Four Houses

 

Some of you won’t believe this, but it doesn’t cost more to drive with your gas tank between full and half-full than it does to drive with the needle between empty and half-empty. In fact, it could actually cost you less to maintain a full gas tank. One reason is condensation. A tank half-full of gas is also half-full of air. In warm weather, moisture in the air condenses and drips into the gas. It sinks to the bottom and gets pumped into the engine, eventually causing corrosion. In cold weather, the moisture freezes and causes even more trouble. Another reason to maintain a full gas tank is debris. The more air in your tank, the more dust and other pollutants. The most obvious reason is an emptier tank is more likely to run out of gas; maybe at an inconvenient time, when you’re already running late, in heavy traffic, in bad weather, in some dodgy neighborhood or miles from the nearest gas station.