In the summer, it’s not a big deal if fueling the car is an afterthought, as long as you don’t run out of gas. Here in Northern Illinois, however, it’s not such a good idea to let the gas tank run low in the winter time.

Gasoline won’t freeze until it hits 97-degrees below zero. However, that big cavity above the gasoline in a near-empty tank is an invitation to humidity laden air. Water freezes at 32-degrees above zero. If that humid air works its way into your fuel lines, when the moisture freezes, the lines are clogged.

Along with keeping the fuel level from going to low, you can also improve your odds in the winter time by occasionally using a fuel additive that removes moisture. Some additives are designed to clean a car’s fuel lines and carburetor or fuel injectors. Others are specifically designed to get the moisture out of your fuel system.

While many of the manufacturers of these additives like to claim that their products will make your car run better and improve gasoline mileage, it’s best to consider those claims with skepticism. However, if you use an additive for one of the two purposes listed in the paragraph above, you’ll probably achieve your intended goal. For a moisture drying additive, you might want to add a bottle every two or three times you fill the gas tank.

The best safeguard against frozen fuel lines, however, is to fill your tank regularly so the fuel level doesn't get too low.