It can have an effect on engine life. It's probably not dramatic.

Dirt, rust, and other miscellaneous crud can accumulate at the bottom of the gas tank. To prevent this crap from going into your engine, the hole is placed slightly above the bottom of the tank. There's a few different designs, but same general concept. MS paint skillz to the left.

Letting your tank run very low on gas can cause this crud to get thrown up and get into the fuel line, since more gas is being sucked "up" from the bottom relative to a full tank where it's pretty much all coming from above. Putting the gas into a near-empty tank is also going to disturb it more.

Will this negatively impact the car? Maybe, but probably not. First off, fuel lines should have a filter anyway, which will (hopefully) prevent it from getting in the engine. Second, we're talking about a pretty well controlled environment. There's not much chance for dirt to get in there, and the little that does is probably in small enough amounts to not even matter.

Honestly, worst case scenario for any modern car would be that some day a long time from now, enough crap accumulates in your filter that it starts clogging things up. Your engine would stall like you ran out of gas (since no gas is getting to the engine). Replace the filter and you're good as new.

There's something else to consider, though, and that's weight distribution. Gas has weight - roughly 6 pounds per gallon, meaning a full tank is going to add a good 60-80 pounds. Not enough to have any meaningful impact on MPGs, but enough to have an impact on your car's suspension.

For example, you're supposed to get your alignment done with a full tank of gas, since it's enough of a change to impact it. That is also assuming you normally fill the tank. I don't know if that recommendation changes if you don't normally fill the tank. It's never been something I've researched since I always fill the tank.

I have noticed that my car handles ever-so-slightly better on a full tank of gas. My tank is in the rear of a front-engine, rear-wheel drive coupe. That means the extra weight in back helps (slightly) shift the center of gravity more towards the center of the car, and it also puts slightly more force on the rear tires (meaning more traction).

I guess the TLDR is that for any modern car, it really doesn't matter. Any benefits to keeping the tank brimmed or not are extremely modest at best.

If you want to extend the life of your car, there are far better ways to spend your time worrying.

"quite a dramatic effect on engine life" is grossly overstated in my opinion, if there's any noticable effect at all with modern fuel systems.

pppppst, its because toyotas really suck, if its not motor or tranny work, its Bearings and Axles.....but honestly a google search will tell you that the effect it does have on a car is almost non existent in newer cars, maybe in a 1980 - 1990 year car there may be a noticeable difference, but im my experience any negative effects, if any never show

- A Guy who works Gas Pumps and does Mechanics

Afford an attorney? I can give you a list of 20 different ambulance chasers who'd JUMP at this easy-win case! Hell, I'll represent you as a fucking student and still win this case.

You just went full retard. He's trying to explain a hypothetical situation and you're hanging on to one stupid piece of info lol.

Lol this deutschblut kid blocked me because he's scared of me. Ha.

Well I was hoping to hide my shame but if its for science and helping out strangers on the internet then I suppose I have no choice.

/Operation+white+christmas/text/5782441/

IT BEGINS

You're an anon. How are we supposed to subscribe to you?