Reply #14: Yeah ...

[RoyGBiv]

Best to avoid it, especially as I noted from another of your posts that they've had environmental complaints before.

Sometimes what will happen when a tank is low is that not all the pumps will work. Or, its filter may have been clogged, which would prevent it from delivering gas to you. There's a filter inside the pump, and it has to be changed frequently even on clean systems. If this station has a history of problems, they are more likely not to do so. (Or, they could be really crappy and just remove the filters altogether, which is a major violation.) A close to empty tank makes the pump have to work harder to pull the gasoline, and if the filter is causing it to work even harder, it'll just shut down and not be able to pump anything.

The note about delivery vehicles was just additional advice for the future. If the tanks were close to empty, there's no telling what kind of sludge got transferred to your vehicle. When the tanks are low, there's very little pressure inside the tank helping push the gasoline down and into the outtake line (the opening for the tank is usually around 2-3 inches from the bottom), requiring the pumps to pull harder and potentially sucking up water and sludge from the bottom.