And I used to do the same in my old car in 2007, and at 120K I had to replace the fuel pump.
Not surprising....low fuel = shortened fuel pump life
I'm sorry, but I don't buy this for one second and believe it's a huge myth. I ran my 1998 Honda Civic to 244K miles and ran it "down to fumes" numerous times and it still has the original fuel pump in it. I've asked several mechanics about this and they have also told me it's a bunch of B.S. If the myth were true, the fuel pump business would be the greatest money maker on earth because they'd be burning up all over the place. If it were true, your manufacturer's manual would have numerous stern warnings about running your fuel low.
Half the people around you are running their tanks on empty, you'd be hearing about fuel pump problems everywhere you went, but the fuel pump is one of the most reliable parts in every car. I wouldn't recommend running out of gas constantly, but if you do, the risk of damage to your fuel pump is low. The one thing you shouldn't do is continue to try to crank your vehicle when you are out of gas. That is the stupid mistake not to make and where damage can occur. If you are out of gas, call for roadside. But the risk of damage to the fuel pump running down your tank to half-a-gallon is zero.
You can keep filling up at 1/4, but you're not saving your fuel pump any more damage than anyone else by doing so. You're just making more trips to the gas pumps.
So what exact knowledge of vehicles do you have? If you believe that EVERY warning is going to be in the manual then it would be safe to assume that you dont know how things work on vehicles. Does the manual say to avoid potholes, curbs, or speedbumps? Does it say that running the engine to its max will shorten its life? Does it say that braking hard will reduce the life of brake pads, rotors, or shoes? I've worked in a shop for some time....and the word mechanic does not imply that the "mechanic" knows much about cars. There are different levels of mechanics and their experience. Some of the ones we had I wouldn't trust to put washer fluid in my car.
You're Civic is one example and Hondas rarely have fuel pump failures because they use HIGH quality fuel pumps. Ask owners of Chevy Expresses, Suburbans or Silverados and you'll find out that many of them have had theirs replaced with the admission that they too ran their fuel low quite often. We replaced many many many fuel pumps of Chevy Expresses because they were either lease vehicles or company owned and didn't care about their fuel level....letalone the vehicle.
Now, back to electric pumps. I suggest you go and get either a sump pump or a water pump and submerge it in water and let it run. It will feel slightly warm to the touch. Now, expose everything but the base of the pump to air and let it run and see how hot and bogged down the pump becomes. It is without question that the submerged pump will last far longer then the one that is exposed to air. Intense heat is not good for electrnics......doesnt the computer that you are on have a fan to help keep the processor cool?
Lastly, I am very confused about how trying to start a vehicle without fuel is bad for it....when letting it have ounce of fuel isn't bad for it supposedly? Makes no sense to me......