Faced with Water Contaminated Petrol Problem? Here is What to Do

Those who have been driving cars for a long time know about this problem. Yes, water contaminated petrol problem is a real problem, and you must know how to deal with it. There are incidents that could either be your mistake or that of the gas station, which may lead to this contamination. So, before you can tackle it, you must know why at all it occurs.

How Water Contaminated Petrol Problem Occurs

There could be water in any gas tank including the best of sedans and SUVs and the reason could be either of the two:

You could have accidentally left the gas cap off in rainy or snow weather.

The gas station that you got your car fueled from had a bad water filter, which sent a slug of water along with gas.

There is very little probability that condensation may have caused it, because the fuel tanks are usually very well sealed in most vehicles. It may have happened due to either reason. The point is that you must recognize it and find a way to remove water from gas tank.

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Symptoms of Water in Gas Tank

Here are a few symptoms that indicate the presence of water in the gas tank. If you notice these, make sure you resolve the issue ASAP. If water is left in the fuel tank over a long period of time, it is likely to rust your car’s fuel system.

Sudden Change in Vehicle’s Performance

This change is manifest in a jerky ride. The car splutters consistently and hesitates on acceleration, especially when you go up the slope or try to achieve highway speed.

Rev Up and Jolts at High Speeds

Alternatively, you may experience that your car revs up or jolts to a high speed when you aren’t really expecting it to.

These symptoms of water contaminated petrol problem occur when the injectors suck up the water slug present in the fuel. Since, water and petrol do not burn alike. When the water is sprayed by the injection, the piston doesn’t get anything to push forth into the combustion chamber. This produces steam. So, when your car revs up to high speed, it’s probably a fresh injection of fuel slug after water that’s causing it.

How to Remove Water from Gas Tank?

The very first thing that you must do is find a safe place and stop your car immediately, if the water hasn’t done that for you already. The easiest way is to empty the entire volume of gas and refill with a fresh load. It sounds expensive, but it is the best solution. After you empty it, let it be for a while. Read this to know more about you fuel tank capacity.

The next best bet is to use a drying agent that comes in the form of fuel additive. Traditional drying agents need to be used with alcohol, which is a bit tedious to do. It tends to be apt for older car that have fuel system parts as well as seals that are made with sensitive materials. However, the latest kinds are the best solutions for most modern cars.

If all this seems too technical to you, calling a professional mechanic will be the wisest thing you can do.