siphoned gas

[Bryophyte]

I know someone who kept getting gas stolen from jugs on his property, so he mixed in a bottle of corn syrup with a jug and left it out. Corn syrup supposedly mixes with gas better than granulated sugar.

Why he didn't just keep the gas cans locked up after the first theft is a complete mystery.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
so you didn't have a fuel filter?

sugar doesn't dissolve in gasoline
how did it get past the fuel filter?

I had a fuel filter. Perhaps sugar contains a certain percentage of particles less than 3 microns in size? Perhaps water in the fuel system dissolved it?

If you guys believe it, prove me wrong. Take a cup of sugar and dump her on in. When your car dies, pump out the tank, replace the fuel filter and post the video of you driving down the street afterwards on here.

 

[FoBoT]

I'm just saying


you know, the snopes thing


<shrugs>

 

[bluestrobe]

I would have put dye in the gas tank instead of sugar. Then put a camera covering the car also. Great combination for the police report.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: bluestrobe
I would have put dye in the gas tank instead of sugar. Then put a camera covering the car also. Great combination for the police report.

True. So there must be at least some stock in it. I'd be willing to bet that most of the damage just comes from having to flush the fuel system.

Other things I've read online from mechanics who've actually seen this say that most of the time it's just that the fuel filter and lines get clogged and the engine starves. Some stuff still gets through but not much.

On occasion though it seems as though water in the fuel system can dissolve the sugar and it makes gunky deposits all throughout the fuel system, and it can definitely get into the cylinders and leave crap all over them.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: rh71
Was wondering what your input is on this... it's quite comical actually...

- Person A has multiple vehicles in their driveway since they restore cars
- Someone has been siphoning person A's gas for months
- Person A decides to put sugar in the tank of one of the vehicles that does not have an engine
- Someone's vehicle develops problems and person A finds out it's their neighbor (Ford Probe)
[Redemption is so sweet isn't it ?]
- Neighbor confronts person A and threatens to sue, presumably will claim they put sugar directly into his tank.

Basically it's a their-word-against-his deal right now... what can come of this ? Should person A go so far as to have the contents of both tanks tested to prove it's the same gas (thus siphoned) and get their neighbor in legal trouble too ?

I would think that the neighbour would have to offer up some kind of proof that person A put sugar in their tank in order to win. If not, then I can put sugar in my tank, claim my neighbour did it, sue them, and win some money.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: Baloo

Originally posted by: rh71

Originally posted by: Baloo
Sugar is not going to hurt anybody's engine - that is a myth.

Edit: person B would never know there was sugar in the siphoned gas unless person A told person B, or person B happened to notice tiny granules in the bottom of the container he siphoned into, if any granules were actually to get siphoned out with the gas.

Well the neighbor wouldn't openly admit to siphoning the gas in the first place so the only way that person A found out it's him is because the car has *some* problems now. Something to that affect had to have happened.

Edited OP.

The question was posed hypothetically, so there's no "person A found out" anything. But as I said, person B would never know there was sugar in the siphoned gas unless person A told person B, or person B happened to notice tiny granules in the bottom of the container he siphoned into, if any granules were actually to get siphoned out with the gas.

THERE WAS NO IDENTIFIABLE PERSON B TO TELL TO BEGIN WITH.
THE THIEF WOULD NOT TELL PERSON A IF HE DIDN'T HAVE TO (if the car were still working).

So what are we left with ? Person B comes up to Person A and says you fuct up my car. Guess what ? It was the sugar.

Are you still suggesting that sugar doesn't dmg the vehicle to the point where it's undrivable or are you suggesting he just didn't know what was put in the gas ? And if it's the latter, I honestly don't understand why that's even an argument with the facts as presented.

The vehicle is damaged... or else there would be no self-incrimination to begin with.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
I'm just saying


you know, the snopes thing


<shrugs>

hey did you know snopes said it was false!?

http://www.snopes.com/autos/grace/sugar.asp

 

[hanoverphist]

i think i would nonchalantly talk to the neighbor and say something like "ya, some neighborhood kids seem to be stealing the gas out of my tank... just wait until they try to drive with what i put in one of those tanks, hehe". probably get more mileage out of that than any real addition to a tank.

 

[alkemyst]

Boobie traps are a bit illegal so he could have a suit, something to the effect of it being an emergency yadda yadda yadda...civilly anything goes.

Now you could also have a good case, say you needed to get to the hospital and your vehicle is now assed out with no gas.

Personally, I'd have waited for him and confronted the motherfker. It sucks because you don't need that kind of drama from a neighbor and having to worry about him screwing with your stuff out of retribution.

Round two those it'd be toe to toe, I'd make sure he got enough so there was no question what my fence meant.

Fortunately in my new place I have great neighbors. Some punks came down the street a few weeks ago. It didn't take long for all of us to be out there and send them packing. It's a great difference for many neighborhoods today where people live in attached units and don't even know their neighbor.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: FoBoT
I'm just saying


you know, the snopes thing


<shrugs>

hey did you know snopes said it was false!?

http://www.snopes.com/autos/grace/sugar.asp

Actually, that same article also states that sugar most certainly CAN clog injectors and cause problems. It just won't harm the engine itself. (internals)

But it most certainly CAN and WILL mess up the fuel system. I've seen it done several times.

 

[BooGiMaN]

your honor intrigued by the show Myth Busters i decided to test the 'sugar in the gas tank' myth....much to my surprise my neighbor seems to have been helping himself to the very gas i was using in my myth busters experiment!!

i would now like to press charges of trespassing and theft on my neighbor....

 

[bluestrobe]

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
Actually, that same article also states that sugar most certainly CAN clog injectors and cause problems. It just won't harm the engine itself. (internals)

But it most certainly CAN and WILL mess up the fuel system. I've seen it done several times.

The sugar has to get past two, if not more filtration systems before it can do the damage.

 

[Itchrelief]

How about E85 with a load of water contamination?

 

[sao123]

I find it very hilarious that this thread was posted 2 days ago...

tonight I came home to a surprise... soemone had gone through my shed apparently looking for gasoline. They found 3 half filled 1 gallon containers of gas and 1 half filled 3 gallon container of kerosene from last winter...

apparently these theives arent too bright because they dumped all 4 containers into their tank, and left them sitting in my yard. So im going to go out driving around tomorrow to find a dead car within a few miles of my house.

Moral of the story... dont steal the gasoline in the blue container labeled kerosene...

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: bluestrobe

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
Actually, that same article also states that sugar most certainly CAN clog injectors and cause problems. It just won't harm the engine itself. (internals)

But it most certainly CAN and WILL mess up the fuel system. I've seen it done several times.

The sugar has to get past two, if not more filtration systems before it can do the damage.

The tiny amount of sugar that dissolved could partially clog the injectors (don't know how likely this is), filters won't stop it if it's dissolved in there.

The part that's undissolved could clog filters and starve the engine of fuel that way.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: sao123
I find it very hilarious that this thread was posted 2 days ago...

tonight I came home to a surprise... soemone had gone through my shed apparently looking for gasoline. They found 3 half filled 1 gallon containers of gas and 1 half filled 3 gallon container of kerosene from last winter...

apparently these theives arent too bright because they dumped all 4 containers into their tank, and left them sitting in my yard. So im going to go out driving around tomorrow to find a dead car within a few miles of my house.

Moral of the story... dont steal the gasoline in the blue container labeled kerosene...

Doubt it killed their car.. Just depends on the concentration of kerosene.

 

[CorCentral]

Will sugar even dissolve in gasoline? It just hit me and I never thought of it.
I've seen the Mythbusters show on this, but it did'nt go into this detail.

I know it won't dissolve in MEK or Acetone........ Never tried gasoline though.

 

[TitanDiddly]

I'd use silica gel instead... 5 pounds of it.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: bluestrobe

Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
Actually, that same article also states that sugar most certainly CAN clog injectors and cause problems. It just won't harm the engine itself. (internals)

But it most certainly CAN and WILL mess up the fuel system. I've seen it done several times.

The sugar has to get past two, if not more filtration systems before it can do the damage.

There's lots of pressure in an EFI system. It can push stuff through the filter. That's why injectors get clogged. The filter doesn't catch everything.
Put enough sugar in your tank, and you WILL have problems. Just not in the way people usually think.

 

[dmw16]

the sugar...it does nathing (said in McBain voice)

Sugar doesnt harm your car. Havent you seen Mythbusters?

 

[AMCRambler]

Well after reading this, I'd say neither of you has a case. If the thief were to lie and say you put the sugar in his gas tank he has no way to prove it. If you were to accuse him of siphoning the gas out of your gas tank you wouldn't be able to prove it either. The video camera idea would have helped you out had you done it, but as it stands now I don't see how anyone can get busted for anything. I think you've solved your gas stealing problem though.
I can't believe gas has reached the price point where people are actually siphoning each others tanks. It's starting to get crazy! I better keep an eye on my fuel gauge now adays and make sure it's not happening to me! My car doesn't have one of those in car releases for the gas door to prevent theft.