decreased shelf life. Again, instead of the fuel pump having a moment to cool down, it heats up when pumping air because there is no gas to cool it down.
Check this too: Why is My Fuel Gauge Stuck on Full?
With aggressive braking, accelerating with a low tank fuel can damage your fuel pump. Especially if this becomes a trend, the fuel pump will be at great risk of damage.
The best thing is turning off the key when the engine dies to stop the fuel pump from running. Then fill up the tank with fuel and avoid running out of gas, always fill up on time.
How Long Does It Take for Your Car to Start After Running out of Gas?
The length of time a car will take to start after running out of gas varies in different vehicles. Some may take few minutes to start after adding gas others may take even a day. After adding the gas, try to put the key into an on position for some minutes, then turn it off.
Leaving the key on will allow the fuel pump to fill the fuel system. If the vehicle doesn’t start, the fuel pump might have failed, as it uses gas to cool itself, so running dry is significant harm to the fuel pump.
Does Running Out of Gas Damage Fuel Injectors
Yes, running out of gas will damage the fuel injectors as they are a vital fuel system component. Injectors work nonstop as long as the car is on. When you ran out of gas, the injector will still try to suck up the fuel from the tank and pass it over.
Since the tank is empty, the injector draws the fine particles or the crust from the fuel tank, clogs the fuel filter, and damages the injectors. Your injector may not indicate any signs immediately, but after some distance, it may fail.
Conclusion
You now understand how to prime your car when you run out of fuel and the effects it can cause to your fuel pumps, injectors, and all other fuel components. As a precaution, avoid a situation where you will drive on low fuel in the tank.
Always do your inspection before you start driving, or else you will incur a lot fixing the damaged parts like fuel filter, injectors, fuel pump, etc.