# Will a car start with an almost empty gas tank **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** neon, dodge\ **Created:** [November 13, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/will-a-car-start-with-an-almost-empty-gas-tank/39439 "2009-11-13T21:14:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bepari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@bepari](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bepari)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/will-a-car-start-with-an-almost-empty-gas-tank/39439/1 "2009-11-13T21:14:18Z")
my gas tank is seriously low, i tried to start my car to take it to the gas station but it won’t start…could that be the reason? ---
**Author:** ![bennyandthejets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@bennyandthejets](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bennyandthejets)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 9:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/will-a-car-start-with-an-almost-empty-gas-tank/39439/2 "2009-11-13T21:27:28Z")
Uh…yeah. If your car is out of gas, it might not start. If your gas needle is off just a little bit, or if you’ve been driving around with your low fuel lite on for the past week or so, that might be related to your car not starting. Does that adequately answer your question? ---
**Author:** ![bepari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a3d4f5/32.png) [@bepari](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bepari)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 9:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/will-a-car-start-with-an-almost-empty-gas-tank/39439/3 "2009-11-13T21:29:34Z")
yes, it does, thank you so much. let’s hope it is that and not a more serious problem. ---
**Author:** ![tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@tardis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tardis)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 12:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/will-a-car-start-with-an-almost-empty-gas-tank/39439/4 "2009-11-14T00:41:06Z")
That is also a good way to kill a fuel pump. Put a couple of gallons in it. If it still doesn’t start, then check the fuel pump fuse. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 12:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/will-a-car-start-with-an-almost-empty-gas-tank/39439/5 "2009-11-14T00:43:16Z")
In addition driving on a near empty tank can damage tbe fuel pump. A weak pump could also be a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/will-a-car-start-with-an-almost-empty-gas-tank/39439/6 "2009-11-14T00:46:16Z")
In most vehicles, you can hear the fuel pump running for a few seconds when you turn on the key. Repeat that several times to build up pressure…(after you put some gas in the tank…) ---
**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 12:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/will-a-car-start-with-an-almost-empty-gas-tank/39439/7 "2009-11-14T00:57:24Z")
My wife, against my best attempts to dissuade her, regularly runs the tank very low between fuel stops. On our truck, if the tank is very low, and you park with the front end pointed down, it will not start. She found this out the hard way, but still does it on occasion.