Driving On An Empty Tank

Driving on an empty gas tank can do much worse damage then getting you stuck on the side of the road. The bottom of your gas tank accumulates sediment over time and when running on an empty or very low tank the sediment will get sucked up by the fuel pump and fed into your car's engine or cause a blockage in the pump itself. Furthermore, in cars that have the fuel pump inside the gas tank (which includes most cars), the fuel itself is used as a lubricant and coolant for the pump. Not enough fuel can cause the pump to overheat and potentially be destroyed.