Nobody wants to hear their engine sputtering or feel the lack of acceleration. What could be the culprit of these performance issues? Uh oh – you have run out of gas. The next question you may be asking yourself is ‘how to start your car after running out of gas.’ when the tank is left empty, the engine will draw in outside air to use the last bits of fuel. This process stops the engine from starting again, leading to performance and safety issues.
⚠️ If It's Broken, Don't Fix It - Get Paid Cash for Your Vehicle ⚠️
Since letting your car run out of gas can lead to issues with your engine, fuel system, and starter, you need to prevent this from happening in your vehicle. Letting your fuel system remain dry puts excess stress and strain on the engine, meaning it has to work that much harder to turn over again after your car has run out of gas.
Why won’t my car start after I ran out of gas?
If you are wondering, ‘why won’t my car start after I ran out of gas,’ you need to know the damages that can happen from letting this occur in your vehicle. Although engine damage isn’t a guarantee of certainty when your car runs out of gas, it happens more often than not.
In fact, modern engines are designed to withstand much more than just running out of fuel, like misfiring, spark plug damage, and other performance issues. Older cars are susceptible to damage from a dry fuel system, as it can end up pulling in outside debris and dirt into the fuel tank.
If debris from the fuel tank is redirected to the fuel lines, you may begin asking yourself, ‘how to start your car after running out of gas.’
- The foreign particles can clog the fuel lines and lead to issues with the transportation of liquid through the fuel system to the engine.
- The sediment can become hard and difficult to remove once it is lodged in the seals, meaning it is crucial to find the answer to ‘why won’t my car start after I rang out of gas?’
How to start your car after running out of diesel?
If you find that the answer to ‘how to start your car after running out of gas’ refers to your diesel engine, you may have additional things to worry about. If you own a diesel car, you know the benefits of this car – improved fuel efficiency and power. However, if you have heard of the positives, you have also heard of the negative and potential dangers of running out of fuel.
Since the engine’s fuel injectors in your diesel car pull in excess air when there is no more fuel in the tank, this can have a detrimental impact on the other internal engine components within the system. Drivers of diesel vehicles need to find out the answer to ‘how to start your car after running out of gas’ by inspecting and analyzing their engine performance.
For a diesel engine to turn on and turn over again after running out of gas, it usually happens that air will have to be bled from the fuel system. Bleeding the fuel system is a labor-intensive, time-consuming, and expensive process done by a local mechanic or professional. The bleeding process involves removing the filters, cleaning the fuel lines, and replacing the injectors and fuel pump.
- For drivers to have an idea of ‘how to start your car after running out of gas’ in regards to a diesel engine, they may have to repair or replace some parts of their fuel system.
- Replacing fuel filters is between $50 and $170, with the labor between $45 and $6- for between 30 and 45 minutes of work.
- Replacing fuel lines and fixing a leak in the line is a simple task, costing between $50 and $120 at most mechanic shops.
- Replacing the fuel injector costs between $800 and $1450 depending on your car’s make, model, and year. This procedure’s labor is between $200 and $250 for between 3 hours and 4 hours of work.
- Replacing a fuel pump is between $220 and $1,062 depending on the severity of the damage and the type of vehicle you own. Labor for this fix is between $124 and $260 for between 1.5 and 3 hours of work.
How to start your car after running out of gas – step one: fill up the tank!
The first step in learning ‘how to start your car after running out of gas’ is to fill up the tank. It seems obvious enough, but this step is often overlooked when trying to find out how to restart your vehicle safely. Your car or truck will need fuel to get back running again since fuel is the lifeblood of the engine and the fuel system.
The good news with this step is that you don’t need to fill the tank completely to get your car running again. If you only have a gas can to transport fuel to your car or you are running low on cash, you only need a few gallons from your nearest gas station to turn your car back on and get the engine going.
For this reason, you should always consider carrying a gas can in your car for these inopportune moments. Hopefully, if this is not possible, you know someone you can call who can give you a ride to the closest gas station.
Your Car Ran Out Of Gas – Things to Try:
When you have refueled your car at a nearby gas station and get the engine turning over, there are certain things you can do and try to make sure the engine is running correctly without putting any excess strain on the ignition, battery, and starter motor. If you don't try these steps, there is a higher potential for the problems to reoccur.
Keep in mind, it can take a few tries to get the engine going again if the fuel has not been properly moving through the fuel system to be transported to the internal combustion process. In this case, do not crank the engine repeatedly, as this can drain the battery and lead to issues with your car restarting.
There are some things you can try when trying to find the answer to ‘how to start your car after running out of gas’:
- Press the accelerator pedal to speed up the fuel injection process and kickstart the fuel injectors. This step will increase the speed of the fuel moving through the engine to try and find the solution to ‘how to start your car after running out of gas.’
- Turn the ignition switch to the ‘on’ position without starting the engine. By doing this repeatedly, drivers can ensure the electric fuel injectors have begun to move the fuel around in the system without placing excess stress and demand on the power-related and battery-operated systems.
- Make sure the car has cooled down and is not running. Running out of fuel causes the fuel pump, injectors, lines, and entire system to overheat, causing the failure. This can take a while to cool down, meaning you need to be patient when trying to find the answer to ‘how to start your car after running out of gas.’
- Make sure the fuel is running into the system. You have to understand that a fuel system is a complicated network that doesn’t contain a single hose and a single injector – there are multiple hoses, lines, valves, seals, and injectors that comprise the system. The fuel needs to move through the entire system to operate properly. To ensure the best chance of success, make sure the vehicle is on a level surface. Press the gas pedal a few times before turning the engine on to allow the fuel to fill the entire system.
Car Ran Out Of Gas and Battery Died
Along with running out of gas, you may find that your car ran out of gas and battery died – this scenario is unpleasant and dangerous, but can be fixed by knowing some key facts about your vehicle.
When your car battery dies, there are a few steps you can take to get back on the road safely. There are two different scenarios that you typically face when your car battery turns off. The first scenario deals with jump charging your car.
Method #1: Jump charging your car correctly
- Take out your jumper cables – the first step in learning how to fix the ‘car ran out of gas and battery died’ scenario is to take out your jumper cables from the rear trunk of your car.
- Get the vehicles ready – the other important component in learning ‘how to start your car after running out of gas,’ and your battery dies to find another vehicle that can give you a jump. Park the car, so it is facing the vehicle you need to jump-start, making sure both cars are in the Park or Neutral position.
- Attach the jumper cables – open both car hoods and locate the battery terminals in each vehicle. State with the red cable clamp and attach it to the positive battery terminal on the dead car. The black clamp should be attached to the negative terminal on the working battery.
- Jump-start – Start the working car’s engine and let it warm up for a few minutes. Then, try to jump the dead car. If the car doesn’t start, let the other vehicle run and charge for a few more minutes before trying again.
- Remove the cables – Once the car with the dead battery is running, you have figured out the answer to ‘how to start your car after running out of gas’ with a dead battery. Ensure the solution will stick by driving it to let the battery build, running the car for at least 15 to 20 minutes.
Method #2: Jump Start Failed
If you find the jump start failed and the battery will not hold a charge, you need to find another solution for ‘how to start your car after running out of gas.’ Keep in mind these factors when determining the best way to fix your vehicle:
- The age of the battery could be too old for the jumpstart to work, since most batteries have a lifespan of only between 4-6 years in modern cars. If the battery is too old, it is time to replace the battery of your car.
- Replacing a car battery is usually between $118 and $216, with the parts being the most expensive components.
- If you did not drive your car for a long enough period of time after getting the jump from the running car, it could be the reason your car has died again. Make sure you drive the car for at least 15 to 20 minutes to give your vehicle a chance to build up a charge and hold the charge.
- If you left accessory, light, or power-related electronics in your car, this could cause the battery to drain and lead to the ‘car ran out of gas and battery died’ scenario.
- Without knowing it, there may be a hidden drain on the battery that is hard to identify. If you have a problem with your alternator or electrical system, it can place excess stress on the battery and cause it to die.
- Lastly, there could be an issue with your car’s mechanical system that prevents the battery from charging. In this case, you need to analyze your battery to look for any broken pieces.
Roadside Assistance Near Me
When looking into ‘roadside assistance near me’, this process can help you find the answer to ‘how to start your car after running out of gas.’ Roadside companies are there to help you in times of crisis or need, providing assistance when you are in remote areas or when you can’t get to a gas station.
- Allstate – Allstate provides roadside assistance that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The fast, reliable, and trackable roadside assistance helps you with various issues, like jump-starting your car, fixing a flat tire, getting you back into a car that you have locked yourself out of, and providing a tow for a non-working vehicle.
- AAA – AAA is one of the most well-known services for providing roadside assistance. You can request online with your phone in just four steps, letting you get help anywhere. You can track the AAA service to see how close they are to your location, and then request a tow to an AAA-approved auto store.
- Honk – Honk for Help is a service that provides towing and roadside assistance. Honk can get to you quickly with just a single tap on your phone with the HONK app. With over 75,000 service vehicles, the network is huge to quickly help you find the answer to ‘how to start your car after running out of gas.’
- Progressive – Progressive provides roadside assistance that customers can add to their policy. roadside assistance in this policy covers vehicle towing within a 15-mile radius, winching service for cars that are trapped in mud or snow, battery jumps-starting, and fuel delivery to help you find the solution to ‘how to start your car after running out of gas.’
- State Farm – State Farm provides Emergency Roadside Service that covers towing your vehicle to a nearby repair facility, delivery of gas or oil, one hour of locksmith services, and one-hour of mechanical labor for battery replacement, electrical issues, transmission problems, or leaking fluids.
The Bottom Line
Finding out the answer to ‘how to start your car after running out of gas’ is key to keeping your car safely on the road!