Water in Gas Tank Symptoms: Explained in 5 Minutes

Having water in the gas tank can degrade the engine’s performance by seriously affecting the other parts like fuel pipeline and its injectors. However, if timely attention is not given to the problem, it may eventually damage the car’s engine. Therefore, it is pivotal to locate the water in gas tank symptoms and seek the essential maintenance tips that can save the engine from getting damaged.

4 Water in Gas Tank Symptoms

When water leaks into the gas tank, it will gradually reduce the performance of the fuel pump because it is not lubricated when operating. If this problem is not corrected in time, the fuel system will be destroyed (rusting issues can also impact the fuel pump and fuel injector). Meanwhile, the fact that gasoline is contaminated with water is easy to detect through basic signs. Let’s find out what happens if water gets in your gas tank. These symptoms can give you a quick overlook even though they probably didn’t help you all that much.

1. Reduction in car’s mileage

Water getting inside the car’s gas tank can decrease the motor power gradually. And, if it is not considered seriously then, eventually it would decrease the vehicle’s mileage, too. Furthermore, it would cause the biodegradation of the fuel, which would make the car lose power.

Besides this, it is important to note that the water is heavier than the gasoline sinks at the bottom of the tank thus, causing the container to rust. Owing to it, the microbes can grow inside the tank which can destroy the whole system of fuel.

2. Sudden stalling of engine

Initially, for a few minutes, the engine won’t cause any issues. However, after a while, the process of fuel combustion would become weak and will start showing the water in gas tank symptoms. Additionally, if there is a large amount of water in the fuel system then, it may stop the engine immediately.

3. Engine won’t start at all!

The simplest sign of water contamination is the engine not working.  When the mixture of water and gasoline is transferred to the combustion chamber, it will cause hydraulic shock, the piston is not lubricated, so it is difficult to move in the cylinder. Since the four processes of loading, compression, explosion, and exhaust are not performed, the car is difficult to start or stall. When the engine is damaged due to water-contaminated gasoline, drivers may have to overhaul it at the garage at a small cost to return the car to normal operation. Besides, when the water is present above the piston inside the car’s cylinder, which in turn doesn’t allow the piston to complete its rotation. Thus, it leads to no fuel combustion and compression.

4. Trouble accelerating the car

A rough acceleration or misfire is also one of the most typical signs when water in your car fuels. If the car demands more force on the acceleration pedal to reach the desired speed while driving, then it’s clearly a sign of poor acceleration. In addition, it mainly occurs because of the water being injected into the engine instead of gas.

Read more:

• How long does it take gas to go bad?
• Reasons for Car Stalling

Causes of Water in Gas Tank

Be it a small cup or a bucket full of water inside the fuel tank, both can affect the engine’s performance. So, if you wish to save yourself from this problem, it is wise to prevent the causes of it. Some of the major causes are a condensation of atmospheric pressure, the poorly sealed cap on the tank’s top, and the bad top fuel pump.

In reality, your gas tank contaminated water for several reasons, such as fueling at a gas station that is not of high quality or driving in a flooded area causing temperature and humidity to condense in the gas tank…

All in all, while driving if you experience revving or sputtering and delayed acceleration, this clearly points towards the water in gas symptoms. Hence, it is better to take timely action or else the engine’s performance would degrade causing more damage to it than imagined.

How to Fix Problem of Water in Gas Tank

After understanding all the water in gas tank symptoms, now it’s time to get rid of the water in the fuel system.

In this regard, one of the best and easiest solutions is to replace the entire gas within the reservoir. This can be done by replacing the old fuel with a whole new high-quality gas that has no ethanol in it. The reason behind using this gas is its property of not absorbing water.

However, if you feel that it’s an expensive process then, here are certainly other steps: how to get water out of gas tank:

1. Use octane booster

Once you find the symptoms of water in the gas, you can exhaust it completely by using a high-level octane booster inside the gas reservoir. Once injected, it would absorb all the moisture or water inside the tank, thus leaving it completely dry.

2. Put special fuel additives and methanol

No doubt, it is a less reliable solution when there is more water in the gas tank. But, if it’s only the moisture then, you can make use of these fuel driers, which are actually special fuel additives and methanol. Some of the fuel additives examples are Dri-Gas, DFS Plus, and Heet.

Information: There are certain fuel driers that use special agents to protect the sensitive material of old vehicles whereas others simply use alcohol to remove the water. So, always think and look for the product specification, prior to its purchase.

3. Make use of new filters

In case the water content inside the vehicle’s gas container is too high then, you not only have to replace the fuel but also the filters.

Tip: For all the above steps, it is suggested to take assistance from professionals unless you are aware of what you are doing with the vehicle.

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To minimize the problem of water-contaminated gasoline, drivers should pay attention not to filling petrol at poor quality gas stations, limit driving in deep flooded areas, do not spray water into the engine compartment when washing the car. If the vehicle is found to have signs of the water in the gas tank, it is necessary to urgently replace the new fuel immediately, rinse the fuel tank, and clean the related parts in turn to reduce serious damage to the engine and fuel system.