Many of us do it at least once in a while — driving around with our gas tank close to empty or, even worse, with the fuel light on.

“I’m always running around, and I just don’t feel like stopping,” Anesha Saleh said, while pumping gas at a station in Tampa. “I have the fuel light on now!” she added laughing.

Running on empty

Unfortunately, fuel experts say that’s a really bad idea.

“One of the things that can happen is your fuel pump can actually overheat, and then, you’re talking about hundreds of dollars in maintenance repairs,” explained AAA Spokesperson Josh Carrasco.

And that’s not all.  When you’re on “E”, the sludge and sediment that build up in the bottom of your tank over time can create serious problems.

“That could actually get sucked in your fuel injector or your fuel pump, and again, that’s hundreds of dollars in repairs that you didn’t need to make,” Carrasco said.

Quarter tank threshold

Running out of gas, of course, is another major risk factor.

“AAA alone rescues about 500,000 motorists who run out of gas every year,” Carrasco said.

A good rule of thumb is to look for a gas station when you get to about a quarter tank to avoid getting too close to empty.

Several motorists we talked with say they try to do just that.

“I’m always worried about getting stuck on the road and not having anyone to assist me,” Tracy Sharrow said.

Anselmo Estrella takes it even further and tries not to go below a half tank.

“You know, you take care of her, and she takes care of you. Budda bing, budda boom!” Estrella said, patting his vehicle on the hood.

Even Saleh says she’s going to work harder to avoid the dreaded fuel light.

 “I will try. I will try,” she said. “After you just told me that, I will try.”

Topping off the tank

Another tip: Don’t bother topping off your tank. According to the EPA, it only holds so much gas, so when the hose automatically clicks off, the sensor is indicating it’s full. That extra squeeze to top it off just rolls back down the hose, and you end up giving the station a few "freebie" extra cents for nothing.

This cut-off is designed as a precaution to prevent excess vapors from escaping into the environment. In some cases, it can even damage your car’s vapor recovery system, designed to reduce harmful emissions. So save yourself the effort and a few cents. When the hose clicks off, just hang it up.

Better fuel efficiency

Also, remember to keep your tires properly inflated to get better fuel economy.

“If you have under-inflated tires it’s going to cause more drag on your vehicle, and it’s going to reduce your fuel efficiency,” Carrasco from AAA explained.

Your driving habits actually play the biggest part in your gas mileage — especially speeding. Every five miles you go over 50 miles per hour will cost you an extra 19 to 20 cents per gallon.

“I fall into that category, too,” Saleh said, laughing, “because I’m always speeding to get to work or get home or get somewhere.”

To get better gas mileage, avoid these bad habits:

  • Driving too fast
  • "Jack rabbit" starts
  • Braking too quickly

Time of day to fill up

The time of day you fill up, it turns out, doesn’t really matter. Some folks think that avoiding the hottest time of the day will give you more gas for the money, but that’s not really the case.

While gas does expand slightly when heated, as all liquids do, it’s not really an issue for you at the pump, because of how the fuel is stored.

“People say during the hottest part of the day you might be getting less gas, but really when you’re looking at how gasoline is stored in double-walled underground tanks, the surface temperature may not affect what’s really going on underground. It’s going to be negligible over the long term,” explained Carrasco.

So fill up when you need to and don’t worry about doing it early in the morning or in the evening. Most importantly, avoid letting your gas tank get too low.