Low fuel level in tank, will this cause extra heat for fuel pump?

[Recoil spring]

I read awhile back that one of the reasons for the inside fuel tank fuel pump failures with most cars is the lack of gasoline used to help cool them, in other words, if you drive around with less than a quarter tank in hot weather, you are asking for premature fuel pump failure.

For years I have stopped at a fuel station and filled up the tank on my Oldsmobile to keep the fuel pump cool, must have worked as I junked out the 1997 car with 165,000 on it and the pump still worked. Now that I have a Ford (2000 Lincoln) product is it ok to drive it with less than a quarter tank without fear of damaging the pump?

Or is this stuff an old wives tale?

Thanks.

[Willyum]

Not an old wives tale. Ford and GM use a very similar in tank fuel pump system.

[Recoil spring]

Thanks for the reply, Willyum,

Last week I decided to drive the Lincoln on a hot day back from a road trip with less than a quarter tank, too tired to stop and sure enough, when the tank got to within 50 miles of running out according to the digital dash numbers and the computer, it would blink and a warning bell went off. I will make sure I tank up when it gets to a quarter full.

Replacing inside fuel pumps on modern cars is around $900.00 from what I have heard.