# Found a can of gasoline out in the middle of nowhere. Is there any way to test it to determine if it's OK to use in my vehicle? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 26, 2024, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-can-of-gasoline-out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-is-there-any-way-to-test-it-to-determine-if-its-ok-to-use-in-my-vehicle/1004823 "2024-07-26T19:14:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 20
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-can-of-gasoline-out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-is-there-any-way-to-test-it-to-determine-if-its-ok-to-use-in-my-vehicle/1004823/20 "2024-07-26T22:21:44Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Leave it sit for about 3 days. Look for any sign of fractionation, where there’s a thin (or thick) layer of different liquid at top or bottom. Also look for any sign of debris or crunchies. If any is present, throw away the gas. From an old post of mine > [@Unusual car problems you had?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-car-problems-you-had/967817/13): > > After pulling my hair out trying everything I could think of, in frustration, I drained a snapple bottle full of gas from the tank with the intention of (safely) setting some of it fire. I was so lost for ideas I was jokingly making sure the gas would actually burn. So, I tap into the fuel rail, start the fuel pump and filled up my snapple bottle with gas. A few minutes later when I walked back over to where I had set the bottle down, I saw that it had separated. It was probably half water. --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/found-a-can-of-gasoline-out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-is-there-any-way-to-test-it-to-determine-if-its-ok-to-use-in-my-vehicle/1004823)._