Water in petrol.

[bull996]

How much water would it take in 30 litres of petrol in a car tank to make starting very hard/impossible?

Thanks

[Fleckers]

no idea

BUT WHY DO YOU ASK ??

[kambites]

Petrol floats on water, so just enough that the pick-up is pulling water not petrol. Maybe half a litre?

[Triumph Man]

If you really want to sabotage someone's car that much, sugar in tank.

[davepoth]

As above, only enough to cover the pickup, which is usually right at the very bottom of the tank.

[Engineer1]

Sugar in the tank was tested by mythbusters and they found it had no effect.

[gowmonster]

Triumph Man said:

If you really want to sabotage someone's car that much, sugar in tank.

bleach in the engine oil...

sugar does nothing.

http://watchdocumentary.com/watch/mythbusters-s01e...

[RedWhiteMonkey]

A lit match into a petrol tank is probably quite effective, but I don't recommend it.

[Burgmeister]

RedWhiteMonkey said:

A lit match into a petrol tank is probably quite effective, but I don't recommend it.

Im not so sure of that...

[MrLou]

Burgmeister said:

RedWhiteMonkey said:

A lit match into a petrol tank is probably quite effective, but I don't recommend it.

Im not so sure of that...

A match thrown into petrol can actually go out.

A match passed through petrol vapour can cause a huge explosion.

It's all about the oxygen.

[RedWhiteMonkey]

The match has to get through the vapour to reach the liquid in the tank. I wouldn't fancy chancing it.

[caziques]

A lighted match dropped into a petrol tank has little consequence - the petrol vapour explodes - uses up all the oxygen and goes out. (Tends to expand the tank a little).

Water and petrol don't mix (unless some detergent is used as well) - so yes if sufficient water is in the tank it sinks to the bottom and then gets sucked up by the fuel pump.

I heard that if you suspect sugar has been added to petrol then you add water, the sugar only dissolves in the water and you end up with clean petrol as the two separate.

[MrLou]

RedWhiteMonkey said:

The match has to get through the vapour to reach the liquid in the tank. I wouldn't fancy chancing it.

Definitely not one to try at home!

But petrol, in liquid form, it's not flammable. Even as a vapour there is a fairly narrow range where it will combust.

[bull996]

Nothing sinister, honest.

teh Mrs has an XJ6 where the filler is on the top of the boot, horizontal.

The other day she went to put petrol in and the whole filler area was full of rain water (drain blocked. She then proceeded to put the nozzle in, past the flap, which in turn allowed all the water to drain into the tank.

Probably half a litre. Now its spluttering and wont start!!

[groomi]

bull996 said:

Nothing sinister, honest.

teh Mrs has an XJ6 where the filler is on the top of the boot, horizontal.

The other day she went to put petrol in and the whole filler area was full of rain water (drain blocked. She then proceeded to put the nozzle in, past the flap, which in turn allowed all the water to drain into the tank.

Probably half a litre. Now its spluttering and wont start!!

I used to have that problem with my old XJ40. I always carried a lollypop stick around with me to clean out the drain holes when at the petrol station.

Theres only so many times you can stick your fingers into freezing cold, manky water on a bloody cold winters night!