# 2012 Chevrolet Malibu - sugar in the tank **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** chevrolet, malibu\ **Created:** [November 25, 2021, 6:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-chevrolet-malibu-sugar-in-the-tank/180889 "2021-11-25T18:40:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Robinbowman0731](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6bbea6/32.png) [@Robinbowman0731](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Robinbowman0731)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2021, 6:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-chevrolet-malibu-sugar-in-the-tank/180889/1 "2021-11-25T18:40:37Z")
Someone put sugar in our gas tank and the gas tank is full how do we go about getting the gas out to drop the gas tank can my husband do this alone ---
**Author:** ![weekend-warrior](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/weekend-warrior/32/26122_2.png) [@weekend-warrior](https://community.cartalk.com/u/weekend-warrior)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2021, 6:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-chevrolet-malibu-sugar-in-the-tank/180889/2 "2021-11-25T18:59:52Z")
you should have it towed to a repair shop just for the fact of getting rid of all that gas in the tank and what you would do with it when it is out. below is a link to give you a idea of what is involved just to drop the tank when it is empty. you might want to use a locking gas cap to try to stop it from happing again in the future. [2012 Chevrolet Malibu removing gas from tank - Yahoo Video Search Results](https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video;_ylt=AwrDQ2pw2p9hCwUAahT7w8QF;_ylu=c2VjA3NlYXJjaAR2dGlkAw--;_ylc=X1MDOTY3ODEzMDcEX3IDMgRhY3RuA2NsawRjc3JjcHZpZANlQmJOV0RFd0xqRnVyem1aWUd6dW1BQmpOamt1TVFBQUFBQnE1WWN3BGZyA2NybWFzX3NmcARmcjIDc2EtZ3AEZ3ByaWQDBG5fcnNsdAM2MARuX3N1Z2cDMARvcmlnaW4DdmlkZW8uc2VhcmNoLnlhaG9vLmNvbQRwb3MDMARwcXN0cgMEcHFzdHJsAwRxc3RybAM1NgRxdWVyeQMyMDEyJTIwQ2hldnJvbGV0JTIwTWFsaWJ1JTIwcmVtb3ZpbmclMjBnYXMlMjBmcm9tJTIwdGFuawR0X3N0bXADMTYzNzg2NjEwMw--?p=2012+Chevrolet+Malibu+removing+gas+from+tank&ei=UTF-8&fr2=p%3As%2Cv%3Av%2Cm%3Asa&fr=crmas_sfp#action=view&id=4&vid=8f6d53e707dfe7527f6f646493a31901) ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 12:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-chevrolet-malibu-sugar-in-the-tank/180889/3 "2021-11-28T00:27:46Z")
Depending on how much sugar was added, it may not be a problem. > **[Adding Sugar to a Car’s Gas Tank Does Not Actually Destroy an Engine](https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/car-technology/a33237683/sugar-in-gas-tank/)** > > It's a longstanding legend stretching nearly 70 years. Let's do some mythbusting. Tester ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 12:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-chevrolet-malibu-sugar-in-the-tank/180889/4 "2021-11-28T00:32:43Z")
> [@Robinbowman0731](#): > > can my husband do this alone Quite dangerous. Not recommended as a diy job. Shops are better set up to do this safely. If hubby decides to try it anyway, and has a safe way to dispose of the fuel, outdoors far away from any buildings, and a helper w/a huge fire extinguisher at the ready. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 4:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-chevrolet-malibu-sugar-in-the-tank/180889/5 "2021-11-28T04:44:44Z")
Just curious, but how do you KNOW there is sugar in the gas tank? Is there a performance problem and are you making an assumption or what? ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2021, 5:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-chevrolet-malibu-sugar-in-the-tank/180889/6 "2021-11-28T17:04:12Z")
I’m with @ok4450 on this Are you assuming somebody put sugar in the tank, because the car won’t start? Or do you know this for a fact, because you saw it happening, or somebody was caught, etc.? I’m just saying this, because I don’t think the “sugar in the tank” scenario actually happens very often Usually there are other explanations ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2021, 2:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-chevrolet-malibu-sugar-in-the-tank/180889/7 "2021-11-29T02:02:35Z")
I echo the others - how do you _know_ they put sugar in your tank? If you do actually know for certain this happened, I’d drive on. It’s pretty unlikely they spent the time that would be necessary to dump enough sugar in there to cause problems. Most likely the couple of packets they poured in there will just drop to the bottom of the tank and sit there with all the other sediment. But what I would do is cut off contact with these lowlifes, because they _thought_ it would harm your car, and that makes them reprobates that you shouldn’t subject yourself to. ---
**Author:** ![fleetmanager](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/fleetmanager/32/24111_2.png) [@fleetmanager](https://community.cartalk.com/u/fleetmanager)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2021, 1:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-chevrolet-malibu-sugar-in-the-tank/180889/8 "2021-11-29T13:59:31Z")
A few years back, I heard that sugar will not dissolve in gasoline. So, I did an experiment. I put a pint of gasoline in a mason jar and two table spoons of sugar in the same jar. The sugar remained granular for over a year, despite all my friends shaking and mixing the gas. So, unless there is enough sugar to block the sock on the pick-up tube of the fuel pump, you will not have a problem. If there is no sock on your fuel pump you may experience clogged filters, unless you have no filter. If you have no fuel filter you may get clogged injectors. In other words, you would have to have a few other problems before the sugar will be a problem.