My daughter has a 2207 Honda Accord that she depends on for work. She recently had found that someone (Ex) had put sugar in her gas tank. In all about 40 miles was driven on it when it was parked. Can the tank be dropped and drained on this model without a shop assistance, and what is the possibility that the sugar has gotten into the lines into the engine and how can that as well be checked. If it has then it most likely gotten into the engine? Please advise as soon as anyone can.
Thank You
I agree with @jesmed1 here. There is a component missing that would harm the engine but I won’t give out that information. People who do dumb things like putting sugar in a gas tank won’t get it right so don’t worry about it.
Sugar will not dissolve but will ruin fuel filters and get past the filter and into the lines ruining injectors. It will also damage fuel pumps.
I agree with meaneyedcatz. A near new Porsche 911 was towed in to us once after someone giving it the sugar treatment and that car required a new filter, fuel pump, and full set of injectors.
I also personally know a guy who sugared a PD detective’s car one night and the next day the car quit about half a dozen blocks away from the detective’s house.
(Not condoning the act at all but the detective was a 100% punk with a history and questionable as to how he even got on the force.)
Just because sugar won’t dissolve in fuel doesn’t mean it won’t hurt your car. Enough of it can get to the engine past the filter and through the injectors that it can stick to the valves, caramelizing and seizing the valve in the head, resulting in bent pushrods and valve damage. I wouldn’t have thought so myself until I saw it happen. The insurance adjuster who wrote the check for the vandalism/damage said he had seen it before.
So back to the original question, tanks can be heavy and without the brass tools can cause a spark, so its best to have a shop do it. I used a scissor jack on mine but there was no rust or anything to deal with and no pump in the tank. Then the filter needs to be changed out but don’t know if there is any way to tell for the rest of it unless the whole fuel system is flushed out.
Thanks for the education, guys. I had thought sugar could not get past the filter, but evidently I was wrong, so I deleted my earlier post.
Sugar is just like other solid particulants that exist in gasoline. The tank strainer catches the larger stuff; the filter catches the finer stuff; and the near microscopic pores in the injector screens catch what the strainer and filter does not.
Particles finer than the injector screen pores end up being burned inside the combustion chambers of course.
I thought maybe the ethanol in gas might make the sugar a lot more soluble now, so I put 1/4 tsp into 1/2 cup gas. After 15 hours, I can’t tell any has dissolved. However, I certainly agree it will foul the fuel system, so my test just reinforces the fact that it doesn’t take much to do so.
Thanks for your comments guys. I intend to drop tank, change filter, and while gas tank out intend to have engine cranked and flushed out the lines that may contain bad fuel.
If you can prove the he ex-boyfriend did it, the law should hear about it. Vandalism should be dealt with quickly. No low life creep like this should get off without punishment. If he’s been bragging about it, nail him.
I don’t know what’s going on with some of these bozo males. It used to be when we broke up, we’d just not talk anymore. Now they have to beat someone up, threaten or vandalize. Special place for them some day. Although I did have a couple former girl friends sitting on the curb across the street heckling me while I cleaned the car for prom with someone else. I’ll agree that it was bad form on my part but I was young and didn’t know. They never vandalized or tried to beat me up though.
@wesman: "My daughter has a 2207 Honda Accord . . . "
Can you post a photo of that so we can see what Hondas will look like two centuries from now?
Okay, just being a bit snarky. Never mind. And yeah, if you can prove the ex-BF did it, he should be charged with a crime.
@Wesman: Thanks for your comments guys. I intend to drop tank, change filter, and while gas tank out intend to have engine cranked and flushed out the lines that may contain bad fuel.
If I read this right!!!
Do not crank the engine over, if that’s what you meant.
Any forign matter(sugar) in the lines will be pushed to the injectors.
With the tank out and the filter off…I’d pull the fuel rail off at the injectors and pump compressed air thru the line from the filter to the fuel rail and from the filter to the tank outlet.
Then install the pump and tank…and the filter…then reattach the fuel rail.
Yosemite
What is the possibility that the ex is telling her (or others) that he did it, just to get you or a shop to expend a lot of time and money on fixing a problem that does not exist?
Have you ever known an ex who could be trusted to tell the truth about the relationship or the end of same?
OTOH, if he’s bragging about it, it would sure be interesting to have the cops talk to him about it. I wonder what he’d tell THEM.
Just sayin’, are you sure you want to antagonize a guy like that, or just let him slip into oblivion? As a pragmatist, the police probably aren’t going to do anything except talk, and even if he went to jail, who do you think he’ll be thinking about when he’s cooling his heels? You can’t always be with your daughter and I’d hate to think that the guy was lurking around yet after being “taught a lesson”. Sometimes you just take a punch and walk away. Its not male nature but sometimes its best for the long haul. I’d sure keep an eye on the guy though for a while.
I agree with Bing…leave sleeping dogs lie!!! It’ll blow over and he’ll hopfully forget about the whole thing. If something more happens…then I’d contact the cops, ro have a chat with him.
Yosemite