It’s always a good idea to protect your ride’s fuel system and ensure its fuel is contaminant-free. That means buying gas from stations that sell a lot of gas, primarily. Low volume gas stations sometimes have water in their storage tanks. Water can also enter gas station storage tanks if they’re not properly closed after being refilled by the tanker truck.
After all, it isn’t uncommon for water to get into the gas tank. Good thing additives like dry gas can help solve the problem, but you might have to think twice about adding it to your tank.
Dry gas is an alcohol-based fuel additive that contains isopropyl or methanol. Alcohol is hygroscopic, which means the additive can bind with water. Dry gas mixes with the water contaminating the fuel so that it will burn along with the fuel during combustion.
This property of alcohol is one reason water is used with a graduated container to determine alcohol content of the fuel. Flex fuel vehicles are designed to run on up to 85% alcohol, but most people who drive flex fuel vehicles never use E85 fuel even if it’s available at the pump.
Methanol also has a low freezing point, making a dry gas additive work as an antifreeze during winter. Gasoline can freeze, but usually it won’t. But adding too much alcohol to a non-flex fuel vehicle can cause very annoying driveability issues.
It depends on the vehicle. Alcohol can be corrosive, and non flex fuel systems aren’t built to handle it. Flex fuel equipped vehicles will have more robust components than non-flex fuel vehicles for that reason.
High amounts of alcohol can damage the plastic or rubber material in the fuel system. So it’s best to consult a knowledgeable mechanic before pouring dry gas additives into your fuel tank. Typically, additives like this are used as a remedy rather than a preventative.
If a vehicle always stumbles during sharp turns, it can indicate that there is some water sloshing around in the fuel tank getting picked up by the pump.
Condensation happens on the inside walls of most any gas tank that is always running low on gasoline. Keeping the tank mostly topped (½ tank or more) if you only use the vehicle in town will help prevent condensation within the tank. This problem is worse in areas with high humidity.
Keeping the tank mostly topped (½ tank or more) if you only use the vehicle in town will help prevent condensation within the tank.
– Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician
Water can get into the tank during heavy rains if the gas cap is damaged or lost, and leaks at the fuel pump can also cause water contamination. Take note however that leaks around the fuel pump are extremely rare, and on OBD2 equipped vehicles, you’ll typically have an EVAP system code stored if there’s a leak around the cap or the pump.
Bad gas (or contaminated gas) can have detrimental effects on your engine. Here are some of them:
Moisture can cause the metal parts of your fuel tank to rust. That being said, most modern vehicles now have plastic fuel tanks, so tank rust isn’t always an issue, but fuel pump issues can be, particularly if the vehicle is parked for a week or two and water is in or around the fuel pump.
On vehicles with steel tanks, rust can reduce the thickness of its lining and cause fuel leaks. At that point, nothing short of replacing the tank could fix the problem.
Contaminated gas can cause driveability and performance issues. For example, your vehicle can have a hard time accelerating when its fuel is contaminated with water because the moisture can reduce combustion. Excessive water in the fuel system can also cause your engine to stall.
Many fuel additives can improve the health of your vehicle in general. Although experts recommend a lot of these additives, make sure to read up on the chemicals they contain before adding any to your gas tank.
Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic. The accuracy and timeliness of the information may change from the time of publication.