Is there an easy way to drain all the gas out of the gas tank of a 2009 Toyota Camry Sedan, LE automatic transmission. Is there a drain plug or anything like that? I’ve never done anything like this so I’m hoping there is a relatively easy way to do it.
Thanks
Does the fuel pump work? Hook up line to fuel rail test port in engine compartment and pump it out.
I believe Toyota vehicles have NEVER had a fuel rail test port
Is there a particular reason you want to drain the fuel tank?
Is it damaged?
Did you fill up the wrong fuel?
Is it time to replace the fuel sending unit?
Remove the inlet fuel line from the bottom of the fuel filter.
Connect a hose to the inlet fuel line and place the other end into catch container.
Locate the fuel pump relay in the fuse/relay box under the hood.
Remove the fuel pump relay and insert a jumper wire in the relay socket for the secondary side of the fuel pump relay.
This will cause the fuel pump to run allowing draining of the gas tank.
Tester
Mr. Tester, as always you have provided good instructions. The OP states they have never done this so I would like to add: Have someone with you ready to call 911.
Well unless there is a drain plug or another equivalent easy method I don’t have a need to drain tank. The reason I need to drain tank is my 16 year old daughter. She has not learned to keep an eye on the gas gauge and she has gotten use to dear old dad filling car up for her. When she gets so low the gas light comes on yet she still does not tell me she needs gas…I’d like to go out in the yard and drain tank. That way when she goes to school the next morning the car will not start. That way she gets frustrated but is not put in danger. I’ll have a fresh 2 gallons of gas ready and hopefully she’ll learn. If there is another easy way to accomplish this I would love to hear it. What happens if you pull the fuel pump relay?
The fuel pump won’t operate.
Tester
You could try doing it the old fashioned way…You will need 6 or 7 feet of clear 3/8" vinyl tubing and try and work it down through the fuel filler port into the tank. Then carefully start a siphon to drain the tank… With some cars it’s impossible to get a hose into the tank but with many models it can be done… Do all this outdoors of course…Have enough gas cans available to hold the expected contents of the tank…
As others have asked, why do you feel it’s necessary to drain the tank…??
She will run out of gas soon enough on her own no need to be making more work for yourself. Sure I see the safety issue, but I would rather try talking and warning, over designing a plan for failure.
Draining tank will not solve anything at all. Just go out with her as a passenger and show her several places where running out of fuel could be dangerous such as heavy traffic or worse yet on a set of railroad tracks. Grounding said child if she lets fuel gauge get below the 1/4 mark is also an option.
Running out of gas can result in a burned up fuel pump.
If she won’t spend the money for gas, do you think she’ll be willing to pay to have the fuel pump replaced?
Tester
Has she EVER purchased a tank of gas?/ is she familiar with the procedure? It’s about time she learned the drill, either the easy way or the hard way…
Now no offense to anyone but the “she” is a female right? That’s the reason they put low fuel warning lights in cars. I have tried for years to get them to put gas in the car but there just seems to be a mental block against doing it. Quite simply, your idea won’t work and if she ever finds out what you did, you’ll lose a lot of points.
So does she have a gas credit card on your account? Is there a full service station that could be used? They really just don’t want to deal with gas so better to just check it and make an evening run to fill it up again. This is what psychologists call @#@$$% in the wind.
Simple fix? electrical tape over the last 1/4 tank on the gauge, if you cannot see the needle stop for gas asap? Probably won’t work, sure I could not see the gauge but the get fuel light was not flashing.
hmmm … daughter isn’t careful about monitoring the fuel gauge, and runs out of gas all the time? That’s a toughie.
I think this is a manifestation of her personality. I’m not saying that in a negative way, just this is the way she’s built is all. So there really isn’t much you can do about it. Draining the gas tank won’t be effective at all in my opinion. Suggest to abandon that idea completely.
For example, I’ve only run out of gas once or twice in my entire driving life. But my older brother has probably run out of gas at least 200 times … maybe 500. Maybe 1000 … lol … Seriously, running out of gas is just something he does. That is how he’s put together. He does it less often now, but he still does it. As a teenager I used to get a call from him at least once a week to bring a can of gasoline to where his car stalled. He always told me when I asked how it happened this time, that when the gas ran out he thought he could still coast to the gas station, so why stop for gas before that? He’s got things to do, places to go, no time to stop for gas. I think if you ask you daughter, she’ll say the same thing.
I guess one idea, when she runs out of gas insist she take the bus for the next 6 months. But even that I doubt will help. And it might put her at risk in other ways. So probably, all and all, there isn’t anything you can do about. Just comes with being a parent.
I agree with George, about the personality traits
My sister-in-law is 45 years old, and she still occasionally runs out of gas. Not as often as George’s brother, but several times over the years.
But she’s rough on cars. Period. And the cars’ appearance reflects that. Lots of curb strikes, scraped bumpers, mirrors, etc. I know for a fact they never check any fluids, and they often don’t close the doors properly, which causes the dome light to remain on, killing the battery. Yeah, their batteries don’t last long either.
Yeah its a personality thing. Not to mention any names but my BIL ran out of gas on his wedding day. Only he was in a boat in the middle of the lake and no oars. And this was before cell phones. It took several hours for someone to finally notice and tow him to shore. He did make it on time but was beet red from the sun burn. I’m always careful to have extra supplies, tools, etc. for various contingencies when we’re doing a project together. Great guy though, just not going to change.
Agreed that this would not be the proper way to teach her. Timing of “when” the car is going to stop is almost impossible and you can still put her in danger no matter what. She will have to learn on her own. Either let her drive and do not fill it, or take the keys away for now or just keep filling the gas for now until she is more mature.
You’re going to risk a major conflagration and possibly explosion just to teach her a lesson? That’s a bit too “tough love” for my taste.
Explosions happen when an ignition source meets a closed container (like a gas tank) the airspace of which is saturated with gas fumes. Gas is highly aromatic, and the airspace WILL be saturated with fumes. Should a spark find an opening to an open container of gas and ignite it, it will shoot out like a flamethrower.
Even someone who does understand combustion and takes proper precautions, like disconnecting power to the pump and using spark resistant (brass and insulated) tools has to be careful draining a tank. Besides, do you really want to teach your daughter that this type of behavior is the right approach to problem solving?
If you don’t know how to do it, I strongly recommend against doing this for the purposes you state. The possible (but unlikely) benefit does not IMHO justify the risk.
I agree with the others . . . talk to the daughter and tell her why it would be a bad idea to run out of gas
Take her along when you’re driving
Cross the tracks and tell her this would be a bad time to run out of gas
Go to a 7-Eleven in a bad part of town and tell her you probably don’t want to run out of gas in this neighborhood
On the freeway onramp, tell her this would also be a bad place to run out of gas
In the far left lane on the freeway, at 75mph, tell her this would be a bad place to run out of gas