# Accidently added oil to gas tank **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 7, 2017, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidently-added-oil-to-gas-tank/792966 "2017-08-07T01:16:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2017, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidently-added-oil-to-gas-tank/792966/21 "2017-08-07T20:46:13Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > She thought those quart bottles of fluid were “emergency gas.” Despite never in her life having seen or heard of anyone using a quart-sized bottle of “emergency gas” - and the printing on the bottles that spoke of “motor oil”. Yipes. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2017, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidently-added-oil-to-gas-tank/792966/22 "2017-08-07T22:14:54Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > I think you might mention, that “windshield wiper fluid” is not the same as “distilled water” that is added to lead-acid batteries 😉 ??? It’s been at least 30 years since I’ve seen a car battery you could add any liquid too. FYI, the older type batteries that you could add liquid to worked just fine on tap water. Not ideal, not close enough. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2017, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidently-added-oil-to-gas-tank/792966/23 "2017-08-07T22:33:18Z")
> [@scudsucker](#): > > I think you might mention, that “windshield wiper fluid” is not the same as “distilled water” that is added to lead-acid batteries 😉 My father was pretty scrupulous about teaching us basic stuff about cars. He was also big on “recycling” and so poured Varsol into a more handy empty windshield washer fluid jug. A few months later, yup, he topped off my mother’s windshield washer reservoir with Varsol. She was driving, it started to rain, she hit the wipers and the washer button, the Varsol started to dissolve the rubber blades, the windshield was smeared with rubber, mom hit the washer button a few more times, and pretty soon the wipers were down to the metal and scratched the windshield. Not his best moment. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2017, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidently-added-oil-to-gas-tank/792966/24 "2017-08-07T22:39:56Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Last weekend I helped her move into college. The school is four hour away. She has her car with her. I gave her two quarts of oil and a gallon of windshield wiper fluid and told her, “Keep these in the trunk of your car.” > > I screwed up in two areas: > > 1. I didn’t tell her what the fluids were. > 2. I have never shown her how to check/add oil or fill the wiper fluid reservoir. You may want to advise that if her brakes squeak, she shouldn’t try to fix it by spraying WD-40 on the rotors. (Yes, I knew someone who was about to do just that, until her horrified brother intervened.) ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidently-added-oil-to-gas-tank/792966/25 "2017-08-08T00:43:49Z")
One thing she should know is never NEVER store gasoline in the trunk. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidently-added-oil-to-gas-tank/792966/26 "2017-08-08T15:02:12Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > 1. I didn’t tell her what the fluids were. > 2. I have never shown her how to check/add oil or fill the wiper fluid reservoir. > > So yesterday her (parked) car was very low on gas, and she wasn’t sure if she could make it to the gas station. She thought those quart bottles of fluid were “emergency gas.” After adding the first quart, she said she got a feeling the fluid in the bottle was not gas. So she called me. :o That’s pretty understandable, the only way to learn is to be taught or just try something and make mistakes. I’m sure a lot of people don’t know how to add oil to their car or that it’s different than gas. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidently-added-oil-to-gas-tank/792966/27 "2017-08-08T15:14:52Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > So yesterday her (parked) car was very low on gas, and she wasn’t sure if she could make it to the gas station. You might also want to let her know that even when the car reads “E,” there’s usually a bit of gas left in it. It will depend very much on make and model of car. (For example, mine reads E when there’s about two gallons left in the tank, which translates to about 60 miles of run distance.) If the gas station was just a couple miles away, she’d probably have made it without issue, unless the car has been running on E for awhile. And if it was just the “low fuel” icon that lit up on the dashboard, there’s plenty of fuel there. The way to figure it out, obviously, is to see how much gas it takes to fill it up when it’s on E and then subtract that from 15.5 gallons (which appears to be that car’s fuel capacity.) On the other hand, maybe you don’t want to tell her that, as she may push the limits. But it was one thing my high school girlfriend’s father taught her so she didn’t completely freak out if she realized she forgot to fill the tank and the fuel gauge was showing E. ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidently-added-oil-to-gas-tank/792966/28 "2017-08-08T15:27:37Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > That’s pretty understandable, the only way to learn is to be taught or just try something and make mistakes. I’m sure a lot of people don’t know how to add oil to their car or that it’s different than gas. Oh I don’t know, reading the manual works pretty good. Yes I realize some people will never read the manual, my wife included. ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidently-added-oil-to-gas-tank/792966/29 "2017-08-08T15:53:18Z")
> [@DooWahDiddy](#): > > This reminds me of the time I sleepily poured an entire gallon of windshield wiper fluid into my oil tank, and didn’t realize it until my car stopped right on the highway. Many Shubs and Zulls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of a Sloar that day, I can tell you. I was at a gas station and asked the guy to check my oil ,he said I was low so he put a quart in. I normally get out of my car to watch the guy, I sure wish I had this time b/c after I paid and drove away and uses my window washer and there was oil all over my window ! :smack: I didn’t trust the gas station to fix their mistake so I went to the auto shop I uses and had the gas station pay the bill . They paid the bill . ---
**Author:** ![J-P\_L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/j-p_l/32/3156_2.png) [@J-P\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J-P_L)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidently-added-oil-to-gas-tank/792966/30 "2017-08-08T20:06:31Z")
Make sure she knows about [Blinker Fluids](http://jalopnik.com/dont-ask-your-daughter-to-buy-blinker-fluid-for-the-int-1794310110). She might need some someday. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2017, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidently-added-oil-to-gas-tank/792966/31 "2017-08-08T20:37:03Z")
> [@seal\_cleaner](#): > > One thing she should know is never NEVER store gasoline in the trunk. Not for the long term, no, but it’s permissible to ferry a gas can to/from the gas station this way. [But to fill it at the gas station, it alwaysalwayslalways needs to be removed from the trunk and filled on the ground](https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/98-111/); filling it in the trunk (or on the bed of a pickup truck) can lead to a dangerous buildup of static electricity that can ignite the gasoline and ruin your day. [demonstration of static buildup while filling can on ground](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Rx4bMPtxYk) [Actual “oops” fire from filling can in bed of pickup truck](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgAaj3DkA-w&t=1m0s) :eek: This is a safety tip that every parent should teach their kid when they get their license. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidently-added-oil-to-gas-tank/792966/32 "2017-08-09T00:58:19Z")
It’s been my experience that adding oil…a heavy, thick hydrocarbon…to gas, it skews the octane rating downward. You may want to fuel up with premium to compensate the lowered rating. ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidently-added-oil-to-gas-tank/792966/33 "2017-08-09T14:47:51Z")
Just put gas in and drive it, it wont hurt anything, not filters, not injectors, etc. 1 quart probably wont even make it smoke. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidently-added-oil-to-gas-tank/792966/34 "2017-08-09T15:11:36Z")
I had a Ford Pinto that regularly consumed a quart of oil per tank of gas without problem. I did have the benefit of having a full-time Spy Hunter smoke screen…cops couldn’t catch me! :smack:😃 ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidently-added-oil-to-gas-tank/792966/35 "2017-08-10T04:46:47Z")
> [@FluffyBob](#): > > Oh I don’t know, reading the manual works pretty good. > > Yes I realize some people will never read the manual, my wife included. Its actually pretty good to read the manual, occasionally you find out about a feature you didn’t have, or pick up a trick or two, plus has a listing of some specific maintenance parts, useful if google isn’t. Manual’s don’t always recommend the best thing though, especially cars with lots of miles. Regardless of whether you have a car with “lifetime” :smack: transmission fluid, it should be changed. Same with increasing the oil weight if able to, on engines with a lot of miles (5W-30- use 10W-30 after 100K Miles). Then again the manuals also want everyone to take their cars to a stealership for repairs so whatever. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/accidently-added-oil-to-gas-tank/792966.md?page=1)