# Water in the gas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** ford, ranger\ **Created:** [July 21, 2009, 5:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/water-in-the-gas/33755 "2009-07-21T17:50:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bungalow\_176550](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@bungalow\_176550](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bungalow_176550)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 5:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/water-in-the-gas/33755/1 "2009-07-21T17:50:28Z")
My truck has a nonlocking gas cap. This morning I got a phone message from my building super telling me that the hatch & gas cap were hanging open. It’s been raining on & off since midnight, so I’m concerned that water’s dribbled past the vapor-flapper thing in the gas hole. I’m at work, can’t go look at it, but can water get through that flapper? If so, will it help to get a clean gallon of gas into the tank before I try & drive anywhere? And how do you get water OUT of the tank? THANKS! ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/water-in-the-gas/33755/2 "2009-07-21T17:57:45Z")
Water could leak in. Any way to get some gas-line anti freeze (Heet)? I’d put a couple of bottles of that in. Only way I know to get the water out is to have the tank drained. ---
**Author:** ![Xebadaih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/d07c76/32.png) [@Xebadaih](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Xebadaih)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 5:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/water-in-the-gas/33755/3 "2009-07-21T17:58:59Z")
If any water got into the tank it is probably a negligible amount. Close it up and drive on. ---
**Author:** ![art1966](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/77aa72/32.png) [@art1966](https://community.cartalk.com/u/art1966)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/water-in-the-gas/33755/4 "2009-07-21T21:21:58Z")
When I got water in my gas (misconnected the winshield washer line on the Porsche!) my Dad, the chemist, suggested pouring rubbing alcohol into the tank. Like about a 1-pint bottle for a tank some where between half and full (abt 15 gal). There was a LOT of water, so it took a several tank-fulls to disolve it all – but it worked. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 9:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/water-in-the-gas/33755/5 "2009-07-21T21:27:50Z")
Good idea, but gasline antifreeze (essentially the same thing)was designed for this purpose and is a lot cheaper than rubbing alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![bungalow\_176550](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@bungalow\_176550](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bungalow_176550)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/water-in-the-gas/33755/6 "2009-07-21T21:40:53Z")
THANKS for both the suggestions of Heet/alcohol - yes I can put some in the tank, and drive as usual – but what kind of behavior will I get with wet gas? Sputtering, dying on the highway —? What’s the range, from annoying to dangerous? ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 9:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/water-in-the-gas/33755/7 "2009-07-21T21:53:24Z")
The amount that got in should have been extremely negligable. However, if you’d like to put a bottle of drygas in (as already discussed) it’ll do absolutely no harm. If it helps you sleep better, it’s worth the $2. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/water-in-the-gas/33755/8 "2009-07-21T22:01:24Z")
Before anyone starts pouring “rubbing alcohol” into his gas tank in order to “dissolve??” the water in the tank, please consider this: Isopropyl Alcohol comes in two varieties, generally speaking. There is “70% Isopropyl Alcohol” and there is “91% Isopropyl Alcohol”. The 70% variety contains–guess what–30% WATER. If you want to splurge on the 91% variety, it “only” contains 9% WATER. So, by my calculations, for every pint bottle of 70% alcohol that is added to a tank of gas, you are actually adding almost 5 ounces of water, along with the alcohol. The 91% variety would add about 1.5 ounces of water per pint of alcohol. If someone wants to eliminate water from his fuel system, why would he add more water to it? ---
**Author:** ![mshugna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@mshugna](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mshugna)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 10:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/water-in-the-gas/33755/9 "2009-07-21T22:27:10Z")
With most gasoline containing 10% ethanol is there really any need to add more? ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 10:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/water-in-the-gas/33755/10 "2009-07-21T22:52:43Z")
If it helps you sleep, yes. Not for the car’s sake, for the owner’s.