A Wisconsin-based automotive shop weighed in on an age-old question from a service tech’s perspective: How long can you drive with the gas tank light on? Aeschbach Auto (@aeschbachauto) posted a TikTok that delves into the subject. The clip begins with one of the shop’s mechanics, Sandro, who is asked if it’s "bad to keep driving once [the] gas light turns on." His response indicates that car owners should take this indicator as a sign to fill up as soon as possible. In fact, he recommends against driving around with less than a quarter tank of gasoline and delineates why doing so is a bad idea. "The general rule: driving with less than a quarter tank is gonna lead to overheating your fuel pump ‘cause the fuel pump sits in the tank and is cooled by the fuel that it sits in," he says. "And driving on ‘E’ consistently is going to lead to burning up your fuel pump much, much faster and [lead to] premature failure." Should You Let Your Gas Tank Run On Empty? Following this, the person behind the camera approaches another tech in the shop, Justin, and poses the same question. This mechanic initially quips, "I don’t know; ask my wife, considering she’s got it on 90% of the time." Afterward, he concurs with Sandro’s assessment of this driving practice. "Yes, it’s horrible for your car," he says. "The gas helps keep your fuel pump cool. When you’re running it low, fuel pump’s not submerged in gas anymore, so it’s not staying cool. Your pump’s gonna overheat, eventually gonna die. Just hurting it.’ His advice? "I wouldn’t go less than a quarter of a tank unless you have to. Quarter of a tank, fill it back up," Justin tells viewers. He then goes on to explain the economic benefits of doing so. "It’ll be cheaper in the long run ‘cause you won’t have the repairs, and you won’t be pumping so much gas into your tank every time." A third shop tech, Antonio, concurred with the other two that driving on low gas causes the fuel pump to fail prematurely. Does Running On Empty Ruin More Than The Fuel Pump? Plenty of online resources provide additional reasons why letting your gas run low is a bad idea. This How Stuff Works blog post states that there are "a number of ways" a car can get damaged by running its engine with low fuel amounts. "Your car’s catalytic converter, which is part of the exhaust system, can be damaged," the outlet penned. Furthermore, the website stated that, due to the way gas tanks are constructed, sediment buildup can occur. "Particles that find their way into the … tank settle at the bottom, and … stay there until your car is trying to grab every last bit of fuel it can," the outlet stated. Thus, when a "fuel pump sucks up the last of your gas, any debris in your tank will go along with it." Subsequently, this particulate matter can then "get stuck in your pump or in your fuel filter," causing potential issues. The same website writes that fuel pumps can indeed overheat when you run your car dry. That’s because many cars place fuel pumps directly inside their gas tanks, which allows "the gas to act … like insulation and lubricant as it flows around the pump," the outlet remarked. This can, in turn, extend the life of a fuel pump. Additionally, Erie Insurance posted a blog entry on fuel usage, advising car owners not to keep their vehicle’s fuel gauge hovering on "E" for too long. Clogged fuel filters, damaged fuel pumps, and engine misfires could result from doing so. Moreover, the company wrote that automobiles typically have another 30–60 miles of driving once their car alerts drivers they’ve hit empty. Now, this may give commuters on a desolate highway stretch some peace of mind before they find their next gas station, but Erie writes that "experts say it’s a bad idea to make driving on empty a regular habit." Should You Fill Up When You’re A Quarter To Empty? Aeschbach Auto’s mechanics aren’t the only ones advocating for drivers to fill up their gas tanks before they get too close to empty. Progressive says that putting gas in a car right when that "E" light turns on is a good way to ensure you aren’t prematurely damaging the car’s fuel pump, engine, or catalytic converter. Additionally, Consumer Reports advises drivers to always "keep your gas tank no less than ¼ full." The research group also tells drivers to consider filling their gas tank up prior to going on a long trip, just in case they’re stuck in traffic or on the road longer than anticipated. Motor1 has reached out to Aeschbach Auto via TikTok direct message for further comment. We will update this story if they respond. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team